does homework help students learn more in school

Does homework really work?

by: Leslie Crawford | Updated: December 12, 2023

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You know the drill. It’s 10:15 p.m., and the cardboard-and-toothpick Golden Gate Bridge is collapsing. The pages of polynomials have been abandoned. The paper on the Battle of Waterloo seems to have frozen in time with Napoleon lingering eternally over his breakfast at Le Caillou. Then come the tears and tantrums — while we parents wonder, Does the gain merit all this pain? Is this just too much homework?

However the drama unfolds night after night, year after year, most parents hold on to the hope that homework (after soccer games, dinner, flute practice, and, oh yes, that childhood pastime of yore known as playing) advances their children academically.

But what does homework really do for kids? Is the forest’s worth of book reports and math and spelling sheets the average American student completes in their 12 years of primary schooling making a difference? Or is it just busywork?

Homework haterz

Whether or not homework helps, or even hurts, depends on who you ask. If you ask my 12-year-old son, Sam, he’ll say, “Homework doesn’t help anything. It makes kids stressed-out and tired and makes them hate school more.”

Nothing more than common kid bellyaching?

Maybe, but in the fractious field of homework studies, it’s worth noting that Sam’s sentiments nicely synopsize one side of the ivory tower debate. Books like The End of Homework , The Homework Myth , and The Case Against Homework the film Race to Nowhere , and the anguished parent essay “ My Daughter’s Homework is Killing Me ” make the case that homework, by taking away precious family time and putting kids under unneeded pressure, is an ineffective way to help children become better learners and thinkers.

One Canadian couple took their homework apostasy all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada. After arguing that there was no evidence that it improved academic performance, they won a ruling that exempted their two children from all homework.

So what’s the real relationship between homework and academic achievement?

How much is too much?

To answer this question, researchers have been doing their homework on homework, conducting and examining hundreds of studies. Chris Drew Ph.D., founder and editor at The Helpful Professor recently compiled multiple statistics revealing the folly of today’s after-school busy work. Does any of the data he listed below ring true for you?

• 45 percent of parents think homework is too easy for their child, primarily because it is geared to the lowest standard under the Common Core State Standards .

• 74 percent of students say homework is a source of stress , defined as headaches, exhaustion, sleep deprivation, weight loss, and stomach problems.

• Students in high-performing high schools spend an average of 3.1 hours a night on homework , even though 1 to 2 hours is the optimal duration, according to a peer-reviewed study .

Not included in the list above is the fact many kids have to abandon activities they love — like sports and clubs — because homework deprives them of the needed time to enjoy themselves with other pursuits.

Conversely, The Helpful Professor does list a few pros of homework, noting it teaches discipline and time management, and helps parents know what’s being taught in the class.

The oft-bandied rule on homework quantity — 10 minutes a night per grade (starting from between 10 to 20 minutes in first grade) — is listed on the National Education Association’s website and the National Parent Teacher Association’s website , but few schools follow this rule.

Do you think your child is doing excessive homework? Harris Cooper Ph.D., author of a meta-study on homework , recommends talking with the teacher. “Often there is a miscommunication about the goals of homework assignments,” he says. “What appears to be problematic for kids, why they are doing an assignment, can be cleared up with a conversation.” Also, Cooper suggests taking a careful look at how your child is doing the assignments. It may seem like they’re taking two hours, but maybe your child is wandering off frequently to get a snack or getting distracted.

Less is often more

If your child is dutifully doing their work but still burning the midnight oil, it’s worth intervening to make sure your child gets enough sleep. A 2012 study of 535 high school students found that proper sleep may be far more essential to brain and body development.

For elementary school-age children, Cooper’s research at Duke University shows there is no measurable academic advantage to homework. For middle-schoolers, Cooper found there is a direct correlation between homework and achievement if assignments last between one to two hours per night. After two hours, however, achievement doesn’t improve. For high schoolers, Cooper’s research suggests that two hours per night is optimal. If teens have more than two hours of homework a night, their academic success flatlines. But less is not better. The average high school student doing homework outperformed 69 percent of the students in a class with no homework.

