Views of Primary Teachers About Homework (A Qualitative Analysis)

Abstract

The aim of this study is to reveal the views of classroom teachers about homework assigned to primary students. In the study, a qualitative method was employed. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and the participants were chosen using the purposive sampling technique. The participants of this study are twenty classroom teachers who taught the primary grades of 1, 2, 3 and 4 at a public primary school in Konya during the school year of 2017-2018. The interview form was administered to four classroom teachers in a pilot study whose findings produced a reliability level of 88% and the obtained data were analysed using the descriptive statistics. The participants’ answers to the interview items were categorized under common themes and sub-themes. Besides, in the discussion of the findings direct quotations were also given. The findings generally indicate that the teachers had a positive attitude towards homework assignments. It was also found that for them homework assignments contribute positively to increase student achievement. The findings also suggest that the views of the participants about homework assignments do not vary based on the variables of gender, grade level, their professional experience and their educational background.