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7-2008
Homework Presentations: Are They Worth the Time? Homework Presentations: Are They Worth the Time?
Kacy Heiser
Rushville, NE
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Homework Presentations: Are They Worth the Time?
Kacy Heiser
Rushville, NE
Math in the Middle Institute Partnership
Action Research Project Report
in partial fulfillment of the MAT Degree
Department of Mathematics
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
July 2008
Homework Presentations: Are They Worth the Time?
Abstract
In this action research study of my eighth grade mathematics classroom, I investigated the use of
daily homework presentations and how they impacted students’ written and oral reasoning,
students’ attitudes towards mathematics homework and students’ grades and completion of
mathematics homework. I discovered that implementing daily homework presentations had no
influence on students’ grades or attitudes towards mathematics homework, however students did
find homework presentations useful in helping them to better understand the mathematics they
were learning. Students’ written and oral reasoning were increased through daily homework
presentations as well. By requiring students to not only present daily homework problems, but
also be active listeners during other’s presentations, students were more aware of their reasoning
and thinking while completing mathematics homework. As a result of my research, I plan to
continue using daily homework presentations in my classroom as a tool for students to
communicate their thinking.
Homework Presentations 1
Introduction
Throughout my career as a mathematics teacher, I have always struggled with homework.
More specifically, I have struggled with getting students to complete their own homework,
understand the homework, and be able to explain their work. Providing immediate and helpful
feedback to students has always been difficult for me.
Currently, I am teaching eighth grade mathematics. I have three groups of eighth graders
and each group is a heterogeneous mix of abilities. We do not “track” students at our school, so
the material taught and covered is the same for each group. Every day I spend the beginning of
each class period reviewing and answering questions from the previous day’s homework. I have
tried to have students answer the questions by presenting the work that they have done, but the
students are either not willing or are not confident enough in their own work to share. Students
seem to care more about simply getting the right answers, either by doing the work or copying
someone else’s answers, than they do about the process of learning mathematics. The homework
that I assign daily usually consists of about 10-15 computation and skills practice problems with
5-8 written explanation type problems. Consistently, students do fine on the computation and
practice problems but seem to struggle on the written explanation problems. They are searching
for the “correct” way to write their answer instead of simply explaining their thinking and
reasoning processes.
After we have gone over any questions from the previous homework, students hand in
their assignments and we move on to the new material for the day. I used to collect every
assignment daily and grade every problem. Doing this made getting all the assignments graded
and handed back the next day very difficult. Consequently my students got their graded
homework back one or two times a week. I know that the turnaround on homework was too long,
Homework Presentations 2
and the feedback that students did get on their assignments seemed irrelevant. The students did
not pay attention to my feedback because it had been almost a week since the homework was
submitted. Overall, I was extremely unsatisfied with my grading procedure of homework and
with the way students approached their homework assignments.
In my “perfect” or ideal classroom, these issues would be solved. I would have time for
five to eight student presentations daily. Through these presentations, the students would be able
to communicate their learning not only to me but also to their peers. The students who are not
presenting would be able to ask the presenter clarifying questions to assist in their understanding
as well. All students would present at least twice a week (with pleasure), and they would do their
own work (not copy). I would grade the presentations immediately to give the presenters
feedback, and I would only grade the presented problems on other students’ homework. This
would reduce the problems that are being graded. Turnaround on the assignments would be
shorter, so that all students receive meaningful feedback in an appropriate amount of time.
I have realized throughout my own education and my career as an educator that effective
communication is a key to learning. If I do not truly know what my students are learning or
understanding, I cannot continue to build on that knowledge. My quest for solutions to the
constant battle with mathematics homework has led me to research homework presentations. My
overall goal is to research daily homework presentations and their impact in my mathematics
classroom. I would like to see if daily homework presentations change student attitudes towards
mathematics, as well as improve their written and oral reasoning skills. Along the way I am also
interested if immediate and helpful feedback will increase completion of students’ daily
homework.
Homework Presentations 3
Problem Statement
Homework has long been a struggle for all educators. As a teacher, I give homework
because as a student, I was given homework. Similarly, I tend to grade homework how my own
homework was assessed. By investigating homework presentations, I will help myself and my
students because I will gain more insight into how they are learning, and they will better
understand the material being taught. Students will be able to build their mathematical
knowledge base not just because they have learned new skills but through the communication of
their learning as well.
Students being able to communicate their knowledge is relevant and important not only
to me, but to all educators because it demonstrates a deeper understanding of concepts or
material. I believe other teachers in my building, especially the other mathematics teachers, will
be interested in this research because we have been discussing our frustrations and difficulties for
years. We all have struggled with these homework issues in our classrooms. Many teachers
assess homework on a daily basis and I believe other teachers would find my research interesting
and informative.
As a society of educators in the world of No Child Left Behind, communication is
extremely important for our students. My students’ assessment scores are evaluated and
criticized by the public eye. I believe that increasing communication will increase our students’
achievement. My research relates to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics’ principles
and standards that deal with equity, learning, teaching, and communication. The equity principle
maintains that teachers should require high expectations and strong support for all students. I
believe that I currently have high expectations for all my students. Implementing homework
presentations in class may possibly provide the support outlined in NCTM’s equity principle. For
Homework Presentations 4
students who may not be able to write what they are thinking, but can verbalize their thought
process homework presentations are a possible support in the students’ mathematical learning
process. Students who can explain their mathematical thinking in words will have the
opportunity to work on their verbal communication through homework presentations.
I see the connection in both teaching and learning because I need to understand what
students know and students need to be able to learn with understanding. Again, I think the
homework presentations will better assess what students know, and hopefully will encourage
students to actively build their knowledge. Although it may seem obvious, there is also a
connection with the communication process standard. The students must be able to communicate
their thinking not only to me with words on paper, but also to their peers through their
presentations and discussions.
Literature Review
Daily homework and the problems associated with it in my classroom have continually
perplexed me. Because of this issue, I decided to conduct an action research project based on
homework presentations and their effect (if any) on student grades, attitudes and oral reasoning.
My research of the available literature revealed four main themes. The first theme is that teachers
must be aware of student attitudes and beliefs towards mathematics and mathematics homework
in order to provide meaningful lessons and assignments for all students. Teacher-to-student
written feedback is the second theme I identified. Written feedback is what helps to guide
students when they are learning concepts in mathematics. Teachers need to be aware of the types
of written feedback that they are providing their students, if any.
A third theme is students’ oral reasoning and discourse in mathematics classrooms. I was
unable to find any research that had been done on using daily homework presentations in
Homework Presentations 5
mathematics classes, so I focused on discourse and oral reasoning. Classroom discussions and
student discourse are beneficial ways for teachers to allow the students to talk about their
thoughts on the content and their thought processes while working. Teachers also need to be able
to build instructional decisions around their students’ understanding. Teachers can gain this
knowledge by listening to their students’ oral reasoning and class discussions. The final theme
that I identified is students’ homework completion. Getting students to complete homework on
time has long been an issue for many educators and I believe that it is important for teachers to
be aware of the reasons behind this issue, as well as possible ways to prevent this problem. The
following sections will examine each of these themes in more detail and also explain the ways in
which my project differs from the published literature in these areas.
