Exploring the relationship between homework task difficulty, student engagement and performance

Abstract

This article considers the relationship between differential homework task difficulty, student engagement and performance across four Irish post-primary school sites. A total of 236 participants completed all elements of this study. All participants were junior cycle students, aged between 12 and 16 years. The study employed a standardised test–retest approach, with a one week interval between tests. Between testing, participants were randomly subdivided into three cohorts. Each cohort received homework questions of different difficulty levels to complete for one week. The results of this study found that Cohort A, who received the least difficult homework tasks, completed the most non-compulsory questions. Although Cohort A demonstrated higher levels of engagement, no statistically significant difference was found in the change in performance scores of the three cohorts. The results highlight the negative impact of increased task difficulty on student engagement with independent homework tasks. The findings suggest that in order to support student engagement it is important that teachers afford ample opportunity for student success when designing self-directed tasks such as homework.

Keywords:

• task difficulty
• student performance
• engagement
• homework

Notes on contributors

Raymond Lynch is a qualified Technology Teacher and a lecturer in Education at the School of Education, University of Limerick. His research interests are in the area of task difficulty, student interests and motivation.

Adrian Hurley is a qualified post-primary teacher in the area of technology education, having completed the Professional Master of Education programme at the University of Limerick.

Olivia Cumiskey is a qualified post-primary teacher in the area of Business Studies, having completed the Professional Master of Education programme at the University of Limerick.

Brian Nolan is a qualified post-primary teacher in the area of Business Studies, having completed the Professional Master of Education programme at the University of Limerick.

Bridgeen McGlynn is a qualified post-primary teacher in the area of Mathematics, having completed the Professional Master of Education programme at the University of Limerick.

ORCID

Raymond Lynch http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6617-8133

Notes

1. The Irish education system consists of three levels; primary education, post-primary education, and third level education. The post-primary education stage comprises two interconnected “cycles”, Junior and Senior Cycle. The Junior Cycle is 3 years in duration and the Senior Cycle, which builds on the Junior Cycle, comprises an additional 2 years of study. Typically, students enter post-primary education at the age of 12 or 13 years and complete the Senior Cycle by the age of 18 years.