Enhancing student engagement and performance in high school astronomy through a differentiated homework approach
Astronomy education at the high school level faces challenges in motivating students and addressing their diverse learning needs. Traditional homework often involves rote memorization and fails to engage students meaningfully with astronomy concepts. This paper presents an innovative approach to as...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Academy of Cognitive and Natural Sciences
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Science Education Quarterly |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://acnsci.org/journal/index.php/seq/article/view/901 |
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| Summary: | Astronomy education at the high school level faces challenges in motivating students and addressing their diverse learning needs. Traditional homework often involves rote memorization and fails to engage students meaningfully with astronomy concepts. This paper presents an innovative approach to astronomy homework that incorporates differentiation, student choice, use of information technology, and a mix of standard problems and creative tasks. The approach was implemented with 49 grade 11 students in Ukraine. Although efficacy data is limited, teacher observations and student feedback indicate that differentiated homework enhanced engagement, effort, and conceptual understanding compared to traditional methods. Students completed more assignments and produced higher-quality work. Notably, students displayed more interest in astronomy and took greater ownership of their learning. Key components of the differentiated homework were the use of multi-modal tasks, real-world applications, collaborative activities, and integration of digital tools and online resources. Some challenges included the time required for individualized grading and the need for support to help teachers adapt their practices. This approach provides a promising model for transforming astronomy education to be more student-centered, active, and inclusive. With adaptation, it could potentially be applied across STEM disciplines.
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| ISSN: | 3065-7210 |