Homework practices of English teachers at Norwegian lower secondary schools: a case study

Abstract

This thesis is about the homework practices of English teachers at lower secondary schools in Norway. The aim of the thesis was to learn about what attitudes, practices and considerations English teachers have when assigning homework, and to connect this to existing international and national research on the field. A qualitative method using semi-structured interviews was used to gather the data. Six different teachers from different schools across the western part of Norway were interviewed individually. The review of established research on homework and the data collected for the current study have found that research demonstrates that the effects of homework are variable and inconclusive. The uncertainty reflected by the research on the field is also shown by the participating teachers in the current study. This thesis has found that the participating teachers make numerous considerations when it comes to homework decisions. There is agreement on many topics between the participants, at the same time, there is also disagreement and various practices. All the considerations made are possible to link to research findings. The teachers mention considerations and practices that are discussed in studies and research; however, none of the participants refer to any of these studies. This indicates that there are common understandings of homework principles and practices; however, the teachers seem unaware of the connection to research. This thesis contributes with valuable research and adds further inquiry into a field where studies are inconclusive, and the debate is still going strong in research, politics and media across the globe. Furthermore, this thesis adds to a broader understanding of the homework practices of Norwegian lower secondary school teachers in the English subject. At present there is little over all research focusing on teachers of English as a foreign language. There are very few studies done in Norway within the context of homework in English. By concentrating on teachers the aim is to give insight into the important work teachers do for their pupils and to help the participating teachers and others to continue to develop their practices. Contributing to a discussion about homework and prompting teachers to have a look at their own homework practices is especially interesting and important in Norway as there are no national guidelines on homework.