Relationships of Homework Motivation and Preferences to Homework Achievement and Attitudes in Turkish Students

Abstract

Whether students' motivation, organizational approaches, physical needs, and environmental and interpersonal preferences during the homework process predict homework achievement and attitudes toward homework was examined in 1,776 Turkish students in Grades 5 through 8. The Homework Motivation and Preference Questionnaire was utilized to assess students' homework behaviors, and a multiple regression approach was employed to determine whether students' homework motivation and preferences predict homework achievement and attitude, while controlling for the effects of gender and socioeconomic status. Homework self-motivation, organization (order), sound, and interpersonal preference (studying alone) have relatively strong and consistent relationships with homework achievement and attitudes toward homework. However, other organizational (place), perceptual (tactile), and physical (intake) preferences, and other motivational sources (parent- and teacher-motivated), are related to attitudes toward homework more so than perceived homework achievement. Of these elements, self-motivation and set-order were consistent and strong in their relationships with homework achievement and attitudes across grades. The importance for teachers to individual homework and for parents to accommodate home environment was discussed, especially in the context of Turkish education.