Homework Performance Research Articles

Assessing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder-related impairment: Differential item functioning based on child demographic characteristics.

Although numerous studies have examined how child demographic characteristics may impact ratings of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, there is limited research on how these factors are related to ratings of impairment. This study examined child characteristics (assigned sex, age, race, ethnicity) that may affect parent and teacher ratings of ADHD symptom-related impairments in relationships with family and/or teacher, peer relationships, behavior disruption, academic impairment, homework performance, and self-esteem. The study was conducted using independent U.S. national samples of parents (n = 2,075) and teachers (n = 1,070). Informants rated impairments related to inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity using the ADHD Rating Scale-5. Rasch analyses were used to examine differential item functioning in relation to child characteristics. Separate analyses were conducted for inattention- and hyperactivity-impulsivity-related impairment for both the parent and teacher samples. For teacher ratings, only two items (behavior disruption, homework impairment) demonstrated differential item functioning with intermediate or large effect sizes (≥ .426 logits) in relation to any child characteristic; whereas for parent ratings, all six items displayed differential item functioning with at least intermediate effect sizes in relation to one or more child characteristics. The findings indicated several areas in which child characteristics may have an impact on ratings of ADHD-related impairment, particularly based on parent ratings, which have potential implications for the diagnostic assessment of ADHD and highlight the need for further research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Are we doing homework wrong? The marginal effect of homework using spaced repetition

While assigning homework in college courses is supported by both psychological research on memory and studies of economics classes, research examining the marginal effect of homework scores on exam performance generally shows insignificant results. These weak marginal effects may be due to the number of times students repeat the work and how spread out they are; the few studies that show positive marginal effects of homework performance use at least three spaced repetitions. This study evaluates a spaced repetition model of short homework assignments repeated at increasing intervals in intermediate microeconomics. Results show a positive significant marginal effect; students who did better on the homework assignments scored higher on both in class exams and a cumulative final. The implication is that the simple change of structuring homework assignments with additional spaced repetitions may significantly improve learning.

Multi-method examination of cognitive disengagement syndrome and ADHD inattentive symptoms in relation to early adolescents' academic functioning.

Cognitive disengagement syndrome (CDS), previously referred to as sluggish cognitive tempo, is a set of symptoms characterized by excessive daydreaming, mental fogginess, and slowed behavior/thinking. Studies examining the association between CDS and academic functioning have reported mixed findings and have relied upon limited measures of CDS, broad ratings of academic impairment, and/or focused only on elementary-aged children. The current study examined the relationship between CDS and academic functioning in adolescents using a comprehensive, multi-informant, multi-method design. Participants were 302 adolescents (Mage = 13.17years; 44.7% female; 81.8% White; 52% with ADHD) recruited in the fall of their 8th grade. Above and beyond ADHD inattentive symptoms, CDS symptoms were related to poorer homework performance, lower math fluency, and lower daily academic motivation across multiple informants, and teacher-reported CDS symptoms were related to lower grades. Findings were not moderated by ADHD diagnosis, suggesting that associations between CDS and academic outcomes do not differ for adolescents with and without ADHD. Findings demonstrate that CDS symptoms are uniquely associated with daily academic difficulties as well as global indices of academic performance. These findings have implications for assessing and monitoring CDS symptoms in interventions aiming to improve the academic functioning in adolescents with and without ADHD.

Why and how to implement worked examples in upper division theoretical physics

Studying worked examples has been shown by extensive research to be an effective method for learning to solve well-structured problems in physics and mathematics. The effectiveness of learning with worked examples has been demonstrated and documented in many research projects. In this work, we propose a new four-step approach for teaching with worked examples that includes writing explanations and finding and correcting errors. This teaching method can even be implemented in courses in which homework performance constitutes part of the grading system. This four-step approach is illustrated in the context of Lagrangian mechanics, which is ideal for the application of worked examples due to its universal approach to solve problems.