Student Attitudes & Beliefs
“Will we have homework today?” is a daily question from many mathematics students.
The teacher’s answer is typically “yes” and the students’ response is generally negative. Many
students today do not see the benefit or purpose of homework to their learning. Student attitudes
toward homework and mathematics in general, are often considered unenthusiastic. Mengel,
Holcroft and Zahn (1966) studied twenty-two hundred students ranging from kindergarten
through eighth grade and the students’ eighty-four teachers to see if the way homework was
presented to students would change their perceptions of homework. The authors found that when
students were given more information and input into their assignments, the more interested
students became in the assignment and completed the assignment on time. Homework has long
been a vital part of the educational system. While Mengel, Holcroft and Zahn believe that
teachers may play a more important role in student attitudes toward homework than initially
thought, others disagree.
Homework Presentations 6
Evertson, Emmer and Brophy (1980) did a study of seventh- and eighth-grade
mathematics teachers to try to compare behaviors and characteristics of effective and less
effective teachers. They found that the time that teachers devoted to student understanding within
the class and the frequency with which homework was assigned had a positive correlation with
higher achievement and academic encouragement. Although this study looks on the surface to
distinguish between “good” and “bad” teachers, with so many variables, “we cannot say which
variable, or class of variables, is most important in producing achievement or positive student
attitudes” (Evertson et al., 1980, p. 176). Due to the findings I would conclude that there needs to
be further study done on positive student attitude with more focus on the students and less on the
teachers.
In my teaching tenure, I have always thought that students judge their self-worth in a
classroom based on their ability to do the work. A study done in Italy (Mason, 2004) with fifth
grade students who were given two different types of instruction--innovative and traditional--was
focused on students’ mathematical beliefs. The instruction was innovative because the learning
environment was changed to a more activity based, discovery learning environment. The study
found that those students who had received innovative instruction had higher beliefs not only in
themselves as learners, but also in their beliefs of mathematics and learning mathematics through
problem solving.
While Evertson, Emmer and Brophy (1980) studied student achievement and student
attitude linked to teacher characteristics and instructional practices, I will study student attitude
linked to homework, and more specifically daily homework presentations. By changing the type
of assignment and in essence the classroom environment, my study is similar to Mason (2004)
who studied students’ mathematical beliefs through the changing of the learning environment.
Homework Presentations 7
Unlike Mengel, Holcroft and Zahn (1966) who studied students’ attitudes toward homework
based on changing instructions to an assignment, the entire structure of assignments changed in
my study.
Written Feedback
“Assessment should support the learning of important mathematics and furnish useful
information to both teachers and students” (NCTM, 2000, p. 22). When I read that in the
NCTM’s Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, I really begin to think about the type
and frequency of feedback that is given to students in their classes. Schoen and Kreye (1974) did
a study on 147 prospective elementary teachers. They split the teachers into five different groups
and varied the written feedback they were to give students. The feedback ranged from simply
marking an incorrect answer with an X to specifically using the student’s first name with an
explanation as to why the given answer was incorrect, followed by the correct answer. The
authors found that although the variation in types of written feedback to students did not appear
to make a difference in student achievement or attitude, there was a significant difference in
retention for those students who received feedback specific to their error.
The use of rubrics in assessing students has brought about another variation in written
feedback to students. Stutzman and Race (2004) are both mathematics teachers in Colorado who
wrote an article on the Excellent, Meets Expectations, Revisions Required and Fragmentary
(EMRF) rubric assessment system they developed for their classrooms. The authors found that
after initially implementing their new grading and feedback system, students felt uneasy and
uncomfortable. However, after time students began to see the positive side of knowing what is
expected of them. Stutzman and Race believe that providing students the expectations prior to
assessment, and then giving the students feedback and opportunities to revise their work helps to
Homework Presentations 8
promote an “ongoing learning process” within the mathematics classroom (2004, p. 39). This is
an important piece of information for my research because I will be using rubrics to grade
students’ daily homework presentations.
Evens and Houssart (2004) conducted a study of over 400 written responses provided by
11-year-old students on a mathematics test. While most of the students were unable to provide a
complete and clear explanation, the authors found that with some assistance from their teachers
and classmates, students’ responses could be developed into correct and complete responses.
Unlike Schoen and Kreye (1974), the authors also found that when giving feedback to students’
responses, teachers should not provide a correct solution for students. Instead, teachers should
encourage students to improve their initial answers by asking clarifying questions.
A main component in my study was giving students written feedback to not only their
daily presentations but also to the homework assignments being handed in and graded. Similar to
Stutzman and Race (2004), I used a rubric during my study to grade students’ presentations and
give them feedback. I did not, however, write a new rubric for each problem that was presented
or assessed. My study also involved me giving feedback to student presentations through
questioning similar to Evens and Houssart (2004), but differed in that I focused on oral responses
instead of written responses. While Schoen and Kreye (1974) focused on different types of
written feedback, my study focuses on simply making sure each student receives written
feedback on their presentation and their graded problems. The type of feedback I focused on was
correct or incorrect with some clarifying questions.
Oral Reasoning
“Communication is an essential part of mathematics and mathematics education”
(NCTM, 2000, p. 60). In a mathematics classroom, both teachers and students need to be able to
Homework Presentations 9
communicate their thoughts and ideas to each other both in writing and orally. Kotsopoulas
(2007) did a study of a ninth-grade mathematics classroom to find the gaps in students’ oral
communication. During the study, the author found that the variety “of representations of words
in everyday language and within the mathematical register can create significant interference as
students struggle” (p. 302) to apply meaning to words in contexts they do not understand. The
language of mathematics is complex and many words are borrowed from everyday language.
Students struggle with the ability to attach a new and different meaning to words they may use
everyday. Kotsopoulas believes that “students need to participate in mathematical discussions
and conversations in classrooms” (p. 305) to become skilled at mathematical discourse. In order
for students to be involved in mathematical discussions, the focus of the classroom needs to be
switched from teacher lecture to student-centered discussions.
Manouchehri (2007), a professor of mathematics education at Ohio State University
conducted a study during a two-week time period at the beginning of the academic year. The
focus was on problem solving and students’ ability to discuss their findings and support their
results. Although the age of the students was not mentioned in the article, Manouchehri found
that teachers need to be flexible in their approach to curriculum and that providing students
opportunities to informally discuss their thoughts and findings may lead to a change in course of
instruction. Providing students the opportunity for discussion may lead the lesson in an
unintended yet educational direction.
Both Manouchehri (2007) and Kotsopoulas (2007) discussed results that favored
discourse and teacher questioning in strengthening students’ mathematical knowledge. However,
House (2004) conducted a study on the link between instructional practices and achievement in
mathematics using data from the TIMSS 1999 assessment. The students involved in this study
Homework Presentations 10
were 13-year-old students from Japan. House found that the use of cooperative learning and
student-to-student discourse during a new concept had a negative correlation to student
achievement. Although House cited other studies that showed positive correlations between
cooperative learning and mathematics achievement, he suggests that “cooperative learning
activities must be carefully considered when developing instructional programs for mathematics
learning” (p. 205). He also suggests that the use of cooperative learning may not be linked with
higher mathematics achievement when introducing a new mathematics concept. This says to me
that cooperative learning can be both helpful and harmful to mathematics achievement
depending on how it is used within the classroom.
