Improving Secondary Students Homework Completion

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyze the rate of completion of secondary student’s homework assignments, comparing traditional paper/pencil and digital assignments. The measurement tool is a pre-score and post-score based on submission of weekly homework. The data used spanned two semesters, with four assignments from each of the semesters. The first semester assignments were pencil and paper and the second semester assignments were digital. Two US History classes of ninth graders (n = 62) were participants in the study. The mean number of assignments completed was significantly higher under the digital condition (Mean = 3.10, SD = 1.22) than under the traditional pencil and paper condition (Mean = 2.81, SD = 1.08) [t (61) = 2.04, p = .046]. . This study was timely considering the pandemic closing schools and the transition to distance learning. More intensive research and study into digital learning will be informative as schools move forward providing online instruction.