The Effect of Assessing Students Based on Their Class Work and Homework Performance on the Overall Academic Achievement of Students

The Effect of Assessing Students Based on Their Class Work and Homework Performance on the Overall Academic Achievement of Students

Evaluation and Analysis of the Implementation Effects in Practical-Course Blended Learning Based on Virtual Reality Technology

Practical-course blended learning based on virtual reality (VR) technology combines VR with traditional practical teaching, which provides students with a more diverse and personalized learning experience. The existing evaluation and analysis methods of teaching model implementation effects have shortcomings. Although VR technology plays an important role in practical-course blended learning, excessive reliance on technical means may lead to limitations in evaluation methods. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the evaluation and analysis of implementation effects of VR-based practical-course blended learning. Different types of teaching models were represented. A robust multi-target collaborative tracking method based on variational Bayesian inference was applied to track and evaluate the implementation effects of practical-course blended learning. The experimental results verified the effectiveness of the proposed method and explored the impact of different teaching models on the average scores and score stability of evaluation methods. Analysis results of score data showed that the assisted-teaching model improved the homework performance of students and the blended-learning model improved the performance of students in tests and final exams, while the complete teaching model performed more balanced in all aspects.

Academic motivation decreases across adolescence for youth with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Effects of motivation on academic success.

This longitudinal study examined growth trajectories of academic motivation in youth with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) across the important developmental transition from middle school to high school, and associations with academic success. Consistent with self-determination theory (SDT) of motivation, trajectories of amotivation, extrinsic motivation, and intrinsic motivation were modeled. The study included a robust multi-method, multi-source assessment of academic outcomes, including homework performance ratings; reading and mathematics standardized test scores; and grade point average (GPA) obtained from school records. Participants included 302 adolescents (ages 12-14; Mage = 13.20) in eighth grade who were specifically recruited so that approximately half (n = 162) were diagnosed with ADHD and 140 adolescents comprising a comparison sample without ADHD. The sample was predominantly White (81.80%), with 7.90% identifying as bi/multiracial, 5.30% identifying as Black/African American, 4.60% identifying as Asian, and 0.30% identifying as Indigenous/Alaskan. Adolescents with ADHD had worse academic motivation at all timepoints. Growth curve analyses indicated the academic motivation of adolescents without ADHD decreased at faster rates across the transition to high school compared to adolescents with ADHD. However, for adolescents with ADHD, amotivation, extrinsic motivation, and intrinsic motivation each predicted GPA, with higher extrinsic and intrinsic motivation also predicting better homework performance and different aspects of math performance, whereas for youth without ADHD, only amotivation and extrinsic motivation predicted GPA. Intervention and school policy implications are discussed, including the importance of fostering autonomy and internal motivation, and consideration of whether current ADHD interventions primarily foster extrinsic motivation.

Work from Home and Employees Work Performance: A Study of Academicians

Work from Home and Employees Work Performance: A Study of Academicians

The role of English language teacher toward enhancing Students' participation in Classroom activities

students' participation in classroom activities. The sample of the study has consisted of 80 teachers of ninth grade teachers of public schools from Sana'a city out of which 40 males and 40 females. Twenty schools out of 100 were chosen randomly from the public education. The study has focused on five dominos of activities, which are practiced in classroom. The dominos are teaching style, quality of teaching, kinds of decisions based on homework performance, classroom assessment and kinds of feedback based on assessment outcomes. The variables of the study were gender, age, educational qualifications and residence place (city and rural). The results of the study have indicated that the teachers play significant role towards enhancing students' participation in classroom activities due to teachers' gender in favors of females.

Academic functioning in children with and without sluggish cognitive tempo

Sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) is increasingly conceptualized as a transdiagnostic set of symptoms associated with poorer functional outcomes, although the extent to which SCT is associated with academic functioning remains unclear. This study recruited children based on the presence or absence of clinically elevated SCT symptoms, using a multi-informant and multi-method design to provide a comprehensive examination of academic functioning in children with and without clinically elevated SCT symptoms. Participants were 207 children in Grades 2–5 (ages 7–11 years; 63.3% male), including 103 with clinically elevated teacher-reported SCT symptoms and 104 without elevated SCT, closely matched on grade and sex. A multi-informant, multi-method design that included standardized achievement testing, curriculum-based measurement (CBM), grades, classroom and laboratory observations, and parent and teacher rating scales was used. Children with elevated SCT symptoms had poorer academic functioning than their peers across most domains examined. Specifically, compared to children without SCT, children with elevated SCT had significantly lower grade point average (d = 0.42) and standardized achievement scores (ds = 0.40–0.77), poorer CBM performance including lower productivity (ds = 0.39–0.51), poorer homework performance and organizational skills (ds = 0.58–0.85), and lower teacher-reported academic skills (ds = 0.63–0.74) and academic enablers (ds = 0.66–0.74). The groups did not significantly differ on percentage of time on task during classroom observations or academic enabler interpersonal skills. Most effects were robust to control of family income, medication use, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder inattentive symptoms, although effects for motivation and study skills academic enablers were reduced. This study demonstrates that children with clinically elevated SCT symptoms have wide-ranging academic difficulties compared to their peers without SCT. Findings point to the potential importance of assessing and treating SCT to improve academic outcomes.

