Is Homework Effective In Learning? Homework efficiency and effectiveness has been a long debated topic. Many people view it as important keystone to reinforce learning, while others think it is only busy work that interferes with activities at home. One article gives an example of how homework is debated, “During the first few decades of the 20th century, educators commonly believed that homework helped create disciplined minds . . . by 1940, growing concern that homework interfered with home activities sparked a reaction against the practice of homework . . . and this trend was reversed in the 1950’s when the Soviet’s launched Sputnik lead to concern that education in the United States lacked rigor” (Costley 2). Many studies have been …show more content…
Harris Cooper, Professor of Education and Psychology, concluded that “Up until fifth grade, homework should be extremely limited. Middle School Students should be less than 90 minutes a day on homework, and two hours should be the limit in high school”(1). The main cause of homework is teachers not having enough time in a school day to cover all the material, and they give homework to make up for topics barely covered. This benefits some students, who can teach themselves and learn at their own pace, but for others, human interaction is an important keystone in learning. However, some things besides curriculum are administered with homework, as said by Cooper Robinson, and Patall, “Certain nonacademic benefits of homework have been shown, especially for younger students. Indeed, some primary-level teachers may assign homework for such benefits, which include learning the importance of responsibility, managing time, developing study habits, and staying with a task until it is completed” (2006).
Homework is effective in teaching responsibility, but lacks in curriculum reinforcement.
HOMEWORK’S RELATION TO ACHIEVEMENT If homework is not very effective, then student achievement will probably remain at its current level. One research concludes that “The amount of homework completed by students seem to be more positively associated with student achievement than the
Homework was a necessity because it was the only way the students were prepared for class the following day. By the 20th Century the PTA began to push their opinion in the battle of homework. They sought to have it irradiated as it was a distraction from the students learning process (Gill & Schlossman, 2004 pg. 175). There were pediatricians going as far to say that homework was the reason for the rise in health issues and the death toll. At this time educators, doctors, and scientists were all in agreeance that is was essential to educate the “whole child”. Thus, allowing time for distractions, play, and a life outside of school that was enriched. This would develop the child’s well-being in every aspect of life (Gill & Schlossman, 2004 pg. 176). During the Cold War, the issue of homework became a cause for concern. The Russians had achieved more than the American children. This began the achievement for excellence. As the curriculum in school changed homework was reinstated because the students needed to learn outside of school in order to prosper in academics (Gill & Schlossman, 2004
Homework can become more closely monitored to assure that the work being assigned to students is useful and engaging. Parents and students are unhappy with homework assigned as busy work which offers little depth and instead just consumes the student’s time (Melvin). If the High School could keep a closer eye on what teachers are assigning students, this would help to alleviate students who are stuck performing monotonous tasks night after night that do not contribute to their overall educational experience. To elaborate on this, different forms of homework impact certain students differently and good teachers will be able to deliver educational value through different types of work. (Terada). Teachers who always assign only a single type of homework will inevitably be unable to engage their entire class. In order to fully get everyone to become involved and engaged in the work allotted, the school system should make sure that the homework teachers assign to students is constantly
Schools have a tremendous job that the American society expects them to uphold and keep on standard. That job is educating our youth to be the next leaders and figures in generations to come. This requires schools to adapt and incorporate appropriate techniques and procedures that will in the end provide kids the best education possible. However one of those tools, homework, has taken a decline when it comes to the minds of young children in the elementary schools of the L.A. county school district. According to an Edutopia research study, “young students are still developing study habits like concentration and self-regulation” (Terada ,1) translating into the loss of homework’s value and validity within the context of children. There needs to be a clear instruction to outline the specifics of limiting the number of hours and the types of homework assignments a child in the grades 1st-4th has to work on outside of class, while at the same time supplementing this policy by providing a diversified after school program able to reach any child’s needs. This educational policy will in turn revamp the educational value embedded in homework from the perspectives of children and set them on a path to be successful all while maintaining the youthfulness of being a child.
For young children time spent with family, playing, or just relaxing is an essential part of their routine. Homework inhibits the ability to partake in these activities. The parents of young students do not get off much easier as they are obliged to see the homework is completed as well as assist in any way they can when necessary. Therefore they also must devote time from their day to ensure assignments are completed. On some occasions, these efforts are made in vain, as it is not unheard of for teachers to assign busy work meant to force memorization.
The skills developed while doing homework prepares the student for higher grade levels, and the workplace as they will be essential in their lives. It does this by making the work become more difficult gradually, and often gives a bigger workload as the student grows. Homework is designed to help you understand, further your knowledge and to prepare you for what it will be like in the future. The¬ Teacher Magazine writes that homework in primary school, doesn’t have as much impact as secondary school, and is used to prepare the student for higher grade levels, i.e. high school, university and the workplace. The South-Western Education Laboratory writes that homework has more benefits in secondary school, than in primary school and that primary school prepares the student for higher grade levels. As stated in the first point, one of the biggest benefits of homework is the sense of responsibility that you develop from doing it, which is a fantastic trait to have and is vital in life. This shows that homework is important and should be done by
There is a debate going around about homework. This debate is centered around the idea, is more or less homework better for students? According to the George Lucas Educational Foundation, “many teachers and parents believe that homework helps students build study skills and review concepts learned in class. Others see homework as disruptive and unnecessary, leading to burnout and turing kids off to school.” (https://www.edutopia.org/article/whats-right-amount-homework) Today, I am going to discuss why less homework is better for student.
