Parents Need an Attitude Adjustment to Improve their Children’s Homework Motivation
Parents Need an Attitude Adjustment to Improve their Children’s Homework Motivation
August 31, 2011
BEER-SHEVA, ISRAEL, August 31, 2011 — Parents who want to improve their child’s motivation to complete homework this school year need to change their own attitude and behavior, according to a new study by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers.
In the study published in Learning and Individual Differences, BGU researchers found that if parents had a more positive, supportive attitude and communicated the learning value as motivation, rather than focusing on completing an assignment or getting a higher grade, then the child’s attitude and motivation would improve.
Dr. Idit Katz, Avi Kaplan and doctoral student Tamara Buzukashvily, of BGU’s Department of Education, recommend parents give their children some choices, including when or where to do homework. “Parents can improve a sense of competence by allowing children to structure their own tasks and by giving the child the feeling that he is loved and admired no matter how successful he or she is in math or language,” the researchers said.
The study also shows that parents should ask themselves about their own motivations, attitudes and competence before trying to “treat” or “change” the child. Moreover, educational programs that try to change the attitude and motivation of students toward homework should not keep the parents “out of the loop” as their behavior is essential.
“Little formal research has been conducted about the home environment where homework is taking place, although it has been an integral part of education and is a controversial yet often used educational practice,” according to the study. “The home environment is just as important for instilling positive motivation as the school is.”
The researchers conducted the study at two elementary schools with 135 fourth graders and one of each child’s parents. The students completed questionnaires regarding their level of motivation to do homework, while parents answered another survey on their willingness to help. This allowed perceptions of the home environment to be examined from both perspectives.
Among the sample, more than 60 percent of parents reported being involved with their child’s homework once a week and 35 percent indicated being involved every day or more than once a week. Only four percent said they are never involved in their child’s homework.
ABOUT AMERICANS FOR BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY
By supporting a world-class academic institution that not only nurtures the Negev, but also shares its expertise locally and globally, Americans for Ben-Gurion University engages a community of Americans who are committed to improving the world. David Ben-Gurion envisioned that Israel’s future would be forged in the Negev. The cutting-edge research carried out at Ben-Gurion University drives that vision by sustaining a desert Silicon Valley, with the “Stanford of the Negev” at its center. The Americans for Ben-Gurion University movement supports a 21st century unifying vision for Israel by rallying around BGU’s remarkable work and role as an apolitical beacon of light in the Negev desert.
About Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev embraces the endless potential we have as individuals and as a commonality to adapt and to thrive in changing environments. Inspired by our location in the desert, we aim to discover, to create, and to develop solutions to dynamic challenges, to pose questions that have yet to be asked, and to push beyond the boundaries of the commonly accepted and possible.
We are proud to be a central force for inclusion, diversity and innovation in Israel, and we strive to extend the Negev’s potential and our entrepreneurial spirit throughout the world. For example, the multi-disciplinary School for Sustainability and Climate Change at BGU leverages over 50 years of expertise on living and thriving in the desert into scalable solutions for people everywhere.
BGU at a glance:
20,000 students | 800 senior faculty | 3 campuses | 6 faculties: humanities & social sciences, health sciences, engineering sciences, natural sciences, business & management, and desert research.
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