This dissertation examines the role and meaning of mathematics homework in the lives of middle school students. In particular, the study examines how students' homework practices shape and are shaped by their identities and what homework means to them.

Researchers have long sought to determine whether or not homework "works"—that is, if it produces learning and/or achievement. However, relatively few studies have considered how homework works. These studies have generally examined family homework practices, focusing on how parents support their children. The current study seeks to extend this work by examining homework as a set of practices that students and others engage in at home and in school, over time. It specifically examines homework in the context of middle school mathematics.

The study was conducted during the third year of participant observation at an urban middle school. Data sources include: fieldnotes from daily classroom observations and shadowing; student activity logs; and transcripts of student, teacher, and parent interviews. These data sources were used to (1) examine the meanings of homework for students and their parents using a grounded approach and (2) build case studies of how students approached math homework. Individual cases and cross-case analyses are presented, in the context of a theoretical framework (the "homework cycle") that indicates the interrelationships between school practices and the development of meaning and identity.

The cases of Nick and Trey demonstrate the extremes. Although both students understood the potential value of homework, Trey valued homework for his personal goals, and identified himself in ways that provided him motivation to do mathematics homework. Nick identified in ways that supported him in rejecting homework. These and twelve other cases demonstrate how identity and meaning develop. Students like Trey buy in: they develop their identities in ways that support them in taking ownership of the value of homework. These students tend to identify as academically successful and college-bound. Students like Nick check out: they identify in ways that support them in rejecting homework. The implications of buying in, checking out, and taking an identity lens on homework and motivation, are discussed.