Pape, Bell and Yetkin (2003) conducted a study on the collaboration of a seventh-grade
mathematics teacher and a university researcher. Their study focused on developing students as
self-regulated learners. One topic in their study focused on classroom discussions and students’
abilities to think mathematically. The seventh-grade teacher required her students to explain and
support their reasoning. Papa, Bell and Yetkin found that in order for a teacher to expect that of
students, the teacher needs to build a larger base for the subject matter that is being presented to
the students. Having strong content knowledge will give the teacher the confidence to guide their
students through discussions and assist teachers in being prepared for questions or comments that
may arise during discussions.
My research focused on students’ oral reasoning during daily presentations, more
specifically, both the presenter and the listeners. This is in contrast to House’s (2004) study
which mainly talked about student discourse in a small group setting. Like Manouchehri (2007),
students presented their ideas to the class, but they did so on an individual basis and not in
groups. As mentioned before, both Manouchehri and Kotsopoulas (2007) discussed results that
Homework Presentations 11
favored discourse and teacher questioning in strengthening students’ mathematical knowledge.
My study, however, focused more on discourse and questioning between students with less focus
on the teacher.
Homework Completion
On-time completion of daily homework has long been an issue in my teaching tenure.
“Effective mathematics teaching requires understanding what students know and need to learn
and then challenging and supporting them to learn it well” (NCTM, 2000, p. 16). In order for me
as a teacher to meet this principle of mathematics teaching, students need to complete and turn in
their work, providing me the opportunity to give them feedback. Mengel, Holcroft and Zahn
(1966) found during their study that when teachers were more responsive to student input and
feedback, students were more likely to not only see the value of the homework, but take more
responsibility for their homework and their learning.
Corno (2000) researched how homework has changed and the dynamics surrounding the
assigning of homework. The article discussed good and bad issues associated with homework
from the perspective of inside school and outside school. Within this article, Corno discussed a
variety of case studies designed to identify third-grade students’ responsibility in completing
different types of homework. These case studies showed that there were many factors that
influenced whether or not homework was completed. Included in those factors was not only
understanding of the material, but the environment in which the homework was being completed.
Teachers need to be aware of not only the cognitive development of their students but also of the
environment in which those students do work outside of school.
Corno (2000) focused on the environment that may hamper a student’s ability to
complete homework. This is helpful information for my research, but neither Mengel, Holcroft
Homework Presentations 12
and Zahn (1966) nor Corno studied the types of homework assignments that were given. My
research will compare what I do in my classroom now—traditional assignments—to daily
homework presentations with selective grading on handed in assignments.
I believe my research on daily homework presentations adds to the existing literature. In
my review of the literature, I was not able to find any specific research on homework
presentations in mathematics classrooms. Since the focus of my study was on any effects daily
presentations may have on student attitudes and beliefs, students’ oral reasoning skills and
homework completion, I believe my research can provide new information to future researchers.
Many teachers are looking for a different way to assess student understanding through
homework. I hoped that my research on homework presentations would be able to provide the
educational community with a new approach to homework.
Purpose Statement
The purpose of my study is to investigate the effects of daily homework presentations in
my classroom. I examined the variables of students’ written and oral reasoning, student
questions, homework completion rate, and student attitude regarding homework in seeking to
answer the following research questions:
• What will happen to students’ grades after implementing daily homework presentations?
• In what ways (if at all) will written feedback (teacher to student) on daily presentations
and graded problems influence students’ of homework?
• What will happen to the level of student reasoning, both oral and written, after
implementing daily homework presentations?
• In what ways (if at all) will implementing daily homework presentations influence
students’ attitude about mathematics homework?
Homework Presentations 13
• What will happen to my teaching when I institute daily homework presentations?
Method
This action research took place during the second semester of the 2007-2008 school year,
from January 8, 2008, through April 15, 2008. Data was collected from many sources throughout
the research time period and was used to support my findings for my research questions. I
collected and analyzed three types of data for each research question to support my findings. To
describe what happened to students’ grades after implementing daily homework presentations, I
conducted individual student interviews (see Appendix A for interview questions), kept copies of
my grade book, and kept a personal journal to record my observations of how students responded
to the daily homework presentations. I interviewed eight students throughout the months of
March and April. The individual interviews focused on the student’s perception of themselves as
learners in a mathematics classroom and their beliefs or attitudes towards mathematics and daily
homework presentations. During the interviews, students were asked about their thoughts on
homework presentations and whether or not they had noticed changes in their daily grades since
beginning homework presentations. I also kept copies of my grade book to measure any changes
in students’ grades.
The last source of data for my first research question was my personal teacher journal. At
the end of each week, I completed a journal entry by answering the reflection questions I had
previously prepared (see Appendix B). I really struggled with the process of journaling
consistently and having enough information. The journals allowed me to keep notes on
observations I made during the week and were a beneficial source of information for each of my
research questions.
Homework Presentations 14
To analyze how written feedback on daily presentations and graded homework
influenced students’ completion of homework, I kept copies of students’ graded problems and
presentations graded using a rubric (see Appendix C), interviewed a focus group of six students,
and recorded observations in my personal teacher journal. The copies of students’ graded
problems allowed me to look for comments or suggestions I had made to students and whether or
not the students followed through with those comments by doing “corrections” or “fix-ups” for a
better grade. The three focus group interviews (see Appendix D) were conducted once a month
in February, March and April. The group interviews focused on mathematics in general, the
students’ beliefs on learning mathematics, and how to achieve to their highest potential. Again, I
used my personal teacher journal to record observations that I made during presentations on
students’ preparedness to present problems and hand-in their daily homework.
To analyze the impact of daily presentations on the level of students’ oral and written
reasoning, I used student journals, copies of students graded problems, and my personal teacher
journal. Student journals were completed throughout this study (see Appendix E). The students
were asked to journal on one or two questions every other week throughout this research. The
journals focused on students’ individual beliefs and feelings related to mathematics homework,
and whether or not they had seen any changes in their thoughts towards daily homework
presentations over time. Another focus of the journals was on teacher-to-student feedback and
whether or not students felt it was helpful to them. Copies of student work were kept to observe
any changes in the way students reasoned on their written work. The teacher journal was again a
source of data for this part of the research. I recorded any noticeable changes or observations
regarding students’ oral communication in my journal that I saw during class and during
presentations.
Homework Presentations 15
To describe any changes in students’ attitude about mathematics homework after
implementing homework presentations, I gave a survey, had the students journal, conducted
group interviews and recorded observations in my personal teacher journal. I gave the students a
pre-, mid- and post- attitude survey (see Appendix F) to assess their attitudes and beliefs towards
mathematics homework. Again, I used focus group interviews to assess their perceptions of
mathematics homework and to see if any changes in their attitudes had occurred throughout the
time of the research. The students were asked to journal about their attitude towards mathematics
in the beginning of the research. At the end of the research period, the students were asked to
journal about any changes they had noticed in their attitude towards mathematics homework.
