RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HOMEWORK AND ACHIEVEMENT IN MATHEMATICS

OF HIGHER SECONDARY STUDENTS

* Mr.S.MADASAMY

** N.SELVARAJU

Guide

Investigator
ABSTRACT

This article explained the relationship between homework and achievement in mathematics
of higher secondary students.The investigator used the survey method for data collection.The
population of the present investigation is all the higher secondary students of various school from
Virudhunagar District in Tamilnadu. From the population 300 students were randomly selected as
the sample for the study. The data were treated with the help of statistical procedures such as mean,
standard deviation t test and F test. The finding revealed thatthere is no positive relationship
between achievement and homework in mathematics of higher secondary students.
INTRODUCTION
Education is the process of bringing desirable changes in the behaviour of human beings. It
can also be defined as the process of imparting or acquiring knowledge and habits, through
instruction or study. Education comprises instruction, teaching, information gathering, knowledge
gathering and transmittance, study and reflection, discussion, demonstration of pilot programmes.
Imparting knowledge is only a fragment of education. Real education strives to awaken curiosity of
children, develop creative and critical thinking in them and inculcate desirable values.
Education is the means to a better way of living for many and for others. It is the process of
teaching required skills. Education is concerned with teaching the members of the society how they
are expected to behave in variety of selected situations. Education is an activity or a process, which
transforms the behaviour of a person from instinctive behaviour to human behaviour.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
* Guide,Assitent Professor in Mahatma Gandhi college of Education, Tirunelveli.
** Investigator, M.Ed., scholar,-Mahatma Gandhi college of Education, Tirunelveli.

NEED OF THE STUDY

Both the school and the home are responsible for the education of the child. In the school,
the student does not get sufficient time to complete all his work. Hence, homework becomes a
necessity. It the topics read in the class are not properly assimilated and revised by the students,
they are soon forgotten. Hence homework is necessary.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HOMEWORK AND ACHIEVEMENT IN MATHEMATICS
OFHIGHER SECONDARY STUDENTS
OPERATIONAL DEFIlNITIONS
The investigator has used the following definitions for the terms used in this title.
Relationship
Here the relationship is referred between two variables that is the homework of higher
secondary students and achievement in mathematics subject.
Higher secondary school students
It refers to the students studying in XI and XII standard in higher secondary schools.
Homework
School assignments to be completed out of regular school hours at the residence of the pupil.
Mathematics
Mathematics is one of the compulsory subjects in Indian System of School Education. That
is every student has to learn mathematics up to standard XII; because it has an important role in
developing the potentialities of a child in learning teaching process.
Achievement in Mathematics
The main purpose of measuring the achievement of students is to ascertain the degree to which
the educational objectives are being realized. Achievement as used in this investigation implies the
marks or scores obtained by XI and XII standard students in the half-yearly examination.

Student involvement in homework

The whole purpose of assigning the homework is to facilitate learning. Students must not
forget that homework activities help you to develop essential skills for independent learning.
Teacher involvement in Homework
Teachers should show students that they should take homework seriously. If homework is not
completed, consequences need to be attached to this, such as making students complete homework
during breaks, giving them a negative mark in a behaviour log, withdrawing privileges etc.
Parental involvement in Homework
Parents involvement with homework as well as monitoring after school activities with help
them and their child begin to build a homework alliance. As a member of the homework team,
parents will need to encourage their childs schoolwork.
OBJECTIVES:
Following are the objectives of the present study.
1. To find out the level of homework of higher secondary students.
2. To find out the level of achievement in mathematics of higher secondary students.
3. To find out whether there is any significant difference between homework and its
dimensions with respect to gender.

