“Please, teacher, have we any homework?” : A study of two teachers’ attitudes to homework and work with reading homework

The aim of this study is to compare teachers’ views of homework, their work withreading homework, and what the interaction is like in connection with this. Acombination of methods in the form of observations and semi-structured interviews wasused to follow two teachers working in the early years of compulsory school. The studyfound that the teachers work solely with reading homework, although in different ways,as regards both the design and the implementation, suggesting that the teachers’ practiceis grounded in research on homework. According to the teachers, homework in the earlyyears of compulsory school can be beneficial in that it prepares the pupils for later yearsin school and that it can be an instrument in the work of consolidating knowledge. Onthe other hand, homework steals part of the pupils’ leisure time and can cause stress intheir everyday life. To avoid unclarity and stress in the home, the teacher should giveclear and thorough instructions communicating the purpose, expectations, and meaning