Finally, at the end of each day, I recorded in my personal teacher journal observations I had
made of students attitudes during the time that they were working on their homework
assignments during class.
It seemed that I ran into many challenges along my data collection journey. The amount
of time that we were not in school became a major issue for me. It seemed that once the research
began, the weather did not cooperate and we missed school nearly one day a week. I also have a
lot of responsibilities within my building and school district, so I was pulled out of class a lot to
go to meetings, portfolio reviews or school improvement workshops. Throughout the research
period, I lost approximately 10% of my teaching time. I even had to ask my principal to please
not take me out of class anymore unless it was an extreme emergency because I began to feel I
was not going to be able to collect enough data for my research. Fortunately, when all was said
and done, everything did work out and I collected a lot of valuable information.
Homework Presentations 16
Findings
I taught eighth grade mathematics during the 2007-2008 school year at Gordon-Rushville
Middle School. The school districts of Gordon and Rushville consolidated three years ago and
we merged our sixth through eighth grades into a middle school. I had three groups of eighth
graders and each group was a heterogeneous mix of abilities. We did not “track” students at our
school, so the material that I taught was the same for each group of students. I have each of the
groups for seventy-five minute periods three days a week (Monday, Tuesday and Thursday), and
I have them for forty-five minutes on Friday. On Wednesday, I am the “floater” teacher for the
eighth grade. On that day, I help the other eighth grade teachers with anything they may need
such as taking a small group of students, assisting with administering a test, or even substituting
for an absent teacher. If I am not needed in any of these areas, I work with the other mathematics
teachers in my building developing curriculum for our middle school program, or I may work on
our school improvement plan. If nothing else, I simply keep my head above water in my own
planning.
My classroom is set up with trapezoid tables that are put together to form hexagons for
the students to work around. I have groups of three to four students who sit at each set of tables. I
have small whiteboards that each student can use when we are working on problems together or
playing a review game. I also have two couches and a recliner that are in the back corner of my
classroom that students use to sit at when working on homework or for cooperative group work.
I meet the students at the door and shake their hands as they enter the room. This helps
me get a read on how the students are feeling, and it also helps with attendance; I know who is
either absent or tardy right away. Once class has begun, while I am taking attendance, the
students are either signing up for presentations or milling around the room asking for help or
Homework Presentations 17
helping others. Before I began my research, I would spend the beginning of each class answering
questions students may have had on the previous homework. Since I have begun presentations, I
expect the students to help each other. I try not to help them too much, especially if they are
giving a presentation.
I give the students about five minutes to ask and answer any questions they may have,
then I begin class with a few minutes of good news. Any student who has good news to share has
the opportunity to do so before we actually begin presentations. After good news, I ask students
who are not presenting to turn in their papers (to avoid them copying off the board during
presentations), and those who are presenting to put any work they would like to on the board.
Each of the six presenters then presents his or her problem and answers any questions that
anyone may have. The presentations typically take approximately thirty minutes of class. After
the presentations, we have a class discussion of anything the students found interesting or new
during the presentations, and then we begin the new lesson for the day. My students do not have
textbooks, so I type up notes for them and typically assignments that we go through together.
During the notes, we do activities and problems together where the students either do them with
their table group, or they sometimes come to the board and show their work and explain to the
class what they have done.
After we have completed the notes and the students seem to understand the new concept,
I give them their assignment and they begin working. The assignments that I type up for the
students usually consist of ten to fifteen calculation-type problems with six to eight real-world
application and explanation problems. During this time, I am free to roam around the room and
answer any questions or clarify any directions for the class. I encourage the students to seek help
Homework Presentations 18
from those students at their table if possible. If they are all unsure, the students can ask me for
help.
Throughout my ten-year teaching career, I have always found it important for my
students to work together. Yet I have had a hard time trusting in the fact that they were all doing
their own work. Since I have been teaching eighth grade, I have really begun to understand how
important it is for my students to learn to cooperate and collaborate together. However, I have
had a hard time getting them to see the benefits of working together and not copying. This is one
of the main reasons for my action research on daily homework presentations.
Through my research, I have found that students are empowered when given the
opportunity to express their knowledge and learning through homework presentations. Many of
my students were truly excited to be able to explain their work and understanding to the class
during homework presentations. Although their attitude about mathematics homework was not
really affected, they were excited about what they were learning through both giving
presentations and listening to presentations. The data also suggests that students’ written
reasoning skills were increased through homework presentations. Evidence to support my
findings for each of the research questions follows.
Student Grades
Implementing daily homework presentations did not improve students’ average daily
grades. Throughout this study, I wrote journals each week illustrating my observations on
student responses to daily homework presentations. I noticed that students were excited about
homework presentations from the beginning largely due to a change in the classroom structure.
Unfortunately the students’ excitement was not because they were getting to communicate their
learning to others. In the beginning of the research period, students who signed up for a
Homework Presentations 19
presentation were not graded on that daily assignment, only the presentation they gave. Grading
only the presentation created a lot of miscommunication. Some students were only completing
one or two problems and hoping to be able to sign up for a presentation and receive credit. The
students who were not presenting were graded only on the six problems that were presented that
day. Having only those six problems graded also caused problems in the beginning because the
problems that were chosen for presentations were usually six of the more difficult problems on
the assignment, and students were not getting them correct or completed.
An excerpt from my personal journal supports this finding. In my one of my journals
from early on in the research period I wrote:
I have noticed that some students will jump to give presentations because the rest
of their assignment may not be completely finished... This was a tough change in
class for some students. When presentations began at the beginning of this
semester, I also told the students that of those that don’t present only the
presented problems will be graded. I have noticed a lot of “grumbling” over that
issue… I sense some real frustration with only the grading part of the students’
assignments and I am wondering if it is necessary. After being in class and talking
with Ruth, I have decided to continue with everything as planned, except I will be
grading everyone’s assignment, everyday. Students that give a presentation will
get two grades for the day. (Personal Journal, February 1, 2008)
After deciding to grade everyone’s assignment every day, I noticed that the students
began to really get into giving presentations and the issues with how I was grading were gone. I
also interviewed students individually on their perceptions towards mathematics and daily
homework presentations. Some students were noticing small changes in their daily grades, but
they were not sure of the reason. However, most students did not seem to feel there had been any
changes in their daily grades. During individual interviews, students were asked “Have you
noticed any changes in your daily grades since beginning presentations? Why or Why not?” Here
are the responses to those questions:
Homework Presentations 20
Average Grade of Daily Homework Assignments
(12 points possible)
9.76
9.80
10.61
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Beginning Middle End
average score
Walter:“My grades are kind of dropping and I don’t really know why.”
John: “… a little worse because I don’t hand in my papers on time.”
Jason: “At first my grades were going down, but when I noticed that I just
stepped it up and got it back up.”
Brian: “No, not really because I usually do pretty good on both presentations
and homework.”
From these students’ quotations, I noticed that the students were not noticing any changes in
their daily homework grades.
I also kept copies of my grade book and looked at students’ daily grades during three
different periods of this research. I looked at daily grades in the beginning, the middle and the
end of the research. I was looking for any changes in daily grades. I made a graph to show the
average grade on the homework assignments in the beginning, middle and end of the research
period (see Figure 1).
