Assessing Children's Homework Performance: Development of Multi-Dimensional, Multi-Informant Rating Scales

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Psychometrics
• Child Development

Background:

• Improving homework performance is crucial for academic success.
• Existing methods for measuring homework performance are limited.
• Developing reliable assessment tools is essential for effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate rating scales for assessing homework performance in elementary and middle school students.
• To identify specific student strengths and deficits related to homework.
• To explore contextual factors influencing homework completion and quality.

Main Methods:

• Development of the Homework Performance Questionnaire - Parent Scale (HPQ-PS) and Teacher Scale (HPQ-TS).
• Factor analysis (principal axis extraction, promax rotation) was used to analyze data from 163 students.
• Parent and teacher ratings were collected to assess student homework functioning.

Main Results:

• Factor analysis of the HPQ-PS yielded three factors: student task orientation/efficiency, student competence, and teacher support.
• Factor analysis of the HPQ-TS revealed two factors: student responsibility and student competence.
• The HPQ scales demonstrated promise in assessing homework functioning.

Conclusions:

• The Homework Performance Questionnaire (HPQ) is a potentially valuable tool for evaluating student homework performance.
• The identified factors provide insights into student behaviors and environmental influences on homework.
• Further research is recommended to refine and expand the utility of the HPQ.