Revalidation of the homework distraction scale and multilevel antecedents

Abstract

The current investigation examined students’ distractions in mathematics homework. Involving 1,072 middle school students, we performed confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) based on items regarding tech-related and conventional distractions. CFA results revealed that tech-related and conventional distractions could not be separated into distinct factors, and that the latent factor mean was invariant across grade level and gender. Multilevel analysis examined the predictive effects of student- and class-level variables on homework distraction. On an individual level, homework distraction showed positive correlations with time on videogame and extracurricular activities, while exhibiting negative associations with homework expectancy, value, favorability, environment, and effort. On the class level, homework distraction was inversely associated with feedback quality and parent education. The implications of these results for homework-related practices and further investigation are discussed.