English Language Primary Teachers’ Perceptions about Homework: A Replication Study

Abstract

This study replicates Matei and Ciasca’s (2015) article about teachers’ perceptions concerning assignments. The purpose of this study is to examine the similarities and differences between the opinions of Math and Romanian primary teachers and primary English teachers, and the main aim of this study is to determine if teachers in this study would focus solely on the efficacy of homework and neglect its negative side as did the teachers in the original study. The data were collected using the original study questionnaire with some slight adaptations. The participants were 71 primary English teachers in Turkey. After the data was collected and analyzed, the results indicated a significant number of similarities between the teachers’ opinions. It was revealed that most teachers have positive perceptions about homework, but compared to the original study, the opinions about homework efficacy and students’ achievement varied and were different. Teachers in the present study have shown some disagreement and did not fully disregard the negative aspects of the assignment. In light of these findings, it was disclosed that teachers in both studies support parents' guidance, daily homework and the use of projects as a supplement. The noticeable difference between the two groups was that teachers in this study were more open to using projects and pair-work assignments.