Figure 1. Average Grade of Daily Homework Assignments.
Homework Presentations 21
From looking at the graph, one can see that the average daily grades were almost the
same for the beginning, end and middle of my research. Although there is a slight increase in
average daily grades from the beginning to the end, I attribute that mostly to the fact that in the
beginning I was only grading the six problems that had been presented and students were not
doing well on just those six problems.
Throughout the course of my research, I found that homework presentations are a
valuable tool in gaining insight of whether or not a student understands a concept. However,
there is not enough evidence to say that homework presentations have made any impact on
students’ daily homework grades. There was a small increase in student daily grades from the
beginning to the end of the research. Yet, the change was not a significant enough to be able to
conclude that homework presentations had an influence on daily grades.
Homework Completion
When given descriptive feedback, students are more likely to correct their mistakes either
for a higher grade or to learn for future assignments. For example when given following
problem: “Describe and correct the error that was made in writing 0.001 as a
percent: %1
100
1
001.0 == .” Here is Amy’s original response, and correction:
Original Response:
“You should only move the decimal point two places when moving from a decimal
to a percent = 0.1%”
I had written a comment on the original paper that she needed to describe and correct the error
not just part of the error. I also asked, “So what does the new problem look like and what should
the answer be?”
Student Correction:
Homework Presentations 22
“The error is that you should only move the decimal over two places to the right
and that the one should be over 1000 not 100. The problem should look like this:
%1.0
1000
1
001.0 == .
Amy took my descriptive comments and re-did the problem to receive a better grade. The second
time she did this problem she showed a better understanding of the problem.
In my classroom, I have a policy that students can go back and re-do any previous work
and receive credit for it. On daily work, they can get full credit back and for tests or quizzes they
will receive half credit. During the course of this research, I had 40 of the 48 students, or about
83%, turn in corrections of one kind or another. Although I have nothing to compare that to, I
believe it is a significant amount. I credit this to the fact that I was more conscious of the
feedback I was giving students.
While conducting the first focus group interview, I asked students, “How much do you
actually go back through your graded problems to see what you may have missed and the
comments I have made?” All of the students interviewed responded that they did go back and
look at their graded homework for mistakes and comments.
Gary:
“like every paper, it helps to see what you have written because then you
can fix it next time you do a problem like that.”
Kim:
“it helps that it tells what you did wrong so you can fix it.”
I realized through this interview that it does make a difference what I comment on in students’
papers and students are actually reading them and using them to improve their homework and
their grade.
Students had also done a journal that asked the question “When you receive graded
homework back, do you look to see if I have written any suggestions or feedback on how to fix
your mistakes? Please explain why or why not.” The majority, 79%, of the students responded
Homework Presentations 23
that they did look at each paper for comments to either assist them with corrections or for future
assignments.
I also wrote in my journal regarding student corrections and the feedback I was giving
them. From a journal in the beginning of my research I had written:
I am trying to be more conscious of the feedback and comments I am making on
students presentations and homework assignments. I have noticed an increase in
students that are doing corrections to improve their grade. It seems that I have
students turning in corrections that wouldn’t normally turn them in and they must
be reading the comments because their second attempt at the problems shows a
better understanding of the concept and represents a more complete solution.
(Personal Journal, February 14, 2008)
From this journal I realized that giving descriptive feedback to students on their homework was
encouraging more of them to turn in corrected solutions.
The evidence has shown that providing immediate and helpful feedback on homework
was valuable not only to my students but to me. When given descriptive feedback on their
homework, students were better able to correct their solutions and turn them back in to improve
their grade. Besides improving their daily grade, students were able to gain a better
understanding through the corrections. As a teacher, I was able to see that my students did have a
better understanding of the concepts after they had done corrections.
Student Reasoning
After looking at all the evidence, I am confident that implementing daily homework
presentations increases students’ oral and written reasoning. Throughout this study, students
were given journal prompts to complete every other week. One of the journal prompts was,
“Describe your thoughts on daily presentations and how you think they have changed (if at all)
your thought process while completing mathematics homework.” Here are some of the
responses:
Homework Presentations 24
Amy: “I like them very much. I think they help the class and the person
presenting understand better.”
Alice:
“I understand it more and figure out how to do it better.”
Stephanie:
“It has helped me learn to write all of my steps and be more complete with
my work.”
Conner:
“It has changed my thought process on how I would explain how to do it. I
don’t mind doing them or hearing them.”
Julia:
“I like doing presentations because they get me thinking about the
problems that I may have missed on my assignment.”
The majority of students responded to this journal question in the same manner. 89% of students
that felt that homework presentations helped them understand the mathematics better and
improved their ability to explain their thought process.
Another journal prompt was, “Do you feel you are better able to understand mathematics
homework and explain the mathematics since we have begun presentations? Please explain.”
Students shared these responses.
Conner:
“Yes, a lot better for I have realized how much explaining things even to
myself has increased my understanding.”
Misty:
“Kind of, because I just naturally write a book every time I give an
explanation, but presentations kinda made me look at my explanation to
double check that it was right.”
Stephanie:
“Yes I do, when I do not fully understand how to do a problem it is usually
well explained so I comprehend and can do it the next time.”
All but one student responded to this journal in the same manner. The responses from the
students made me realize that students were taking homework presentations seriously and
understood the value of presentations in their learning process. Looking back through my
personal journal entries even early on in presentations, I had written how impressed I was with
the quality of the presentations and the language the students were using. The questions and
Homework Presentations 25
discussion from the students listening to the presentations were very interesting, and I was
excited about the quality of the discussion and questions. I was especially impressed with the
way students were asking questions and not just trying to point out others’ possible mistakes. I
had written about my observations regarding homework presentations in a few of my journals
throughout the research process. Here are some excerpts from my personal journals:
I did notice that this week even though we only had one presentation, the students
that signed up for them wouldn’t normally sign up for a presentation. They seem
to be getting the hang of presentations and actually enjoy being in front of the
class explaining their work. I have also overheard a lot of comments from
students about how much they like actually explaining their work or ideas in
words rather than in writing (Personal Journal, February 15, 2008)
I have also noticed that the students are doing a great job of helping each other
and asking questions. (Personal Journal, February 1, 2008)
In the beginning, I had to continue to stress how important it was to be respectful
of the presenter and to listen to be able to understand the problem or ask
questions. This week, it went a lot better. (Personal Journal, February 8, 2008)
I have one student that asks questions during presentations like I would ask…it is
like she is trying to be a mini-teacher. During presentations over the lesson on the
sum of the angles of a polygon, she asked why use the formula 180(n – 2) and
when the presenter couldn’t answer she then directed her next question to the
whole class: ”Does everyone know where that formula comes from? Do you
remember the activity we did drawing triangles inside the polygons?“ And she
continued to explain it like she was the teacher. (Personal Journal, March 21,
2008)
After looking back over my journal entries, I realized there was one theme that became
evident. My students were beginning to take a more active role in their learning through the use
of homework presentations. Students were beginning to rely on each other for help and to
understand that even if their answer was incorrect, during a presentation, the rest of the class
would help them through it.
