Homework in the Foundation Phase: Perceptions of principals of eight public primary schools in Johannesburg

Misheck Ndebele

doi:10.15700/saje.v38n2a1461

Abstract

This article reports on a qualitative study done in Johannesburg, South Africa, which investigated attitudes of primary school principals of eight public primary schools towards the use of homework in teaching and learning in the Foundation Phase (which comprises the first three grade levels of primary schooling). Using a semi-structured interview, the study focused on the principals’ perceptions of homework in general, whether homework policies existed in their schools, and the extent to which parents were involved in their children’s homework. To obtain a representative set of findings, purposive sampling was used to recruit two participating principals from schools in each of the following geographical and socio-economic settings: inner city, peri-urban, suburban and township. The findings indicated that although the purpose and value of homework remains debatable, the participating principals viewed homework as a valuable tool in teaching and learning. The principals expressed the belief that parents from low-income environments regarded homework as important, as did their higher-income counterparts, but poorer parents were less involved in their children’s homework. The study concludes with recommendations for education policy-makers, as well as primary school administrators and parents, regarding the use of homework in primary schools. Keywords : effective homework; homework; homework debates; homework policy; parental involvement; socio-economic environment

Highlights

While policy-makers, parents, teachers, teacher unions and learners are role-players in schools, principals in this study were identified as the key players
The others saw homework as encouraging learners to consolidate what had been learnt according to the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS)
Another respondent expressed the view that homework was an indicator of whether or not the learners grasped what had been taught in class

Summary

Introduction

While policy-makers, parents, teachers, teacher unions and learners are role-players in schools, principals in this study were identified as the key players. A pertinent reason for this choice is that principals have a strong influence on the school’s purpose and goals (Hallinger & Heck, 1998) They are expected to be managers and disciplinarians, and to be instructional leaders for their schools. According to Omal (2011), one of the roles of school principals is to act as instructional leaders, who monitor teaching and learning outcomes and supervise curriculum delivery: this includes observing the use and efficacy of homework. In view of this instructional role played by principals, determining their perceptions on homework is important. It is in this context that the study regards input on homework from principals to be significant

Objectives

Results

Discussion

Conclusion