It was not that only students complained about homework assignments. Teachers and parents believed that homework was an essential tool in educating their children for years. However, research on the effectiveness of homework has been inconsistent and not conclusive. Some adults argue that homework should be discarded.

What Research Says About Homework

Harris Cooper, a Duke professor, says it is important for students to do homework. A meta-analysis of homework studies revealed a link between homework completion and academic success. This was at least for older grades. He suggests following the "10-minute rule". Students should complete 10 minutes of homework each day in their first grade and another 10 minutes each year thereafter, until they have completed 120 minutes of homework every day by the time they reach twelfth grade.

However, his analysis did not prove that homework made students do better. It simply revealed a correlation. This could mean that homework-doing kids are more likely to do well at school. Cooper found that research has shown that homework can cause emotional and physical stress and that it can lead to negative attitudes towards learning. Cooper suggested that further research be done about homework's effects on children.

Research suggests that homework is not the issue. It is more about the type of homework and how much. Effective homework must be tailored to students' needs. Some middle school teachers have had success with online math homework, which is adapted to each student’s level of understanding. However, middle school students who were given more than an hour of homework per week saw their science and math test scores drop.

Indiana University researchers discovered that science and math homework can improve test grades. However, they did not find any difference in course grades among students who did homework. Researchers believe that homework does not result in better content mastery but rather in greater familiarity and understanding of the types of questions on standardized tests. One of the authors of the study, Professor Adam Maltese said that "our results suggest that homework may not be being used as effectively as it should."

Although parents and teachers support homework daily, there isn't much evidence to show that it has long-term positive effects.

Homework Problems

Samantha Hulsman, a teacher from Education Week said that she has heard parents complain about how a 30-minute homework assignment becomes a three-hour struggle with their children. She now has the same problem with her children, and she is having to rethink her beliefs about discussion responses examples. She explained that parents expect their children have homework every night, and that teachers will assign homework daily because it's what they've done for years. Hulsman stated that it's important to learn how to work together and solve problems today than to know the specific facts.

In Psychology Today, Kenneth Barish, a child psychologist, wrote that arguments over homework are rarely able to result in a child's progress in school. He said that children who neglect to do their homework aren't lazy. However, they might be discouraged, frustrated, or anxious. For children with learning disabilities, homework can be like "running with a sore ankle." It is possible, but it can be painful.

Barish suggests that parents and children have a "homework program" that limits homework time. This plan should include the ability to turn off all devices, not just those belonging to students but also all members of the family.

Alfie Kohn is one of the most prominent critics of homework. He believes that many people mistakenly believe that kids are "like vending machines"--you just need to give them an best assignment help and then you'll be learning. Kohn says there is no evidence that homework is effective in learning. He calls it the "greatest single extinguisher for children's curiosity that has been invented."

Homework Bans

The Marion County public schools, Florida, adopted a no homework policy last year for their elementary students. Instead, children read nightly for 20 minutes. Superintendent Heidi Maier stated that the decision was based upon Cooper's research which showed elementary students benefit little from homework but greatly from reading.

Orchard Elementary School, South Burlington, Vermont followed the same route, substituting reading for homework. The homework policy consists of four parts. Read nightly, go outside to play, have dinner with family members, and get a good nights sleep. Principal Mark Trifilio said that parents and staff support the idea.

Many elementary schools are now considering no-homework policies. However, middle and high schools are reluctant to give up homework. Schools claim that parents support homework, and teachers recognize the benefits of it when it is precise and follows specific guidelines. While practicing word problems is helpful, there is no reason to assign 50 problems instead of 10. It is important to recognize that not all students have the resources, time and support to complete homework. This shouldn't count as part of a student’s grade.

Students Should Have Homework.

Do you want to ban homework from your classroom? It's possible if you teach lower grades. It's unlikely that you will if you are a middle- or high school teacher. Teachers should be careful about how they handle homework. You can increase learning outcomes by limiting homework and improving the quality assignments.