Comparison of two peer-reviewed articles

¶ … facilitate successful learning outcome for both the students' and the teachers' sake. Because of this fact, there are thousands of studies conducted which are all aimed at understanding the concept of education per se and how it is facilitated in various formats and styles. The styles and forms of facilitating education will always be dependent on the situation.

This paper is designed to analyze and compare two peer reviewed journals whose topic is related to education. The first study is in connection with the students' homework and its impacts on the students' academic grades. The second peer reviewed journal is focused on having different learning levels and abilities in the same classroom and its possible implications.

Homework Impacts to Students

Abstract. This study was the first to test a model of the influence of homework on classroom performance using a sample of elementary school students. A total of 28 teachers in Grades 2 and 4 took part in the study, along with 428 students and parents. The authors used structural equation modeling to examine relationships among variables. Student norms were positively related to the elimination of distractions from homework by parents. Positive student norms, higher student ability, and positive parent attitudes toward homework were all related to greater parent facilitation. Student's attitude toward homework was unrelated to home and community factors but was related positively to parent attitudes toward homework. Classroom grades were unrelated to student's attitude toward homework but were predicted by how much homework the student completed (even after the use of homework in grading was controlled), by student ability, and by the amount of parent facilitation. More generally, parent facilitation was an important mediator of the relation between student norms, student ability, and parent attitudes toward homework, and the outcome of classroom grades (Lindsay, 2001).

Analysis study such as this one can play a detrimental role in promoting higher academic outcomes for the students. This one focuses on the impacts of homework not just on the students' grades alone, but to their overall classroom performance. It is highlighted in this study that both the teachers and the students' parents are significant people who can help the students appreciate the homework being given to them. Their roles are then simplified in the context as education facilitators as well as motivators that will help the students finish their home works and benefit from it.

It should be noted that although after-school homework appear to benefit children, there are several other factors that need be considered in evaluating their impact. As noted, children spend their time after school in many different ways and with a significant range in supervision. While after-school homework provides structure and supervision, as well as academic assistance, there are other types of extracurricular activities that may benefit children and that may be unavailable if they attend homework programs.

Studies have shown that involvement in extracurricular activities is associated with school engagement and achievement (Mahoney & Cairns, 1997). These study typically assesses involvement in non-academic activities, most of which occur after school hours. Rather than divert students from meeting their academic goals, studies find that students engaged in extracurricular activities - including sports, service clubs, and art activities - are less likely to drop out and more likely to have high academic achievement (Mahoney & Cairns, 1997). Of particular importance, students appear to benefit even more from participation in extracurricular activities than do children who are normal achievers. Most researchers believe that involvement in extracurricular activities has an indirect impact on achievement by increasing connectedness to the school and by helping to build student strengths, thereby increasing self-esteem and positive social networks. Mahoney and Cairns (1997) note that while remedial academic programs "focus on the deficits of students," involvement in high interest, non-academic activities "provides a gateway into conventional social networks through the maintenance and enhancement of positive characteristics of the individual that strengthen the student-school connection" (Mahoney & Cairns, 1997). One caveat is that school-based activities tend to be more associated with school connectedness than are community-based activities or employment. Further, there is a curvilinear relationship between extracurricular activities, such that levels of outside activity can be too high to allow students to also focus on their schoolwork.

These findings suggest that both extracurricular activities and homework can benefit student achievement, although this is not a black and white issue. For example, while "no play" rules that prohibit students with low GPAs from participating in extracurricular activities may provide a needed incentive to some students; in other instances this rule may increase the student's risk for school failure. Educators need to be concerned that after-school homework programs do not replace other non-academic extracurricular activities because these activities may also promote student resilience. Activities should enhance student engagement to the school while allowing time for homework to occur.

Another concern about homework programs is that they are likely to reduce parental involvement in the homework process. This has been viewed as both an asset and a deficit to this model. On the positive side, parents who are poorly educated, do not speak English, or are not familiar with the educational system may find it difficult to assist their children with their schoolwork.

Further, parents with limited resources (e.g., low-income single parents) may find it easier to have the schools supervise their children's after-school work. In their analysis of a national survey, Shumow and Miller (2001) found that parents who were high school graduates were more likely than parents who were not graduates to help their children with homework. In a review of more than 50 studies on parent involvement (Hoover-Dempsey et al., 2001), parents who were higher in their perceptions of self-efficacy were more likely to help their children with homework. It is clear that parents of children with fewer at-risk factors were more likely to be involved in their children's homework.