Many schools are starting to act on this research. A Florida superintendent abolished homework in her 42,000 student district, replacing it with 20 minutes of nightly reading. She attributed her decision to “ solid research about what works best in improving academic achievement in students .”

More family time

A 2020 survey by Crayola Experience reports 82 percent of children complain they don’t have enough quality time with their parents. Homework deserves much of the blame. “Kids should have a chance to just be kids and do things they enjoy, particularly after spending six hours a day in school,” says Alfie Kohn, author of The Homework Myth . “It’s absurd to insist that children must be engaged in constructive activities right up until their heads hit the pillow.”

By far, the best replacement for homework — for both parents and children — is bonding, relaxing time together.

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Credit: August de Richelieu

Does homework still have value? A Johns Hopkins education expert weighs in

Joyce epstein, co-director of the center on school, family, and community partnerships, discusses why homework is essential, how to maximize its benefit to learners, and what the 'no-homework' approach gets wrong.

By Vicky Hallett

The necessity of homework has been a subject of debate since at least as far back as the 1890s, according to Joyce L. Epstein , co-director of the Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships at Johns Hopkins University. "It's always been the case that parents, kids—and sometimes teachers, too—wonder if this is just busy work," Epstein says.

But after decades of researching how to improve schools, the professor in the Johns Hopkins School of Education remains certain that homework is essential—as long as the teachers have done their homework, too. The National Network of Partnership Schools , which she founded in 1995 to advise schools and districts on ways to improve comprehensive programs of family engagement, has developed hundreds of improved homework ideas through its Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork program. For an English class, a student might interview a parent on popular hairstyles from their youth and write about the differences between then and now. Or for science class, a family could identify forms of matter over the dinner table, labeling foods as liquids or solids. These innovative and interactive assignments not only reinforce concepts from the classroom but also foster creativity, spark discussions, and boost student motivation.

"We're not trying to eliminate homework procedures, but expand and enrich them," says Epstein, who is packing this research into a forthcoming book on the purposes and designs of homework. In the meantime, the Hub couldn't wait to ask her some questions:

What kind of homework training do teachers typically get?

Future teachers and administrators really have little formal training on how to design homework before they assign it. This means that most just repeat what their teachers did, or they follow textbook suggestions at the end of units. For example, future teachers are well prepared to teach reading and literacy skills at each grade level, and they continue to learn to improve their teaching of reading in ongoing in-service education. By contrast, most receive little or no training on the purposes and designs of homework in reading or other subjects. It is really important for future teachers to receive systematic training to understand that they have the power, opportunity, and obligation to design homework with a purpose.

Why do students need more interactive homework?

If homework assignments are always the same—10 math problems, six sentences with spelling words—homework can get boring and some kids just stop doing their assignments, especially in the middle and high school years. When we've asked teachers what's the best homework you've ever had or designed, invariably we hear examples of talking with a parent or grandparent or peer to share ideas. To be clear, parents should never be asked to "teach" seventh grade science or any other subject. Rather, teachers set up the homework assignments so that the student is in charge. It's always the student's homework. But a good activity can engage parents in a fun, collaborative way. Our data show that with "good" assignments, more kids finish their work, more kids interact with a family partner, and more parents say, "I learned what's happening in the curriculum." It all works around what the youngsters are learning.

Is family engagement really that important?

At Hopkins, I am part of the Center for Social Organization of Schools , a research center that studies how to improve many aspects of education to help all students do their best in school. One thing my colleagues and I realized was that we needed to look deeply into family and community engagement. There were so few references to this topic when we started that we had to build the field of study. When children go to school, their families "attend" with them whether a teacher can "see" the parents or not. So, family engagement is ever-present in the life of a school.

My daughter's elementary school doesn't assign homework until third grade. What's your take on "no homework" policies?

There are some parents, writers, and commentators who have argued against homework, especially for very young children. They suggest that children should have time to play after school. This, of course is true, but many kindergarten kids are excited to have homework like their older siblings. If they give homework, most teachers of young children make assignments very short—often following an informal rule of 10 minutes per grade level. "No homework" does not guarantee that all students will spend their free time in productive and imaginative play.