In looking over the copies of student work, I noticed a slight increase in students’ written
reasoning. For example, after reviewing papers from Jessica, early assignments that required
Homework Presentations 26
explanations were simply calculated and the reasoning was either not completed or not correct.
In later assignments Jessica not only did the calculations or diagrams necessary, but explained
her reasoning or process as well. Here is an example of a question from an early assignment and
the response from Jessica:
Question: How many decimal places does 1.3
1
have? 1.3
2
? 1.3
3
? 1.3
7
?
Explain your reasoning.
Jessica:
Whatever the exponent is that is how many decimal points you will
have.
And here is a question from an assignment near the end of the research period:
Question: How many pairs of vertical angles do two intersecting lines form?
Draw a diagram
and explain your reasoning.
Jessica:
There are two pairs of vertical angles because a and c are the
same measure and b and d are the same measure because they are
across from each other and that is the definition of vertical angles:
a
b d
c
This not only showed me that this student understood the concept, but was able to explain their
understanding by representing their solution in a diagram and in writing. Conner would usually
leave questions blank that asked for explanations or diagrams in the beginning of the research.
However, by the end of the research this student was completing these problems and giving great
explanations. Here is a question and Conner’s response from an assignment towards the end of
the research period.
Question: Can two angles of a triangle be supplementary? Explain why or
why not.
Homework Presentations 27
Conner:
No, because supplementary angles are two angles whose sum is
180 degrees and that is the sum of all three angles of a triangle.
Therefore, you cannot have just two angles in a triangle be
supplementary angles.
This answer was not only complete, but demonstrated that the student understood the concept of
supplementary angles and the sum of the angles of a triangle. The biggest discovery for me on
student reasoning was that if students are given different methods of communicating their
learning to others, they become more confident learners. In the beginning of this research period,
students were apprehensive about giving presentations because they did not want to be wrong.
By the end of the research period, students were giving presentations even if they knew their
answer was wrong in order for their peers to help them find their mistakes. The communication
in my classroom blossomed more than I had expected, and I was truly impressed with the growth
in my students.
Student Attitudes
Students felt that daily homework presentations helped them gain a better understanding
of the mathematics they were learning, however, it did not change their attitude towards
mathematics. Standing in front of a group of your peers to discuss one’s method of solving a
mathematics problem was a daunting task for some students. However, all the students have
expressed the joy in showing their classmates a new or simpler approach to a mathematics
problem.
The students were asked to complete a mathematics attitude survey three different times
during the semester. One question on the attitude survey read, “Communicating with other
students helps me have a better attitude towards mathematics.” The first time students completed
the survey, 77% of students either agreed or strongly agreed with that statement. The results of
Homework Presentations 28
the same question on the third survey showed that 73% either agreed or strongly agreed with that
statement. There was not a significant difference in these percentages showing me that their
attitudes did not change from the beginning to the end of the research. The fact that there were
three people unavailable to take the third survey could also account for the difference.
Students were also asked to journal about their thoughts on daily homework
presentations. There were a variety of responses from students. Responses ranged from how
helpful presentations were to that student specifically, to how helpful presentations were to the
class and the students listening. Here are some journal responses from students regarding
homework presentations:
David:
“Presentations have helped me understand math better and I think
it (attitude) has changed a little.”
Emily:
“No, I don’t think presentations have changed my attitude towards
math because, I don’t think about giving presentations when I’m
working on my assignment. But, I do like how if I make a mistake,
the other classmates’ presentations can help me understand
usually.”
Austin:
“I think presentations make you think, if someone else read your
work would they figure out how you got it? And they also prepare
you for real life when you have to give a presentation for a job.”
Julia:
“Doing presentations has helped me a lot so I can see how other
students are doing that problem and I can try that method too.
They do not change my attitude towards math, just help me
understand.”
Misty:
“I feel that presentations have helped me because after I get my
homework done, I go back over the ones I had trouble with so I
know how to present them. I enjoy the presentations that we do and
knowing that we are going to do a presentation in front of the
whole class over what we are learning makes me pay better
attention and try harder.”
Stephanie:
“Not specifically has it changed my attitude completely, but it does
help me understand.”
Homework Presentations 29
The journal responses from students revealed that although attitudes towards homework were not
affected through homework presentations, mathematical understanding was deepened.
At the end of each of the group interviews, students were asked if they had anything to
add that had not been previously asked. Here is what the students had to say:
Amy:
“I like the whole presentation thing because they are usually
harder problems and if someone is up there that knows what they
are doing, or even if they don’t know, you get a chance to
understand the problem better.”
Gary:
“and it can help other kids in class if they don’t get the problem
and it’s shown to them on the board then they can figure out how
to do it next time.”
Kim: (after being asked if students find it difficult to describe their
process while completing a problem)
“it is actually kind of easier I
think.”
These responses only strengthened my assertion that homework presentations were viewed as
valuable from the students’ point of view.
I had written in my journal in the middle of the research period regarding my
observations of student confidence in presentations.
I did notice that this week, even though we only had presentations once, the
students that signed up for them wouldn’t normally sign up for a presentation.
They seem to be getting the hang of presentations and actually enjoy being in
front of the class explaining their work. I also have overheard a lot of comments
from students about how much they like actually explaining in words their work
or ideas rather than in writing.
(Personal Journal, February 14, 2008)
From this evidence, one can see that students did find homework presentations to be a valuable
tool in their learning.
Throughout the research period, student homework presentations were an important tool
for learning within my mathematics classroom. Through the use of homework presentations,
students felt they were better able to understand mathematics and they liked being able to see
Homework Presentations 30
others’ solutions and show their solutions. Although presentations did not have any influence on
student attitudes towards mathematics they provided a valuable learning experience in my
classroom.
Teaching Insights
I realized that I have a tendency to always want to jump in and “save” my students
instead of allowing them to struggle with their thought for a while. In each journal entry, I have
described the changes in my teaching and my struggles with letting go of control in the
classroom. In the beginning of presentations, the students were really excited, and the students
who were not presenting were asking great questions. Everyone responded well to this change,
except for me. I had a difficult time letting the students struggle at the board and trying to take a
less prominent role in the classroom. The students started out by directing their questions to me,
instead of the presenter. It also seemed that for a while they were only trying to find any possible
mistakes instead of looking at the process the presenter had described. I really tried hard to let
the students direct the discussions, but I seemed to always speak up and help someone.
