Katechetyczne zadania domowe w teorii, praktyce oraz w ocenie katechetów i rodziców (kl. I-IV)

Abstract

The paper is a continuation of a similar paper (published in RTK of 1987) concerning V-VIII forms. As far as theory is concerned the paper brings to our notice the role of homework, its purpose, function, kinds and examples from methodical manual to God with us (I-IV forms). It has been pinpointed there that didacticians predict in the process of assigning homework some stages and manners (J. Zborowski distinguishes the following: mechanic, with explanation and introduction into doing homework). The handbook offers some homework but it is the catechist who has to decide. Checking and marking the work are also essential elements. They play informative, corrective and other functions. It has been emphasized that proper requirements on the part of the teacher stimulate the pupils to work (the so-called Pygmalion effect). The empirical material consists of homeworks from forms I-IV (253 pupils were studied, more than 50 from each form; 211 exercise books were collected in this number 66 had a complete list of catecheses). The exercise books were analyzed in view of the criteria which revealed the degree in which the tasks were solved and haw they were chosen. Younger forms do their homework in ca 30 per cent and older in over 50 per cent. More than half of the children take advantage, to a various extent, of somebody's assistance, most often their family's in doing their homework. The manner in which catechetic homework is evaluated as well as the form of marks have also been discussed. There was a questionnaire to check how children evaluate homework. In a cumulative table some kinds of homework in the handbook and exercise books have been shown. One has reported their degradation which was predicted in the preliminary hypothesis. Then catechetic homework has been shown in the view of 157 catechists from the Lublin diocese (55 priests, 54 nuns, 48 lay ctechists). They said what they thought about the purposes, types, correcting, evaluating homework, critical evaluation of handbooks, and gave their own proposals. 133 parents opinions about the homework have also been quoted as well as their proposals as to this homework.