Some researchers and critics have consistently misinterpreted research findings. They have argued that homework should be assigned only at the high school level where data point to a strong connection of doing assignments with higher student achievement . However, as we discussed, some students stop doing homework. This leads, statistically, to results showing that doing homework or spending more minutes on homework is linked to higher student achievement. If slow or struggling students are not doing their assignments, they contribute to—or cause—this "result."

Teachers need to design homework that even struggling students want to do because it is interesting. Just about all students at any age level react positively to good assignments and will tell you so.

Did COVID change how schools and parents view homework?

Within 24 hours of the day school doors closed in March 2020, just about every school and district in the country figured out that teachers had to talk to and work with students' parents. This was not the same as homeschooling—teachers were still working hard to provide daily lessons. But if a child was learning at home in the living room, parents were more aware of what they were doing in school. One of the silver linings of COVID was that teachers reported that they gained a better understanding of their students' families. We collected wonderfully creative examples of activities from members of the National Network of Partnership Schools. I'm thinking of one art activity where every child talked with a parent about something that made their family unique. Then they drew their finding on a snowflake and returned it to share in class. In math, students talked with a parent about something the family liked so much that they could represent it 100 times. Conversations about schoolwork at home was the point.

How did you create so many homework activities via the Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork program?

We had several projects with educators to help them design interactive assignments, not just "do the next three examples on page 38." Teachers worked in teams to create TIPS activities, and then we turned their work into a standard TIPS format in math, reading/language arts, and science for grades K-8. Any teacher can use or adapt our prototypes to match their curricula.

Overall, we know that if future teachers and practicing educators were prepared to design homework assignments to meet specific purposes—including but not limited to interactive activities—more students would benefit from the important experience of doing their homework. And more parents would, indeed, be partners in education.

Posted in Voices+Opinion

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Why homework doesn't seem to boost learning--and how it could.

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Some schools are eliminating homework, citing research showing it doesn’t do much to boost achievement. But maybe teachers just need to assign a different kind of homework.

In 2016, a second-grade teacher in Texas delighted her students—and at least some of their parents—by announcing she would no longer assign homework. “Research has been unable to prove that homework improves student performance,” she explained.

The following year, the superintendent of a Florida school district serving 42,000 students eliminated homework for all elementary students and replaced it with twenty minutes of nightly reading, saying she was basing her decision on “solid research about what works best in improving academic achievement in students.”

Many other elementary schools seem to have quietly adopted similar policies. Critics have objected that even if homework doesn’t increase grades or test scores, it has other benefits, like fostering good study habits and providing parents with a window into what kids are doing in school.

Those arguments have merit, but why doesn’t homework boost academic achievement? The research cited by educators just doesn’t seem to make sense. If a child wants to learn to play the violin, it’s obvious she needs to practice at home between lessons (at least, it’s obvious to an adult). And psychologists have identified a range of strategies that help students learn, many of which seem ideally suited for homework assignments.

For example, there’s something called “ retrieval practice ,” which means trying to recall information you’ve already learned. The optimal time to engage in retrieval practice is not immediately after you’ve acquired information but after you’ve forgotten it a bit—like, perhaps, after school. A homework assignment could require students to answer questions about what was covered in class that day without consulting their notes. Research has found that retrieval practice and similar learning strategies are far more powerful than simply rereading or reviewing material.

One possible explanation for the general lack of a boost from homework is that few teachers know about this research. And most have gotten little training in how and why to assign homework. These are things that schools of education and teacher-prep programs typically don’t teach . So it’s quite possible that much of the homework teachers assign just isn’t particularly effective for many students.

Even if teachers do manage to assign effective homework, it may not show up on the measures of achievement used by researchers—for example, standardized reading test scores. Those tests are designed to measure general reading comprehension skills, not to assess how much students have learned in specific classes. Good homework assignments might have helped a student learn a lot about, say, Ancient Egypt. But if the reading passages on a test cover topics like life in the Arctic or the habits of the dormouse, that student’s test score may well not reflect what she’s learned.