I have always had a hard time with students doing work on the board or coming to the
board to show an idea or process. My reservations are not because I want to have all the control,
but I have always worried that if their idea or process was not exactly correct, the other students
would simply make fun of them and it would hamper their confidence. I have worked hard to
change this. I had written a journal regarding this:
In beginning a new unit on Geometry and Measurement, I started the class by
simply asking students what they already knew. For the most part, the students
answered the questions and were somewhat excited about moving on to this unit,
but one group in particular was really excited. When I was asking them what they
knew about angles, they just started rattling off all kind of information and one
student was so excited she asked to come to the board and show something. It was
great how they got into the lesson and we hadn’t even started yet. The student
Homework Presentations 31
came to the board and drew a protractor and then discussed how to use it to
measure all kinds of angles (even those larger than 180 degrees). This was really
enlightening to me to watch this exchange and we hadn’t even really begun the
lesson yet. (Personal Journal, March 7, 2008)
This was a valuable experience for me because although I was apprehensive, the student was not
and I really learned that it is okay for the students to share their ideas, even if there is a chance
they aren’t completely correct. For me, this is a huge change in my teaching because before I
would have probably asked the student to describe it to me, then if the student was correct I
would either put it on the board or allow them to come to the board. I wrote about his internal
struggle of mine in a couple of different personal journals:
Again, I am struggling with not jumping in and saving the students when they are
struggling. Since the science teacher and I are working together on this project,
he tells me that I help the students too much and I should let them struggle a little
before jumping in. When he notices it, I know it is a problem. (Personal Journal,
February 22, 2008)
Before when a student would ask to come to the board to share an idea or
thought, I probably would not let them because I wouldn’t want them to be wrong
and have the rest of the class laugh at them. I am beginning to allow the students
to give all of their ideas and we build on them even if they are wrong. I was really
inspired on Tuesday when one group was so excited and students were sharing
things on the board. (Personal Journal, March 7, 2008)
Both of these journals really show how difficult it has been for me to allow my students to
struggle. The teacher in me has always thought that I had to protect my students from struggling
with concepts. Throughout this entire research experience, I have worked hard to better
understand myself as a teacher. I do understand that watching students struggle is not always the
easiest thing to do, but I have learned through this research that it is almost necessary in order for
students to really understand what they are learning. Although I have changed this a little in my
own classroom, it will be an issue that I deal with every day of every school year. I will have to
continue to remind myself that it is okay for students to struggle, and that my students are
Homework Presentations 32
actually capable of helping themselves and learning without my guidance all of the time. I have
always encouraged my students to take ownership in their learning. I have learned through this
research process that in order for my students to have ownership in their learning, I need to
become more of a facilitator in my classroom and less of “the leader” of the classroom.
Conclusions
I believe that homework presentations have played an extremely important role in my
classroom this semester. Although I was not able to see much change in student grades or
attitudes, I did gain some great insight as to how students were learning and becoming more
independent learners. I believe that homework presentations help students to better
understanding the mathematics they are learning and are a powerful tool for student-to-student
teaching. Students realized that homework presentations were important, not only for learning
mathematics, but also because the presentations helped them feel more comfortable in their
ability to speak in front of a group and present their ideas. Students were able to see, through
presentations, that there are many ways to do a problem in mathematics and even though one
method is different from another, it does not mean it is wrong.
My findings regarding student attitudes paralleled those of Mason (2004). In his study of
fifth grade students, Mason found that with more innovative instruction, students had a higher
confidence level in themselves as learners, specifically learners of mathematics. I noticed that
although homework presentations are not necessarily innovative, the presentations did
completely change the learning environment in the classroom, and my students definitely
became more confident in their abilities as learners.
Similar to Stutzman and Race (2004), who implemented a grading rubric into their
classrooms, my students were also apprehensive to begin presentations after reviewing the rubric
Homework Presentations 33
I would use to grade them. Throughout the course of this study, I tried to give a variety of types
of feedback to my students. Like Schoen and Kreye (1974), when my students were given more
specific feedback according to their mistake or asked clarifying questions, they were able to
improve or correct their response when turning in their corrections. Evens and Houssart (2004),
found that with assistance from teachers and classmates, a student would be able to improve their
response I also used questioning during homework presentations to assist the students in
providing a clear explanation of the problem. During the course of this research, I realized that I
no longer had to ask the clarifying questions because the students in the class were doing it, and
the responses were clear and concise.
The discussions that occurred during daily homework presentations were enlightening to
hear. Like Manouchehri (2007) and Kotsopoulas (2007), who found that discourse and teacher
questioning strengthened students’ mathematical knowledge, I found in my study that using
questioning and discussion allowed my students to make their explanations and reasoning more
clear to others. Although my research did not deal with cooperative learning specifically, I
believe that there is a connection between cooperative learning and homework presentations.
Students did not necessarily work in groups or teams on presentations, but as a class, they
worked as a group to help each other through presentations. Unlike House (2004), who found
that cooperative learning during a new mathematics concept had a negative correlation to student
achievement, I noticed that when students were discussing concepts using correct terminology,
they were better able to understand the topic or concept.
Throughout this research project, I found that my students benefited from giving and
listening to daily homework presentations. Although grades, homework completion, and student
attitudes may not have been affected, my students did value the deeper understanding provided
Homework Presentations 34
through the presentations. I also found that the more specific and meaningful my feedback on
homework is to students, the more likely they are to try to correct or fix their error. There was a
deeper understanding of mathematics in my classroom as a result of the homework presentations
and the discussions that followed. Although presentations take a lot of time, not only giving, but
preparing and grading, I do believe they enhance the learning environment of the classroom and
are definitely worth the time.
Implications
As a result of this study, I plan to continue to use homework presentations in my
mathematics classroom. Some students suggested that I continue with homework presentations
next year the same as this year and do them for only one semester, but I plan to use them all year.
I believe that my students and I will benefit from both hearing and giving presentations over
mathematics problems. I also want to do more informal research into different ways to grade
homework assignments because this issue continues to plague my classroom.
The research I conducted has given new meaning to change and learning in my
classroom. Peter Block, a business philosopher said, “Too many decisions about changes are
made by people untouched by the change process.” In my educational experience, it has been a
top-down approach to change where I implemented or changed what I was told to change.
Throughout this research, I believe that I have been able to make positive changes in my
classroom for the benefit of my students. I have a better idea of what I want my classroom to
look like, and I know that I am the driving force behind the changes necessary to get it there. I
have been touched by the positive changes in my classroom.
Homework Presentations 35
References
Corno, L. (2000). Looking at homework differently.
The Elementary School Journal, 100, 529-
548.
Evens, H., & Houssart, J. (2004). Categorizing pupils’ written answers to a mathematics test
question: ‘I know but I can’t explain’.
Educational Research, 46, 269-282.
Evertson, C. M., Emmer, E. T., & Brophy, J. E. (1980). Predictors of effective teaching in junior
high mathematics classrooms.
Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 11, 167-
178.
House, J. D. (2004). The effects of homework activities and teaching strategies for new
mathematics topics on achievement of adolescent students in Japan: Results from the
TIMSS 1999 Assessment.
International Journal of Instructional Media, 31, 199-210.
Kotsopoulos, D. (2007). Mathematics discourse: It’s like hearing a foreign language.
Mathematics Teacher, 101, 301-305.
Manouchehri, A. (2007). Inquiry-discourse mathematics instruction.
Mathematics Teacher, 101,
290-300.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (2000).
Principles and standards for school
mathematics. Reston, VA: Author.
Mason, L. (2004). Enhancing students’ mathematical beliefs: an intervention study.
Learning
and Instruction, 14, 153-176.
Mengel, J. A., Holcroft, J., & Zahn, R. D. (1966). Attitudes toward homework.
The Elementary
School Journal, 67(1), 41-44.