Impacts of Different Learning Levels and Abilities

Abstract: Students with special needs may be those who have learning disabilities as well as those who are gifted learners with learning disabilities. An inclusive classroom is defined as a classroom which integrates students who have special needs with other students in regular education. Including students in regular education classrooms does not mean doing away with special education; rather, it entails integrating the best that special education has to offer with regular education for the benefit of all students. This paper provides a framework for meeting the challenges of an inclusive classroom for children with special needs. This study provides a framework for meeting the challenges of an inclusive classroom for children with special needs. The special needs referred to here, are thought to occur as a result of a learning disability, emotional, or social needs, often associated with a learning disability. Students with special needs may also be those who are gifted learners as well as gifted learners with learning disabilities. An inclusive classroom is defined as a classroom which integrates students who have special needs with other students in regular education. Including students in regular education classrooms does not mean doing away with special education; rather, it entails integrating the best that special education has to offer with regular education for the benefit of all students.

Analysis

The study focuses on two types of students that may be included in just one classroom - the students with obvious learning disabilities and the students with equally obvious gifted talents and high level of learning abilities. The journal has highlighted that both types of students must be handled affectively by the teachers. Both types of students needs equal amount of special attention but with seemingly different goals. As for the students with learning disabilities, the special attention that will be provided by the teachers will be aimed at minimizing the possible anxieties and discomforts that the students may feel, if they have been recognized as the students with learning disabilities. Even with such difficulty in learning, they need to be motivated so as they will learn how to cope with their learning difficulties and achieved a good learning outcome in the end. Meanwhile, for the gifted students or those students with higher levels of learning abilities, the special attention that will be given to them by the teachers will be aimed at motivating them to continue learning and aimed for higher grades and educational results. Despite their talents in learning, they still need to be motivated and guided properly on how to study and handle different subject matters.

It should be noted that this synthesis of studies provides very direct implications for general and special education teachers. One of the most significant findings is that most students did not perceive instructional adaptations and accommodations to meet the special needs of selected students as problematic. In fact, the majority of students believed that these adaptations and accommodations could facilitate their own learning. Thus, with few exceptions, classroom teachers do not need to be concerned that such instructional adaptations will be perceived negatively by their students with or without disabilities. However, though instructional adaptations are favored, students generally preferred that homework remain uniform for all students.

Students were very specific about the types of teacher practices that facilitated their understanding of grading, homework, and assignments, and provided recommendations to teachers regarding these practices. In general, students find textbook learning difficult and boring. Though they indicated that they learned a great deal from reading and answering questions, they did not like doing it. Students also were begging for strategy instruction that would assist them in learning from text and learning independently. Students liked activity-based instruction and while they did not call for an abandonment of textbooks, they wanted a balance between text learning and activity learning.

These studies teach us that students want teachers to be clear about the types of adaptations and accommodations that they intend to make and for which students. When it comes to grading, teachers need to consider the value of modified grades (low) and use them judiciously. Students expressed considerable need for adaptations that improve clarity of information, whether it be content or assignment. In general, students preferred mixed grouping with small groups and pairs, though there are conditions under which they prefer same ability grouping (e.g., when students can hardly read at all). Students would prefer more group work. Lower-achieving as well as higher-achieving students value opportunities to help others and appreciate when teachers structure assignments so that different students are placed in the role of helper.

More so, it has been revealed that children and adults with varied learning abilities are benefiting if intensive interactions is facilitated on them. In school curriculums, students with complex are found to be performing very well on their reading, comprehension and even writing subjects.

On the more advanced level, students' performances on the subjects of mathematics, sciences and language subjects also tend to be significantly better if they have intensive interaction with the teachers and with other students (Bailey & Wolery, 1992).

Not only did the students perform very well when it comes to academic standing. Their behavioral and cognitive skills are also found to be positively improving if they are subjected to intensive interactions. Students show signs of increased self-confidence. They are becoming very open to how they feel and they are even initiating to establish relationship with their peers and classmates. They are more motivated to learning. They do not fear facing the whole class to do series of presentations for they have started to exude confidence. Solving mathematical problems, creating sentences and even doing some scientific activities are becoming easier as the kids learned to adopt interaction to their peers and to the teachers (Stanovich, 1986).

Even at home, students, who have been subjected to intensive interaction programs, are becoming more matured in handling family matters, in a way that they have never done before (Stanovich, 1986).

Indeed, intensive interactions offer great benefits to children-students with varied levels of learning and abilities inside one classroom. They not only significantly improve their psychological state, but also their psycho-social and cognitive behaviors.

Conclusion

Based on the two studies reviewed there are several conclusions made:

First is the idea that homework can indeed provide students with structure, supervision, academic assistance, and the opportunity to learn study skills. At their best, participation in after-school homework programs can help students maintain their academic standing, feel more bonded to their school, reduce family stress, and develop attitudes and skills that would facilitate their success in school after the program is over. However, after-school homework programs can also interfere with other, nonacademic activities that promote student bonding to the school and the community and run the risk of reducing parental involvement in the schooling process. Finally, as is always the case, the help provided by these programs will be limited by the quality of the homework students receive, as well as the integration of these programs with the regular teachers.