The Impact of Homework on Final Exam Scores: A Case Study of the Ecological Civilisation Education Course at Kaili University, China

Abstract

Since 2020, the Ecological Civilisation Education course has been offered to all first-year students at Kaili University through a teaching approach managed via an online network system. The course has been offered 16 times, with two classes in each offering, and teachers have assigned between 3 and 20 homework tasks. However, it remains unclear how homework-related factors affect students’ final examination scores. This study aimed to examine the relationship between homework and students’ final examination scores in this course. Linear regression showed that the mean homework score, the number of completed homework assignments, and the homework completion rate were positively related to the final examination score. An increase in the number of completed homework assignments had a stronger association with higher final scores for boys than for girls. The relationship between homework and final examination scores also varied among disciplinary categories; students in liberal arts and science were more strongly affected by homework than students in engineering and comprehensive disciplines. Although no negative effects of homework were observed, we recommend reducing its quantity while improving its quality. Although the findings are specific to this course, they provide practical value for the Ecological Civilisation Education course.