Homework has been an integral part of education since children started to be educated. Recently however, the US has developed an obsession with it as we keep falling behind leading countries like Japan in the education rankings. Many kids in high school, and even some middle school aged kids as well, can have simply unreasonable amounts of homework each night. In the past couple years, it has gotten so out of control that parents are starting to speak out, and protest the amount of homework that students get each night. They are starting to realize the harmful effect that homework has on their kids, and are becoming concerned as a result. In response to the growing amount of criticism, more and more research has been done to try to prove the value of homework, but even the most favorable results for homework have mixed results.
“Administrators and policy makers have not been reluctant to wade into debates on homework and to formulate policies” (Letrendre 21). For over one hundred and fifty years students have been overwhelmed with homework. In the nineteenth century, homework was not considered a problem and only high school students were given these out of school assignments. Today excess amount of homework are given to students, regardless of age. Author Kelly Wallace of “Kids have three times too much homework, study finds; what’s the cost?” author Gerald K. LeTendre of “Homework could have an impact on kid’s health. Should schools ban it?”, and other authors help support the argument that the amount of homework given to students should be lessened. In order
In recent years there has been a growing “No Homework” movement in North America. Educators, parents and guardians believe that the school system is overloading students as young as four years old with an excessive amount of homework. However, homework has been an essential part of a student's academic life. In a study that was conducted by Harvey Foley he examined if the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The research results from Harvey Foley’s study reveals how homework is a beneficial resource to students. There are a number of ways in which students have benefitted from homework like developing good personal habits such as time management, to teaching students to use their resources. Ultimately, homework is an effective resource for both the students, educators and parents.
Homework is assigned everywhere across the world. Many schools/teachers assign homework on a daily basis and assign a lot - sometimes too much for students. The real question is is homework effective? The most comprehensive research on homework to date comes from a 2006 meta-analysis by Duke University psychology professor Harris Cooper, who found evidence of a positive correlation between homework and student achievement. Students who did their homework often performed better in school than those who rarely do it. The study showed that in 7-12th grades, the correlation was higher than those in younger grades. In younger grades, homework is shown not to be effective in school performance (Reilly). Is homework really
When the twentieth century began, we viewed the mind as a muscle that could be strengthened through mental exercise. Since this exercise was done at home, homework was viewed favorably. During the 1940s, the emphasis in education shifted from drills to problem solving. Currently, homework is required by all that leads to academic success. Required. That word seems to scare many and stress all. There is nothing worse than watching a child struggle to accomplish a task that is required for completion. Stress will overcome them, and the depression overwhelms their body, causing them to stop trying and experience anxiety. It is difficult to help students who have this problem. They feel as though giving up is all they can do, and they can accept the poor grade. Furthermore, there is a limit on everything; however, homework is breaking through those limits. Homework for elementary school students is higher than ever. Teachers should be teaching children to have a balance of play and school, but it is becoming harder to balance this because of all of this schoolwork. Even for the people participating in sports, it is hard to have that balance of school, work, sports, and family time. Learning what benefits a student in school should be a priority; however, this is not being brought to teachers’ attention. Although teachers believe homework benefits students, it denies them from expanding their academic abilities as it impacts the amount of time spent participating in activities
Homework is defined as “tasks assigned to students by school teachers that are intended to be carried out during nonschool hours” (Voorhees). Throughout the United States’ history, people’s opinions have varied on the topic of homework. Historically, variation in the opinions of homework have shifted over time due to educational trends and world events. Today, the topic of homework continues to cause debate among various organizations and schools of thought. Although homework has demonstrated positive effects on students, homework should not be given to students because it is not assigned appropriately, stressful for everyone, and does not benefit all students.
For the longest time, homework has been perceived as being beneficial to students. Harris Cooper, a psychology professor, found that when students did homework, they performed better in school (Reilly 2). He also researched how homework affects a student’s score, noting “that homework is also thought to improve study habits, attitudes toward school, self-discipline, inquisitiveness and independent problem solving skills” (2-3). When students develop these skills early, they will then be prepared for when they go to college or get a full time job. It is argued that doing a small amount of homework can be useful to children, but they should not be doing over the amount that is recommended
Elementary education is something many people are familiar with. Some may have taught in elementary schools, researched elementary education, or at the least, attended elementary school. School work and projects assigned to be completed at home are a large part of primary education, and most people who have completed grades one through six have experienced homework themselves, but does familiarity mean necessity? How important is homework in elementary education? Is it helpful or possibly even harmful? Educators and psychologists have conducted many studies on homework in elementary education, and it is an important subject (Healy). Children learn and refine routines and skills related to school in their elementary years (Healy). Even though homework is often considered a requirement of education, the benefits of homework for elementary age children are inconclusive, and homework has been shown to degrade young students morale and lower test scores (Reilly). Homework should be greatly reduced or even banned in elementary schools.
Many students in school struggle to complete piles of homework assigned to them each night. Some wonder if homework is really critical to learning, and many wish homework wouldn’t exist at all. These people argue that homework is overwhelming and it takes away most of their free time at home and is just “busy work”. While some people may feel this way, I personally believe that homework is a key point of learning because it teaches time management and helps solidify what was learned during the day.