a part of RS 600 assignments
Peer-Reviewed Study:
Maltese, A.V., Tai, R.H., & Fan, X. (2012). When is homework worth the time? Evaluating the association between homework and achievement in high school science and math. The High School Journal, 52-72. https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/23275424.pdf?casa_token=UQ-6oj8vi8UAAAAA:CVI52Gv41XmjgfSEsJvkru3fwUe9_DcKX4vHMELK0Eiyo5o2CtG0zzWHTksdOkpZDUj2E1Z2qpKzjhHA7pk4ltw0gx9QAhUksAzCy4xJqHSXIerhu5qCyQ
Media Article:
(16 November, 2012). Homework Doesn’t Improve Student Course Grades but Could Boost Standardized Test Scores: Study. HuffPost. Retrieved from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/study-finds-little-correl_n_2145434
The study about homework and grade that Maltese and the team published has been highlighted in the popularly read American newspaper HuffPost. Based on Statista.com, in 2023, HuffPost's credibility is ranked quite well. 35% of adults in America who took part in a survey held in February 2022 believed that HuffPost is a trusted news source. HuffPost often utilizes various sources, such as quotes, facts, and viewpoints from multiple professionals, groups, and people. The thoroughness and authenticity of their reporting get enhanced by this method. However, when it comes to politics, HuffPost tends to use sensationalized headlines to employ negative spin when reporting on Republicans and conservatives. Many people now begin to have second thoughts about the publication's trustworthiness. Hence, this does not stop people from being its reader consumers.
The headline Huffpost used for this study intrigues educators and society. It captures the study's key findings and makes the underlying information persuasive and concise. Inevitably, media outlets always struggle to make good headlines with commercial values. The author of this media article just did it. In arranging the headline, the author summarizes the study results from the abstract by employing synonyms to make it seem fancier and appealing. Besides, the headline offers a fair viewpoint by mentioning the potential gain for standardized test performance and the lack of improvement in course grades. First and foremost, the author organized paragraph one by stating an ongoing debate about homework's benefits. This very little introduction is enough to give the readers an idea of how the debate has become the driving force for some researchers like Maltese and the team from Indiana University to lead a study. The author wrote this paragraph straightforwardly with credible information on the main findings that align with the Maltese and team's paper. We are directed to understand the background of the study, its important results, and parties conducting the study. We know where the rest of the article is headed. For clarity, the author could consider not using the word "did" twice.
In the second paragraph, the author explained the amount of sampling and points of conclusion that Maltese et al. stated at the end of the research paper. In the paper, the exact total number of samples used is not explicitly mentioned.
According to Maltese et al., the math sample consisted of 7,120 kids, whereas 10,910 students participated in the NELS science survey. The ELS math statistics, on the other hand, were collected from 7,810 students. In the media article, the author generalized the number of samples into "almost 18,000" without writing the specification for each category. Everything is fine with that, especially if the objective is to produce a brief and clear report. However, by mentioning the category and its number, the readers might get a deeper understanding of the samples involved in this study. This is basic but imperative information to know. Other than that, no information on the research method is included in this paragraph. Elucidating the method is essential to give the readers idea of how the data is collected, analyzed, and tested before finally being concluded.
The author could have arranged to explain it in this part briefly instead of jumping the idea to the researchers' interpretation regarding the factors. To have more people be engaged and read the whole article, the author could write about the straightforward research design after informing the sampling and data nesting. The good thing is the information reported in this paragraph is also aligned with the study. Maltese and the team hypothesized that involvement in class and attendance could diminish the correlation between homework and improved grade performance. The type of homework given could be centered on preparing for standardized tests than on helping students vividly recall what they learned in class. The author repeated the idea written in the research paper. However, another factor mentioned in the paper needs to be added here: group work. This shows a lack of information.
