Homework practices and academic achievement: The mediating role of self-efficacy and perceived responsibility beliefs

The present study investigated the role of students' homework practices in their self-efficacy beliefs regarding their use of specific learning processes (e.g., organizing, memorizing, concentrating, monitoring, etc.), perceptions of academic responsibility, and academic achievement. One hundred and seventy-nine girls from multi-ethnic, mixed socioeconomic status families residing in a major metropolitan area of the United States were studied in a parochial school that emphasized homework in the curriculum with more than 3 h of work assigned daily. Path analyses showed significant paths (a) from homework experiences to the girls' self-efficacy for learning beliefs and their perception of student responsibility for academic outcomes, and (b) from these two academic beliefs to the girls' academic grade point average at the end of the school term. The implications of these findings for future research and school policy will be discussed. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.