Investigating Mathematics Homework Practices of Higher Secondary Teachers in Bhutan

Abstract

Homework is one of the important practices in the Bhutanese school system yet it is the least explored area; thus, this study employed the convergent parallel mixed method design to investigate the homework practices of teachers in higher secondary schools of Bhutan. The quantitative component incorporated the survey questionnaire for 244 mathematics teachers from 83 higher secondary schools and 320 students from one higher secondary school in Bhutan. Qualitative data included interviews with 12 mathematics teachers from seven higher secondary schools and five focused group interviews from one higher secondary school. Teachers' primary purpose in assigning mathematics homework was to reinforce what was learned in the class through practice and revision. Thus, HW for exploration is rarely assigned. The study found that 62.3% of mathematics teachers assigned homework every day or at least four times a week, and there is no statistically significant difference in frequency of homework between Urban, Semi-urban and Rural schools of Bhutan. There is a significant positive correlation between homework purpose and homework management and the homework purpose variable explains the homework management variable by 19.1% only as there are several challenges such as large class size and time constraints that hinders the effectiveness of homework. The study found that homework overload is an issue faced by students, and effective management of HW is challenging, therefore school management and mathematics teachers may consider having a homework policy that will ensure assigning the right amount of homework and homework frequency, which will ultimately benefit students academically.