The practices and conceptions related to homework in low income and middle classes were investigated in this study. It aimed to unveil aspects of the educational process concerned to the family-school relation and school curricula. The research participants were teachers, students and parents of three 3rd grade classes from two private schools and one public school. The classes were observed, a questionnaire was applied to the students' parents, and professionals and ten parents from each school were interviewed. The data analysis revealed: (a) consensus was reached regarding the importance of the homework among the investigated families; (b) unequal family conditions for assisting this task and unequal educational support schools offer. These results evidence the complexity hidden in the apparently unimportant practices related to homework.
Homework; Parent-school relationship; Curriculum