An Investigation And Study On English Homework Of Junior Middle School Under The New Curriculum Reform Background

The theories of the Eighth Curriculum Reform has attached great importance to students'subject position and the cultivation of students'independence and autonomy. It is also important for students to form effective learning strategies and to develop the ability of autonomous learning in this reform. Under the influence of this theory, some positive changes have taken place in educational practice during recent years. Comparatively speaking, there are few changes in homework, which has little effect of curriculum reform. Homework has been a hot issue for years in China. People attempted to solve the problem in various methods, but most of the methods are emergency measures in practical means state. A lack of elaboration on homework in curriculum standard and the difficulties of systematic research lead to the marginal state of homework in this curriculum reform.On the base of researches on homework at home and abroad, this thesis is an investigation into English homework in junior middle school. The questionnaire investigation was carried out in six junior middle schools of three levels in Jinan, Shandong Province. The questionnaire consists of seven aspects, including the amount of time students spent on homework, feedback, source, types, attitude, design and learning strategies in English homework which is the key point of the study. The research on learning strategies contains five aspects, which include the using condition of four kinds of learning strategies, students of different levels, schools of different levels, students'sexes, teachers'teaching age. The objects are to clarify the reflection of the ideas of New Curriculum Reform in English homework, to explore the approaches to the integration of learning strategies and English homework, to improve quality and efficiency of homework and to reduce learning cost.It is found that there have been a few changes of English homework in junior middle schools since this curriculum reform, for a large amount of homework, single method and subject of feedback, limited sources and types, monotonic subject and form of design, and general level of strategies using make English homework become a burden. However, both teachers and students hold that English homework offers practical assistance with the improvement of English performance. It is also obvious that teachers attempt to design and refine English homework with the theories of New Curriculum Reform while some application and efficiency need more research in the future.