Action research/Encouraging students to do homework on their own

Action Research Title:

How to Encourage Students to Do Homework on Their Own

1. Statement of the Problem

Many students rely heavily on parents, peers, or online sources to complete their homework instead of doing it independently. This lack of self-reliance affects their learning, confidence, and problem-solving skills. The aim of this action research is to promote independent homework habits among students, especially in Grades 6 to 8, over a four-week period.

2. Planning

To promote self-reliant homework habits, the following strategies were planned:

Homework Awareness Sessions: Short classroom discussions on why doing homework independently helps learning.
Goal-Setting: Students set weekly personal homework goals.
Self-Monitoring Chart: Students track their own homework completion with a checklist.
Reflective Journals: Weekly short entries about how they approached their homework, challenges, and what they learned.
Encouragement and Praise: Teachers provide regular verbal praise and share examples of students showing effort and independence.
Parental Guidance: Parents are encouraged to offer encouragement but not direct help.

3. Acting

The planned interventions were carried out as follows:

Week 1: Introduced the purpose of independent homework. Students set goals and began using tracking charts. Teachers encouraged honest effort.
Week 2: Continued monitoring charts and journals. Shared positive examples in class.
Week 3: Collected reflections to understand common challenges and gave individual feedback.
Week 4: Reinforced strategies. Sent notes home to parents reminding them to let children try on their own.

4. Observing

Progress was observed through:

Tracking Charts: Over 70% of students consistently used them.
Reflective Journals: Students reported increased confidence and strategies (e.g., managing time better).
Teacher Notes: Improved completion quality and fewer copied assignments.
Parent Feedback: Many reported reduced dependence on them.

5. Reflecting

The interventions helped most students become more independent. Students valued setting goals and reflecting. Some struggled initially but improved with encouragement. A few still needed reminders and extra support to break the habit of seeking help too soon.

6. Conclusion

This action research showed that students can develop independent homework habits with structured support, reflection, and consistent encouragement. Key strategies like goal setting, self-monitoring, and reflective thinking increased student responsibility. For continued success, these habits need to be reinforced regularly.