Multiple Facets of Parental Involvement and the Homework Performance of Primary Level Students

This study examined the influence of multiple facets of parental involvement on the homework performance of primary school students. The research was quantitative in nature. We used survey method to investigate the influence of different facets of parental involvement on the homework performance of their children with the help of self-constructed questionnaire. We collected data from primary level students (n= 120) and their teachers (n=20) from 10 primary school. Self-constructed Parental Involvement Questionnaire (PIQ, 17 items) was used to collect data from students and Homework Performance Questionnaire (HPQ, items 13) was used to collect data from teachers. Parental involvement was determined with respect to three facets i.e., 1) administrative, 2) emotional and 3) cognitive. Inferential statistics were applied to analyze data. Independent sample t-test was conducted to assess the high and low parental involvement on the homework performance of students which was found significant (p <.05) for the administrative involvement (p=.049) and cognitive involvement (p=.005). The findings indicate the role of parents intellectual and organizational input on the homework performance of their children at primary level.

Impact of Adenotonsillectomy on Homework Performance in Children With Obstructive Sleep-Disordered Breathing.

As a first line treatment for pediatric obstructive sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), adenotonsillectomy (AT) has been shown to confer physiologic and neurocognitive benefits to a child. However, there is a scarcity of data on how homework performance is affected postoperatively. Our objective was to evaluate the impact of AT on homework performance in children with SDB. Children in grades 1 to 8 undergoing AT for SDB based on clinical criteria with or without preoperative polysomnography along with a control group of children undergoing surgery unrelated to the treatment of SDB were recruited. The primary outcome of interest was the differential change in homework performance between the study group and control at follow-up as measured by the validated Homework Performance Questionnaire (HPQ-P). Adjustments were made for demographics and Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ) scores. 116 AT and 47 control subjects were recruited, and follow-up data was obtained in 99 AT and 35 control subjects. There were no significant differences between the general (total) HPQ-P scores and subscale scores between the AT and control subjects at entry and there were no significant differences in the change scores (follow-up minus initial scores) between the groups. Regression modeling also demonstrated that there were no group (AT vs control) by time interactions that predicted differential improvements in the HPQ-P (P > .10 for each model) although initial PSQ score was a significant predictor of lower HPQ-P scores for all models. Children with SDB experienced improvement in HPQ-P scores postoperatively, but the degree of change was not significant when compared to controls. Further studies incorporating additional educational metrics are encouraged to assess the true scholastic impact of AT in children with SDB.

Sustainable Math Education of Female Students during a Pandemic: Online versus Face-to-Face Instruction

The present study was driven by the assumption that a key feature of sustainable education is its ability to preserve standards of quality even amid unforeseen, potentially disruptive events. It asked whether students’ academic success in math general education courses differed between synchronous online (during the COVID-19 pandemic) and face-to-face (before the pandemic), under the ancillary assumption that computational competency, a pillar of sustainable education, shapes enduring success in a variety of professional fields. As the early identification of at-risk students and ensuing remedial interventions can bring about academic success, the study also investigated the predictive validity of students’ initial performance in online and face-to-face math courses. Two general education courses (introductory calculus and statistics), taught by the same instructor, were selected. Class grades did not differ between instructional modes, thereby providing no evidence for the widespread concern that the switch to the online mode had damaged learning. Yet, during the semester, test and homework performance were differentially sensitive to modes of instruction. Furthermore, both test and homework performance during the first half of the semester predicted class grades in online courses, whereas only test performance predicted class grades in face-to-face courses. These results suggest that sustainable math education in times of crisis is feasible and that educators’ consideration of the differential predictive value of test and homework performance may aid its attainment.