REVIWE OF RELATED LITERATURE

Study No: 2
Nanney, Mariyn S, Olaeye, Temitope M and Wang.Q (2012) attempted a study
onIncorporating a healthy reimbursable snack in an afterschool homework program for middle
school students: a case study.
objectives
This study tested the feasibility and acceptability of adding a reimbursable snack that meets
the Institute of Medicine nutrition recommendations to an afterschool homework program for
middle school students.
Methods
Snack menu was developed and administered to students attending an afterschool
homework program over 12 weeks. In spring 2009, two cross-sections of middle school students
completed study measures, including snack preferences. Key school personnel completed followup interviews assessing program feasibility.
Results
Survey evaluations from 110 students at baseline and 113 at posttest suggested improved
preferences for healthy snacks. Teacher supervisors (n=3) and the assistant principal rated the
pilot project as feasible and beneficial, whereas school food service (n=3) rated the program
unsustainable because of administration logistics and costs.
The addition of healthy snacks to afterschool programs was liked by students and teachers.
However, policies that support simpler accountability procedures may be needed for schoolbased afterschool snack programs to be sustainable.

Study No: 2
Huang and Tzufang (2009) attempted a study on the role of task-specific adapted knowledge
of response feedback in algebra problem solving online homework in a college remedial course.
objectives
The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of different types of online
homework feedback on algebra problem solving skills and achievement in a college remedial
algebra course. Two types of feedback were verification feedback and task- specific adapted
knowledge of response feedback. Problem solving skills were measured by content
understanding, problem solving strategies and selfregulation, Achievement was measured by an
online intervention homework assignment, a test a final exam and a final course grade. The
participants were student in a remedial algebra course at a university in California. Fifty
voluntary students were randomly assigned into the control group receiving verification feedback
or the experiment group receiving task-specific adapted knowledge of response feedback. All 50
students also learned individual help-seeking strategies.
Finding
The major findings of this study were there was no significant difference between
experimental groups and control groups in content understanding, problem solving strategies, selfregulation and achievement there was no difference between two groups could be due to either
cognitive overload or limited functionality of My Math Labs fools or learner control or trial and
error strategy

METHODOLOGY
METHOD USED IN THE STUDY
The investigators useda survey method for the study.
POPULATION FOR THE STUDY
The population for the present study are higher secondary students in virudhunagar district.
SAMPLE FOR THE STUDY
The investigators have used simple random sampling technique for selecting the higher
secondary students in virudhunagar district. The investigator selected 300students from 8 schools in
this district, giving importance to gender and location of the college.
TOOLS USED IN THE PRESENT STUDY
By keeping the various objectives of the study in mind the investigator has used the following tools.
1. Homework scale prepared and validated by (2011) M.Leelavathi has been adopted.
2. The marks secured by the students in the half-yearly examination have been taken as
achievement mark.
STATISTICAL TECHEIQUES USED IN THE PRESENT STUDY
The investigators have used the following statistical techniques.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Percentage Analysis
Arithmetic Mean
Standard Deviation
T test
Anova test
Chi-square test
Karl Pearsons Product Moment Correlation

ANALYSIS OF DATA

Objective: 1
To find out whether there is any significant difference between homework and its
dimensions with respect to gender.
LEVEL OF HOMEWORK AND ITS DIMENSIONSWITH RESPECT TO GENDER
TABLE 4.2

Dimensions

Student
Involvement
Teacher
Involvement
Parent
Involvement
Homework-in
Total

Null Hypotheses: 1

Gender

Low

Moderate

High

Count

Count

Count

Male

43

28.1

87

56.9

23

15.0

Female

17

11.6

103

70.1

27

18.4

Male

57

37.3

78

51.0

18

11.8

Female

15

10.2

85

57.8

47

32.0

Male

28

18.3

94

61.4

31

20.3

Female

23

15.6

107

72.8

17

11.6

Male

51

33.3

73

47.7

29

19.0

Female

22

15.0

82

55.8

43

29.3

There is no significant difference between male and female homework and its dimension
with respect to gender.
TABLE 4.14
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE HOMEWORK AND ITS DIMENSION
WITH RESPECT TO GENDER

