As a follow-up from this post/rant, I did a bit of digging on this homework research I’ve heard people reference. And like most things — or at least most research data — it can be interpreted in a few different ways. Since the topic sparked a bit of interest, I thought I’d share what I’d found. Kind of like a Coles Notes version (come on, you used Coles Notes at least once, didn’t ya?).
Okay, so in one corner of the ring you have the more traditional stance of “Homework is valuable. Homework works.”
The most authoritative research on this is a Duke University study that reviewed more than 60 research studies on homework from from 1987 to 2003 and synthesized the results. The conclusion? Homework does have a positive effect on student achievement:
With only rare exception, the relationship between the amount of homework students do and their achievement outcomes was found to be positive and statistically significant.
There are some “but”s to this, though. The first is age, and the second is how much. This is no surprise to you — we’ve all been commenting on these two factors for a couple of days now.
So, what did they find?
With regards to age, the study found that the positive correlation was much stronger for secondary students -– those in grades 7 through 12 -– than those in elementary school. And with regard to how much, it showed that too much homework can be counter-productive for students at all levels [emphasis is mine].
If you really want to be a good student, the full results from this study are covered in the book The Battle over Homework: Common Ground for Administrators, Teachers, and Parents by Corwin Press, 2001.
Since this the time of this study’s publication, a number of opposing voices have come to the fore. These are the voices from the other side of the ring, the “Homework has no proven benefits. It’s just busy-work.”
For instance, a study completed in 2008 by two Toronto professors found that Ontario students are doing more homework than their counterparts in other provinces. And further, that homework is causing family conflict, even marital stress:
In their study, more than 1,000 parents were surveyed and said while they like the good work habits homework promotes, as well as how it helps parents be involved in their children’s academic lives, the amount students are getting is interfering with family time, causing stress and even marital troubles.
So, should homework be given to young children at all? The debate still rages it seems. And although the school boards have not amended any policies, there is a growing movement to at least modify the type and length of homework provided.
A 2004 article published in Education, offers this recommendation related to age, type and family stress:
Homework is still an important educational tool that should be used at all levels, but in a prudent manner. At the elementary level, it certainly should not be used to introduce new material or just to give kids some work to take home to show their parents something is happening at school. Nor should it be a daily drudgery of worksheets and times tables, but interesting activities that can be done with the help of family. More independent and involved homework should come at the advent of high school. The only way to end the battle is to make sure that homework is relevant, varied, and takes place outside of the classroom.
Gee, that sounds easy doesn’t it?
What do you think? Do we need an overhaul of the culture around homework — coming directly from the administration, down through to teachers, to parents and last, but not least, students? And does this research change your mind at all? Do you have other research sources you’d like to share with me?
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