Negotiating Time and Space When Working From Home: Experiences During COVID-19.

Stay-at-home mandates following the COVID-19 pandemic increased work from home (WFH). While WFH offers many benefits, navigating work in nontraditional contexts can be a challenge. The objective of this study was to explore the benefits and challenges of WFH during COVID-19 to identify supports and resources necessary. Comments from two free-response questions on a survey regarding experiences of WFH (N = 648, N = 366) were analyzed using inductive qualitative content analysis. Four themes emerged: time use, considerations of working in the home space, intersections between work-life and home-life, and temporality of WFH as situated within a pandemic. Across all themes were concerns related to participation in both work and home roles, work performance, and well-being. Findings highlight the importance of support during times of disruption of occupational patterns, roles, and routines. Despite challenges, many individuals hoped to continue WFH. Organizations should consider the complex intersections of work-life and home-life to develop supportive policies and resources.

School-based intervention for adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Effects on academic functioning

Multi-component training interventions such as the Challenging Horizons Program (CHP) improve organization skills and academic functioning of middle school students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); however, few studies have investigated treatment for high school students. We explored the extent to which CHP adapted for high school would improve proximal (e.g., organization skills, homework performance) and distal (e.g., report card grades) academic outcomes through 6-month follow-up relative to a community care (CC) condition. Participants included 186 adolescents who were randomly assigned to CHP (n = 92; 80% male; M age = 15.0; SD = 0.8) or CC (n = 94; 78% male; M age = 15.1; SD = 0.9) with CHP delivered over one school year. Parent, teacher, and self-report ratings of organization skills and academic performance, report card grades, and achievement tests were collected across multiple occasions. Intent-to-treat analyses using hierarchical linear modeling revealed significant improvements of small to medium magnitude (d range = 0.32 to 0.58) for parent-rated organization skills, homework performance, and academic functioning at 6-month follow-up. CHP effect on grades was small, but associated with a less steep decline than that found for CC. No statistically significant effects on teacher or self-report ratings were obtained. CHP appears efficacious for ameliorating organization skills and homework performance deficits exhibited by high school students with ADHD and can protect against decline in report card grades experienced by these students. CHP may require supplementation with academic skills instruction for some students and may need implementation beyond one school year to produce durable effects.

Exploration of Clinician Adherence and Competency as Predictors of Treatment Outcomes in a School-Based Homework and Organization Intervention for Students with ADHD

Addressing the complex homework and organization problems faced by students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) must be balanced with ensuring that interventions are feasible to implement. The Homework, Organization, and Planning Skills (HOPS) intervention was developed to be a brief intervention implemented in typical school settings with minimal training/support required for school clinicians. Given this, it is critical to explore how clinician adherence and competency relate to student outcomes. Participants included 107 adolescents with ADHD (Mage = 11.95, SD = 1.04; 69% male; 57% on ADHD medication) who participated in the HOPS intervention. Path analyses examined the relation between clinician adherence (fidelity to session content, session length) and competency (e.g., empathic, enthusiastic, calm, collaborative), controlling for baseline scores of the outcome measure and other relevant therapeutic processes (parent and adolescent engagement, working alliance). Clinician fidelity and competency were inversely related, such that highly competent clinicians had lower fidelity to the HOPS content. Importantly, clinician competency was a significant predictor of fewer parent-reported adolescent organizational problems and a higher percentage of assignments turned in post-HOPS, whereas clinician fidelity was unrelated to treatment outcomes. Session length was inversely related to parent-reported homework performance, such that longer session length was associated with worse homework outcomes. Findings suggest that school clinician competency is an important factor in predicting positive treatment outcomes for youth who participate in school-based homework and organization interventions. Training to help school clinicians improve their competency including being more empathetic, calm, motivating, and collaborative with students, and to help them flexibly implement school-based interventions is warranted.

