Shorthand Homework Assignments in Selected Kansas Secondary Schools

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the current homework assignment practices in shorthand in selected secondary schools in Kansas, the comparison of homework practices in these schools to homework practices in shorthand in secondary schools as reported elsewhere in related literature, and the influence, if any, that attitudes of shorthand teachers, school administrators, school board members, students, and parents have upon current homework assignment practices. METHODS AND PROCEDURES EMPLOYED: Literature related to shorthand homework assignments available in the Forsyth Library and the library of the Division of Business and Economics of Fort Hays Kansas State College was secured and examined. The data contained in this study dealing with current shorthand assignment practices was obtained by a survey of shorthand teachers, school administrators, and school board members conducted by personal interviews and by mailed questionnaires. SUMMARY AND FINDINGS: Shorthand teachers generally agree that shorthand students need to be given daily homework assignments in order to achieve mastery in the subject. The reporting shorthand teachers, as a group, had little idea of the time required by a student to complete a homework assignment. Percentages reported by shorthand teachers of a total assignment to allocate to the areas of brief form practice, word practice, sentence and plate reproduction, reading, and student determination of the areas to study showed deviations that are difficult to justify. There is a definite lack of communication of attitudes toward homework assignments in general and toward shorthand homework assignments in particular, between teachers, parents, school administrators, and school board members. It is recommended that shorthand teachers make an effort to ascertain the amounts of time required by students to complete their assignments either by direct questioning or by observing the time required in the actual preparation of assignment units during class periods and give consideration to this information when giving shorthand homework assignments. It is also recommended that a testing program of competencies of shorthand students graduating from high schools in conjunction with a study of successful teacher methods be effected. In addition, it is recommended that shorthand methods courses stress the importance of homework in shorthand, and that the problems connected with making reasonable, meaningful, and effective assignments be attacked directly.