Linking homework to achievement in mathematics: An examination of 8th grade arab participation in TIMSS 2015

Abstract

Homework is generally one factor that has been discussed and claimed to have a relationship with achievement; it has a central role in providing students with opportunities to continue learning out of the school. This study forms one of cross-cultural investigations that analyze the links between homework variables and achievement in mathematics. Data was drawn from TIMSS database 2015, including 477 schools and 73,987 eighth grade students from 10 Arab countries. Analysis showed that the majority of Arab students spend less time doing homework (less than 60 minutes) and do not need to take homework every day to strengthen their knowledge and get better scores in mathematics. Two-level analyses revealed that different associations were seen in most of Arab countries between homework time, homework frequency, computer use, and internet use in doing homework with achievement in mathematics. The result was interpreted in terms of the consistency between instruction and homework evaluation.