Does articulating the purpose of homework assignments affect parent perceptions?

Homework is seen overall as a positive practice in our school district as reported by both parents and students. Yet some parents report feeling confused regarding the purpose of some assignments and whether some assignments are simply busywork. Data taken from a parent survey was compiled and aggregated frequency counts of responses were tabulated. From the data obtained from 175 parents of seventh-grade students, parents had a better overall understanding of the purpose of the homework and only about one-tenth of those surveyed had difficulty discerning the objective of the class assignments (9.8%). Despite the perception that there was more homework in seventh grade compared to the year before, the majority of parents reported students did not come to them for clarification regarding assignments (one-fifth of the parents reported more help was needed on assignments). Based on the results, it is recommended educators provide and articulate a purpose for homework