Improving homework completion and accuracy: Interdependent group contingencies with randomly selected components

Homework is a pervasive teaching strategy that has been positively correlated with academic achievement across grade levels, content areas, and student ability levels. At the elementary school level, homework practices have been found to facilitate the development of effective study habits. The literature suggests that both completion and accuracy of homework should be addressed to foster optimal learning and achievement. Group contingency systems are manageable behavioral interventions that have demonstrated success in improving a variety of academic-related behaviors. The technique of randomizing contingency components has been presented as a means to overcome many of the limitations associated with group contingencies. The present investigation employed a multiple baseline design across behaviors to evaluate the effects of an interdependent group contingency with randomized components (including randomly selected target behaviors, criterion for reinforcement, and reinforcers) on students' homework completion and accuracy rates in a suburban elementary school. The three target behaviors were performance on homework assignments in reading comprehension, mathematics, and spelling. Participants were six students in a fourth grade general education class.;Results demonstrated that the interdependent group contingency coupled with randomly selected components improved homework performance as target assignments were added to the program. Specifically, class average homework completion rates increased in reading comprehension and mathematics, and accuracy rates improved in all three subject areas. Limitations, including sequence and ceiling effects, were explored in addition to directions for future research.