'Homework' in its true meaning

On and off , the issue of ' homework ' is often debated . Lately, I was taken aback when it was reported in The Stars that a teacher punished students who did not do homework by asking them to do the work on the floor or standing outside the classroom to complete the undone work ! This is really uncalled for because this is not the way to administer homework. The students must be made to feel good to do homework!

Then there is this practicum teacher from Kedah who narrated how dedicated she is everyday when she plans for her lessons to maximise students' learning and she seemed quite agreeable to teachers punishing students for not doing their homework .She added that homework is unfinished work from her lesson and it is to evaluate her students' understanding. From my observations when I was teaching, I would say that " homework " is usually the section which is the least planned by trainee teachers ! Usually, this so-called homework is just taken from the textbook to give to students to show enough work is done and the exercise books look good.There is actually not much evaluation done by trainee teachers for the day's outcome for the lesson taught when they mark the homework!

I enjoyed my teaching days, interacting with my students and having my colleagues as friends. When there is a problem, especially involving so many students, I would analyse to find out the cause of such problem.I would first ask why students are not doing the homework and not to punish them upfront! On the contrary, I would point the problem to myself because there are so many students not doing my work. The following are the many reasons for students not doing their homework :-

• Volume of homework given may be too much for students to cope
• Homework given is too ordinary and not challenging
  
• The work given has no relation to the way concepts are tested in examination
• Teacher's inconsistent marking of the work done
• Students' own personal problems
• Lack of understanding of the teacher's teaching

So, the basis of ' homework ' is challenging work given, if necessary and needed , to enhance students' understanding of whatever concept taught for the day. A good lesson in the classroom must be well planned and well timed to include the evaluation aspect of the learning outcome. So, why unnecessarily make students do repetitive work which they have already known when the teachers teach? To make students do teachers' homework, make sure teachers, set them some challenging and interesting homework of examination standards! Train our young minds to think with application in mind to go forward! To the teachers, do set your own questions to evaluate the learning outcome of your lesson rather than to adapt the ones in the textbook!

If evaluation is done during the lessons for some days, homework is not necessarily given every week and poor students would he happier to concentrate on revision when the homework quota is much reduced for the week.

With all these factors considered, if the problem still persists, then the last resort would be to award incentives by giving a certain percentage weightage to the homework done for the final grade of the examination. So, there is really no need to punish students and to have teachers to be branded as "hooligans"!