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Most Teachers, Parents, and Students Strongly Believe that Homework Is Indeed Important
Fully produced report in MP3 format:
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(107 seconds)
-- How Will You Use This Story? --
(OPEN):
HOW MUCH VALUE DO TEACHERS, PARENTS, AND STUDENTS PLACE ON HOMEWORK
ASSIGNMENTS? THE ANSWERS MAY SURPRISE YOU. ALTHOUGH HOMEWORK
HAS LONG BEEN A TOPIC OF DEBATE AMONG EDUCATORS AND FAMILIES, THE LATEST
"MET-LIFE SURVEY OF THE AMERICAN TEACHER"--TITLED "THE
HOMEWORK EXPERIENCE"--FINDS THAT A SUBSTANTIAL MAJORITY OF TEACHERS,
PARENTS, AND EVEN STUDENTS FEEL STRONGLY THAT HOMEWORK IS
IMPORTANT--HELPING STUDENTS LEARN MORE IN SCHOOL, AND PAVING THE WAY FOR
FUTURE SUCCESS. THE STUDY ALSO REVEALS A STRONG CONNECTION BETWEEN
THE IMPORTANCE THAT A STUDENT PLACES ON HOMEWORK, AND ACADEMIC
SUCCESS--AND FINDS THAT MORE STUDENTS VALUE HOMEWORK NOW, THAN IN THE
PAST. PRESIDENT OF MET-LIFE FOUNDATION,
SIBYL JACOBSON, EXPLAINS THE RESULTS' IMPORTANCE...
(JACOBSON):
"THE GOAL OF THE SURVEY IS TO HELP IMPROVE TEACHING
AND LEARNING, FOR AMERICA'S STUDENTS. THE FINDINGS HAVE
IMPLICATIONS FOR TEACHERS, STUDENTS, AND EVEN PARENTS. BY
EXAMINING AREAS WHERE THERE ARE SIMILAR VIEWS--AND THOSE WHERE THERE ARE
MARKED DIFFERENCES--EDUCATORS CAN WORK TO MAKE HOMEWORK A MORE-ENGAGING
AND -RELEVANT EXPERIENCE."
(CLOSE):
ACCORDING TO THE FINDINGS, TEACHERS REPORT THAT THEY SPEND AN AVERAGE OF
8.5-HOURS, EACH WEEK, DOING WORK RELATED TO STUDENTS' HOMEWORK--WHILE
MOST STUDENTS SPEND AT LEAST 30-MINUTES DOING HOMEWORK, ON A TYPICAL
SCHOOL DAY. OF INTEREST, STUDENTS WHO VIEW HOMEWORK AS UNIMPORTANT
ARE MORE LIKELY TO GET C'S OR BELOW--AND TO RATE THE QUALITY OF THEIR
EDUCATION AS "FAIR" OR "POOR"; THEY'RE ALSO LESS LIKELY TO DECIDE TO GO
TO COLLEGE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL. DESPITE THE POSITIVE SCORES THAT
TODAY'S HOMEWORK RECEIVED, THERE'S STILL ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT:
FULLY ONE-THIRD OF PARENTS RATE THE QUALITY OF HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS AS
"FAIR" OR "POOR"--WITH 40-PERCENT FEELING THAT "A GREAT DEAL" OR "SOME"
OF THE HOMEWORK IS UNRELATED TO WHAT STUDENTS ARE ACTUALLY LEARNING;
ONE-QUARTER OF STUDENTS AGREE. AS A PUBLIC SERVICE, MET-LIFE HAS
SPONSORED THE "SURVEY OF THE AMERICAN TEACHER" SINCE 19-84. FOR
MORE INFORMATION, VISIT
"MET-LIFE"-DOT-COM-SLASH-"TEACHER-SURVEY".
