Approaches to homework: A longitudinal study in Primary Education

Learning approaches to homework refer to how students tackle the process of completing school assignments at home, distinguishing between a deep approach, focused on understanding, and a surface approach, based on merely completing the tasks. The way in which pupils approach these tasks has been linked to their learning outcomes and academic performance. This study analyses the development of these approaches to homework throughout the final years of Primary Education and explores differences in this development according to gender. Using a longitudinal repeated-measures design, 224 pupils (117 boys and 107 girls) from six schools in Galicia, Spain, took part in the study and were assessed in Grades 4, 5 and 6 of Primary Education. Participants completed the Study Processes Inventory in each academic year. Repeated measures analysis of variance was conducted to analyse changes in each of the homework approaches. The results showed a linear and significant decline in the deep approach over time, whilst the surface approach showed no significant changes. Girls scored significantly higher on the deep approach and lower on the surface approach than boys. The interaction between time and gender was not significant in either of the two approaches. These findings have implications for the design and implementation of homework assignments that promote understanding and deep processing of the material.