Reducing Burden and Improving Quality——Exploring the Optimization of Mathematics Homework in Chinese Rural Elementary Schools

Purpose: The weak foundation, poor conditions, and lack of tutoring of rural students lead to difficulties in completing mathematics homework. This paper analyzes and finds that students suffer from a lack of learning ability and study time, lax home supervision, and a lack of layering and innovation in homework by teachers. Approach/Methodology/Design: Three major strategies are proposed: first, students' written homework time is completed in school, and independent homework time is reserved through instructional design and implemented during classroom teaching; second, parents take responsibility for education, change traditional concepts, promote home-school co-education, and participate in depth in a variety of types of homework to increase parent-child interactions and companionship; third, teachers innovate the form of homework, carry out hierarchical design, and enrich the types of homework to stimulate students' learning. Findings: Teachers innovate the form of homework, carry out layered design, enrich the types of homework to stimulate students' interest in learning, grasp the depth and breadth to respect students' physical and mental development, and pay attention to the feedback of homework to realize the diversification of evaluation forms. Practical Implications: Through the implementation of these strategies, we aim to build a virtuous cycle of homework ecosystem and improve the effective completion rate of rural students' mathematics homework. Originality/value: This passage focuses on a unique perspective by addressing the specific challenges faced by rural students in completing mathematics homework. It proposes practical and targeted strategies aimed at improving homework quality and effectiveness, which can serve as a model for addressing similar issues in other underserved educational contexts.