Dimensions of
Homework

Student
Involvement

Teacher
Involvement

Parent
Involvement

Homework
in Total

Category

Count

Mean

S.D

Male

153

54.72

5.253

Female

147

56.50

3.919

Male

153

25.16

4.164

Female

147

28.14

2.409

Male

153

13.71

3.060

Female

147

13.39

2.605

Male

153

98.70

12.04
8

Female

147

103.46

9.116

Calculated
t value

Remarks at
5% level

3.32

7.53

0.98

NS

3.84

Null Hypotheses: 2
There is no significant difference among homework and its dimensions with respect to type
of school.
TABLE 4.17
DIFFERENCE AMONG HOMEWORK AND ITS DIMENSIONS WITH RESPECT TO
TYPE OF SCHOOL
Dimensions of
Homework
Student
Involvement
Teacher
Involvement
Parent
Involvement
Homework-in
Total

Sources
of
variation

df = 2,297
Sum of squares

Mean square

Between

410.327

205.163

Within
Between
Within
Between

6266.060
24.496
4120.184
6.009

21.098
12.248
13.873
3.004

Within

2416.138

8.135

Between

2240.776

112.388

Within

33649.954

113.300

Calculated
F value

Remarks
at 5% level

9.724

0.883

NS

0.369

NS

9.889

FINDINGS
1. There is no significant difference in parent involvement of higher secondary students
with respect to gender. But,there is significant difference in student involvement,
teacher involvement and homework-in total of higher secondary students with respect
to gender.
2. There is no significant difference in student involvement, teacher involvement, parent
involvement and homework-in total of higher secondary students with respect to type
of family.
INTERPRETATION
Thet test reveals that female students are better than the male students in their homework
in mathematics in student involvement, teacher involvement and homework in total. This may
be due to the reason that, normally female students are more involvement in their studies. The
female students finished their homework regularly and oftenly recall.
The F test reveals that aided school students are better than government and selffinanced schools students in their homework in mathematics and in their dimension, namely
student involvement, usefulness of subject. This may be due to the reason that aided schools
have more facilities and better taken care of and students may be under good discipline
compared with the government school students. The aided schools have committed staff they
are more creative in teaching and utilizing the available facilities than the government and unaided schools.
RECOMMONDATION
1

Students can be encouraged to realize the importance of homework, for better realization

the teachers can explain the meritorious aspects of homework.

Parents can help their children while they are doing their homework. Also they can help
to clarify their doubts.

SUGGESTION
1
2

Attitude of parents, Teachers, Students towards homework.

Attitude of higher secondary students towards homework in science.

CONCULUTION
The objective of the present investigator was to study the homework of higher secondary
students in mathematics. This study may be found to be useful in the field of education. The
recommendations given by the investigator may be very helpful for improving the homework of
higher secondary students in mathematics. Hence the investigator concluded that the motivation
given by parents and teachers are the key to improve the achievement of the students in
mathematics in positive way.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS
1. Aggarwal,J.C.,(2005). Principles, Methods and Techniques of Teaching, 2nd revised
edition, Vikas publishing hiusePvt, Ltd, New Delhi.
2. Anice James,(2006). Methods of Teaching Mathematics Neelkamal publications
Pvt.Ltd,Hyderabad.
3. Arbind Kumar Jha,(2006). Homework Education, Atlantic Publishers and Distributors
Pvt.Ltd, New Delhi.
4. Bhandarkar, K M and Pathan,S.N.,(2007) Statistics In Education, Neelkamal
Publication Pvt.Ltd, New Delhi
5. Bhatta, B.D,(1970). Theory and Principles of Education of Education,Doaba House,
New Delhi.
JOURNALS
1. Amalraj.A and Anantha V.G, (2006).Study habits of higher secondary students in relation
tothe-Home Climate, Research and Reflections on Education, Vol.04, No.03, July
September 2006.
2. Jagannath.K et al., (2008) attempted a study on need of homework in secondary school.

INTERNATIONAL ABSTRACTS
Iflazoglu et al.,(2012) Homework motivation and preferences of turkish students
Dissertation abstracts International Vol. 27, No. 03.
Omlin-Ruback Holly I., (2010).A study of Mathematics homework, Dissertation Abstracts
International Vol. 70, No. 11, May 2010.

WEBSIDES
www.eric.com
www.acadamicresearch.com
www.education.world.com
www.indian.journal.com
www.netguide.com
www.wikipedia.com