Pape, S. J., Bell, C. V., & Yetkin, I. E. (2003). Developing mathematical thinking and self-
regulated learning: A teaching experiment in a seventh-grade mathematics classroom.
Educational Studies in Mathematics, 53, 179-202.
Personal Journal. Journal kept January 31, 2008 to April 15, 2008.
Schoen, H. L., & Kreye, B. C. (1974). Five forms of written feedback to homework in a
mathematics course for elementary teachers.
Journal for Research in Mathematics
Education, 5, 140-145.
Student Interviews. (March 2008 to April 2008)
Student Journals. (February 2008 to April 2008)
Homework Presentations 36
Stutzman, R. Y., & Race, K. (2004). EMRF: Everyday rubric grading. Mathematics Teacher,
97(1), 34-39.
Homework Presentations 37
Appendix A
Individual Student Interview Questions
•
How would you describe yourself as a mathematics student?
•
How would you describe yourself as a student in other school subjects?
•
Tell me about your feelings and opinions toward giving presentations on daily
mathematics homework problems.
•
Do you think most other people in the class feel the same way?
•
What do you like about presentations?
•
What don’t you like about presentations?
•
How easy or hard is it to understand students’ explanations during their homework
presentations?
•
Think about how it used to be in class before we did homework presentations, when I
explained homework problems that students found difficult:
•
Do you think you understood homework better then or now?
•
Do you think you tried more to get your homework completed then or
now?
•
Have you noticed any changes in your daily grades since beginning presentations? Why
or why not?
•
What do you think might be the consequences if I changed my grading procedures so that
homework grades were only based on your presentations and not on your daily written
assignment?
•
How fair would that be?
•
Do you think that how well you do on the homework presentations reflects how
much you understand?
•
Have presentations helped you understand more math this semester? Please explain why
or why not.
•
What advice would you give me about whether I should have my classes next year do
homework presentations or not? Please explain.
•
Is there anything you want to tell me about the homework presentations that I may not
already have asked?
Homework Presentations 38
Appendix B
Personal Teacher Journal/Reflection
1. What are two or three observations you made this week regarding students’ attitude and
responses toward daily presentations?
2. What are two or three observations you made this week regarding students’ preparedness
in presentations and graded daily problems?
3. What are two or three observations you made this week regarding students’ attitudes
while working in class?
4. How have this week’s presentations and graded problems influence your lesson plans (if
at all)?
5. What is one question you have after this week?
6. What has changed in your teaching this week (if anything)?
Homework Presentations 39
Appendix C
Homework Presentation Rubric
Explanation Mathematics Readiness
Advanced
Superior
4
Accurate
response that is
communicated
clearly. Answers
questions
correctly
Student uses
correct
mathematical
language and
symbols
Student is
ready to
present
Proficient
Satisfactory,
with Minor
Flaws
3
Main ideas are
accurate, with
some minor
inaccuracies.
Answers most
questions
correctly
Student uses
correct
mathematical
language and
symbols with
minor errors
Student is
ready to
present
Progressing
Nearly
Satisfactory,
with Serious
Flaws
2
Response has
minimal
accuracy and
explanation is
minimal and/or
unclear.
Answers few
questions
correctly
Student attempt,
but does not use
mathematical
language and/or
symbols correctly
Student is not
entirely ready
to present
Beginning
Unsatisfactory
1
Response is
inaccurate and
explanation
doesn’t cover
problem. No
questions
answered
No use of
mathematical
language and/or
symbols
Student is not
ready to
present
Homework Presentations 40
Appendix D
Group Interview Questions
Interview #1
•
Why do you think teachers assign homework?
•
How much do you think doing math homework helps students learn math? Please
explain.
•
What kind of feedback on homework is helpful to your learning?
•
What would homework assignments look like if you were in charge?
•
What kind of grading would be done on homework if you were in charge?
•
What would you tell students who were going to have me as their math teacher next
year what it takes to get good grades on their homework assignments?
•
Is there anything you would like to ask me about math homework?
Interview #2
•
Why do you think I have started having students do homework presentations?
•
How easy or difficult is it to understand other students’ explanations during
homework presentations?
•
How do you see homework presentations compared to what we used to do with
checking homework in class?
•
As I consider if I will use homework presentations in my math class next year, what
advice would you give me? What do you see as the pros and cons?
•
As I consider how to grade homework next year, what advice would you give me?
What do you see as the pros and cons of how I am now grading homework?
•
Is there anything you would like to ask me about homework and/or presentations?
Interview #3
•
What advice would you give to next year’s eighth graders if I were to continue to use
homework presentations I class?
•
What advice would you give me if I were to continue to use homework presentations
next year?
•
What can I do as a teacher to make homework more meaningful to students?
•
Think back to when we first began doing homework presentations:
•
How have the presentations changed throughout the semester?
•
Describe the pros and cons of doing homework presentations and hearing
homework presentations.
•
Is there anything you would like to ask me about homework and/or presentations?
Homework Presentations 41
Appendix E
Student Journal Questions
Journal 1
•
Please describe your thoughts on daily presentations and how you think they have
changed (if at all) your thought process while completing math homework.
•
Do you feel that daily presentations have affected your thoughts about math? Please
explain why or why not.
Journal 2
•
How do you feel about mathematics homework?
•
Has your attitude towards mathematics changed since the beginning of the semester?
Please explain why or why not.
Journal 3
•
Do you feel you are better able to understand mathematics homework and explain the
mathematics since we have begun presentations? Please explain.
•
Have daily presentations influenced how much work or explanation you show on your
daily work? Why or why not.
Journal 4
•
What is your attitude toward mathematics and mathematics homework? Has it changed at
all since beginning presentations? Explain why or why not.
•
Do you feel that homework presentations specifically have changed your attitude about
mathematics? Why or why not.
Journal 5
•
When you receive graded homework back, do you look to see if I have written any
suggestions or feedback on how to fix your mistakes? Please explain why or why not.
•
Do you feel you are doing a better job of getting your homework completed on time this
semester? Please explain why or why not.
Homework Presentations 42
Appendix F
Student Mathematical Attitude Survey
Please respond to the following items by drawing a circle around the response that most closely
represents your opinions right now: Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Undecided (U), Disagree
(D), or Strongly Disagree (SD).
1. Mathematics is enjoyable and stimulating to me.
SA A U D SD
2. Communicating with other students helps me have a better attitude towards mathematics.
SA A U D SD
3. I am interested and willing to acquire further knowledge of mathematics.
SA A U D SD
4. The skills I learn in this class will help me in other classes.
SA A U D SD
5. I learn mathematics well from lectures.
SA A U D SD
6. I am sure I can learn mathematics.
SA A U D SD
7. Knowing mathematics will help me earn a living.
SA A U D SD
8. Math is a worthwhile, necessary subject.
SA A U D SD
9. Math is a fun subject.
SA A U D SD
10. My teachers give me examples of how math is important in life.
SA A U D SD
11. I believe math homework is helpful.
SA A U D SD
12. I believe teachers assign math homework to help us learn better.
SA A U D SD
13. I am good at completing my math homework assignments.
SA A U D SD
14. I would be better at math if I understood how math relates to my life.
SA A U D SD