The Impact of Traditional- and Adaptive-Responsive Online Homework Systems on Student Performance in General Chemistry: Analyzing Extra Credit Participation

The positive impact of online homework has been clearly shown in previous literature. Online homework has become especially important in these times as online education grows. The recent development of the adaptive-responsive homework systems (such as Assessment of Learning in Knowledge Spaces--ALEKS) calls for a comparison of the effectiveness of this new type of system to the traditional-responsive systems (such as Sapling Learning). This study quantitatively compares extra credit scores and final exams and final points between two types of homework systems in a general chemistry course. Results indicate that extra credit completion using ALEKS (the adaptive-responsive system) has a higher correlation with homework performance, final exam performance, and final grade compared to extra credit completion using Sapling (the traditional-responsive system). This relationship difference could be due to a difference in the nature of how extra credit is earned within each system. Keywords: Online Homework, Extra Credit, Chemistry Education, Quantitative Research DOI: 10.7176/JEP/12-6-02 Publication date: February 28 th 2021

Inattentive Behavior and Homework Performance in Elementary School: the Mediating Effects of Academic Enablers

Early attention skills have been found to be a significant and consistent predictor of academic outcomes, grades, and achievement results (Rabiner et al., School Psychology Review, 45(2), 250–267, 2016; Rhoades et al., Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 26(2), 182–191, 2011). A significant portion of students in elementary school experience attention difficulties, which can lead to difficulties attaining fundamental academic skills and enablers (DiPerna & Elliot, School Psychology Review, 31(3), 293–297, 2002; Merrell & Tymms, British Journal of Educational Psychology, 71(1), 43–56, 2001). The current study aimed to investigate the role of four academic enablers—motivation, study skills, interpersonal skills, and engagement—in the relationship between inattention and homework performance. Teachers completed questionnaires on inattention, academic enablers, and homework for 147 students in 1st through 4th grades. Using a multivariate path analytic approach, we tested the hypothesis that the academic enablers would have mediational, and potentially differential, effects on the relationship between inattention and two facets of homework performance—homework responsibility and homework competence. Our proposed model was supported by the data; results suggested that academic enablers play a significant role in the relationship between inattention and homework performance. These findings support a shift in focus to supporting students’ academic enabling behavior as a means of providing the necessary academic skills to mitigate the effects of attention difficulties on academic outcomes.

Assessment of a Robotic Assistant for Supporting Homework Activities of Children With ADHD

Robotics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT) support various processes in many scenarios of modern life such as e-health and psychological treatments. This article presents the design, development, implementation, and assessment of a Robotic Assistant (RA), named “Atent@”, as a support tool in the homework activities of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Interacting with the children the RA helps them correct their bad habits and misbehavior caused by the disorder. Its features and functionalities were designed by therapists, implementing AI algorithms to process information and make decisions in real-time to help children to be focused on their homework. This RA interacts with smart objects deployed at home, which are associated with the activity under observation (desk and chair). This solution allows therapists to receive more accurate information about the homework sessions inside the home. At the same time, remote interaction with the child is made possible (through the RA) to provide new instructions and support him/her along with the sessions. This RA is a significant evolution of an earlier version. All the improvements brought to the project by the modifications in technical and qualitative features are explained. Furthermore, the experiment and its results are presented to illustrate the clinical potential. This project shows that the RA can not only make observations with a high degree of precision like an expert (teacher/therapist) but also positively influences the homework performance of children with and without ADHD.

A differentiated picture of student performance in introductory courses to theory of computation

ABSTRACT Background and Context Considerable numbers of Computer science (CS) undergraduate majors struggle in Theory of Computation (ToC) courses, which strengthen bimodality beliefs of student performance. Reasons for students struggling are assumed to be manifold but substantial ground is based on studies providing singular insights into this matter. Objective To understand students’ issues with ToC, we analysed their performance on homework and exams and replicated our study in two consecutive years. Method We used exploratory data analysis to compare students’ performances within single assignments. With one-way analyses of variances, we focused on significant differences between the years. Findings Our results indicate that students’ homework performance did not predict their exam performance and that all students, independent of their grade, had the most difficulty with formal proofs. Implications Our results challenge potential beliefs about bimodal student performance indicating all CS undergraduates require thorough training in proof techniques to improve their overall performance in ToC.