Title:
A STUDY ON THE OPTIMAL DESIGN OF ENGLISH AFTER-CLASS HOMEWORK FOR STUDENTS IN GRADE 8 UNDER THE BACKGROUND OF "DOUBLE REDUCTION"

Authors:
Zhang Shaohua and Wang Haitao, China

Abstract:
After-class homework is a crucial component of the teaching and learning process, providing a necessary complement to classroom activities and reinforcing students' understanding. However, the traditional English homework model is often one-sided and can have negative effects on students' progress. As a result, China has implemented the "Double Reduction" policy to alleviate the excessive burden of homework and extracurricular training on students. [1] 145 students in Class 1 Grade 8, Class 2 Grade 8 and Class 3 Grade 8 of Yinyan Campus of Longyan Junior High School were regarded as the research subjects. The problems in the progress of English after-school homework optimal design for students in Grade 8 in this school were investigated and studied by means of questionnaires and interviews, and the causes of these problems were analyzed. By analyzing the data, there are six problems in the progress, such as lack of motivation in the study, inability of students, negative attitude toward English after-class homework, uneven abilities of students, simple forms and boring contents as well as overdue and simple feedbacks. To address these problems within the framework of the "Double Reduction" policy, seven measures were proposed in the paper, including increasing fun of homework, controlling of homework’s difficulty, targeted homework, the proper amount of homework, homework of social practice, homework of practice operation as well as timely and various feedbacks. The strategies not only require junior high school English teachers to effectively reduce students' academic pressure and promote students' happy growth but also require teachers to explore teaching methods that "reduce the burden and improve the efficiency" and "reduce the burden but not the quality".