If we look at paragraph three of this media article, there is misinformation. The author probably manipulated some information into a statement as if it was uttered by Professor Adam Maltese, one of the researchers of this study. Using quotation marks ("…..") and inappropriate citations makes this point inaccurate. From the research paper, Maltese and the team drew this conclusion together in their working group and not from his personal opinion. The author could have noted appropriate citations to avoid misunderstanding and generalization. If the readers did not read the research paper, they would directly believe that the statement is a direct one. In addition, the information in the quotation mark is unclear. Again, the author seemed to generalize it. When Maltese and the team stated the benefits students get if they are more exposed to homework with various problem models, they specified it only for math homework and math achievement score (Maltese et al., p.67). Maltese and the team did try to avoid generalization. They admitted that the association is not significant in all cases. The author stated this information generally. By making this mistake, the author would indirectly make it obvious and easy for the readers to believe that the same concept also applies to science homework and scores. Fortunately, the author gave credible additional information to support this paragraph by writing the average time spent on homework. This information about accumulated time aligns with what is written in the research paper.
The next paragraph of this article discusses the U.S. Department of Education's policy for improving STEM. The information lines up with the research paper (p.68). Maltese and the team are certain that efforts like using homework to impact students' learning effectively should be evaluated from the assignments' goals and constructions. The author of this article was able to summarize these important ideas. The author also paraphrased what Maltese and the team concluded about quality over quantity of homework. Both the author and the researchers of this study see eye to eye that the issue that needs to be analyzed is the way homework is used than how much homework is required. However, this article's author should have given correct math and science homework quality examples. Maltese and the team revealed that for the standardized test, the ELS math test included similar and identical tests to those used in the NELS. Students were introduced to assignments where they learned how to manipulate basic equations; thus, even though a math question might include unfamiliar numbers or parameters, they could still solve most of the issues. In other words, the more they practice with math homework, the more they will understand the basic concept of answering math problems. The concept is always identical, while the numbers on the test may be different and modified. These points were not concluded correctly in the author's example of math. Other than that, the author's instance for science homework was not addressed in the research paper by Maltese et al. The author might have interpreted the information based on his research paper understanding.
In this paragraph, the author quoted a statement from one of the researchers, Robert H. Tai, about the real objective of homework for children. Using quotation marks and citation style is good enough to convince the readers that the information is important and valid. However, while reading the research paper, I could not find the statement on any page. This statement was never mentioned or discussed by Maltese and the team. I do not understand where the author of this media article got this idea from. This could be the author's conclusion, or I may be missing the information. In fact, it is only on pages two and three that the Maltese and team discussed the importance of homework for students. Overall, the purpose of the content written with a made-up citation in this paragraph is to make the entire article more knowledgeable and academic.
The last two paragraphs in this media article convey the study's implications. According to the study's outcomes, homework can be an important tool for improving students' familiarity with the subject matter and getting them prepared for standardized tests. This is because homework time positively correlates with success on standardized tests. Conversely, no significant association between homework time and course grades has made some institutions want to stop using homework as a learning tool.
Reflecting on this, the author of this article presented several cases of how schools modify and abolish homework for some consideration. For instance, teachers in Maryland advise students to spend 30 minutes reading each night, and middle school students in Tennessee's Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools no longer receive additional credit or graded homework. In addition, the author noted that a certain number of institutions in the U.S. and Europe have considered removing homework practice. Judged by its structure, these two last paragraphs include information cited from outside of the research paper conducted by Maltese. This excellent strategy is used to give the idea of how the existence of homework is considered ineffective in many educational environments. The author also mentioned the direct link, which is great as an additional reference for readers to better understand this topic.
In this media piece, the research on the relationship between homework time and academic achievement in math and science undertaken by a faculty member at Indiana University School of Education is succinctly summarized. It includes key findings, highlights potential factors influencing the relationship, and suggests recommendations for improving homework practices. The article also uses a direct link or reference to the original research study to allow readers to access more detailed information and verify the accuracy of the article's claims. At the end of the article, the author also incorporates implications by mentioning examples of schools experimenting with alternative homework approaches. Several areas for improvement could be to provide valid information on the research details like the sampling, methods, data collection, and data analysis based on the research paper without generalizing things and using appropriate citation style to add credibility to the paper presented. Nevertheless, the article effectively conveys the main points of the study and provides relevant insights into the ongoing debate surrounding homework practices.
Cheers | G.April
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