The research relied on by those who oppose homework has actually found it has a modest positive effect at the middle and high school levels—just not in elementary school. But for the most part, the studies haven’t looked at whether it matters what kind of homework is assigned or whether there are different effects for different demographic student groups. Focusing on those distinctions could be illuminating.

A study that looked specifically at math homework , for example, found it boosted achievement more in elementary school than in middle school—just the opposite of the findings on homework in general. And while one study found that parental help with homework generally doesn’t boost students’ achievement—and can even have a negative effect— another concluded that economically disadvantaged students whose parents help with homework improve their performance significantly.

That seems to run counter to another frequent objection to homework, which is that it privileges kids who are already advantaged. Well-educated parents are better able to provide help, the argument goes, and it’s easier for affluent parents to provide a quiet space for kids to work in—along with a computer and internet access . While those things may be true, not assigning homework—or assigning ineffective homework—can end up privileging advantaged students even more.

Students from less educated families are most in need of the boost that effective homework can provide, because they’re less likely to acquire academic knowledge and vocabulary at home. And homework can provide a way for lower-income parents—who often don’t have time to volunteer in class or participate in parents’ organizations—to forge connections to their children’s schools. Rather than giving up on homework because of social inequities, schools could help parents support homework in ways that don’t depend on their own knowledge—for example, by recruiting others to help, as some low-income demographic groups have been able to do . Schools could also provide quiet study areas at the end of the day, and teachers could assign homework that doesn’t rely on technology.

Another argument against homework is that it causes students to feel overburdened and stressed.  While that may be true at schools serving affluent populations, students at low-performing ones often don’t get much homework at all—even in high school. One study found that lower-income ninth-graders “consistently described receiving minimal homework—perhaps one or two worksheets or textbook pages, the occasional project, and 30 minutes of reading per night.” And if they didn’t complete assignments, there were few consequences. I discovered this myself when trying to tutor students in writing at a high-poverty high school. After I expressed surprise that none of the kids I was working with had completed a brief writing assignment, a teacher told me, “Oh yeah—I should have told you. Our students don’t really do homework.”

If and when disadvantaged students get to college, their relative lack of study skills and good homework habits can present a serious handicap. After noticing that black and Hispanic students were failing her course in disproportionate numbers, a professor at the University of North Carolina decided to make some changes , including giving homework assignments that required students to quiz themselves without consulting their notes. Performance improved across the board, but especially for students of color and the disadvantaged. The gap between black and white students was cut in half, and the gaps between Hispanic and white students—along with that between first-generation college students and others—closed completely.

There’s no reason this kind of support should wait until students get to college. To be most effective—both in terms of instilling good study habits and building students’ knowledge—homework assignments that boost learning should start in elementary school.

Some argue that young children just need time to chill after a long day at school. But the “ten-minute rule”—recommended by homework researchers—would have first graders doing ten minutes of homework, second graders twenty minutes, and so on. That leaves plenty of time for chilling, and even brief assignments could have a significant impact if they were well-designed.

But a fundamental problem with homework at the elementary level has to do with the curriculum, which—partly because of standardized testing— has narrowed to reading and math. Social studies and science have been marginalized or eliminated, especially in schools where test scores are low. Students spend hours every week practicing supposed reading comprehension skills like “making inferences” or identifying “author’s purpose”—the kinds of skills that the tests try to measure—with little or no attention paid to content.

But as research has established, the most important component in reading comprehension is knowledge of the topic you’re reading about. Classroom time—or homework time—spent on illusory comprehension “skills” would be far better spent building knowledge of the very subjects schools have eliminated. Even if teachers try to take advantage of retrieval practice—say, by asking students to recall what they’ve learned that day about “making comparisons” or “sequence of events”—it won’t have much impact.

If we want to harness the potential power of homework—particularly for disadvantaged students—we’ll need to educate teachers about what kind of assignments actually work. But first, we’ll need to start teaching kids something substantive about the world, beginning as early as possible.

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Is Homework Good for Kids? Here’s What the Research Says

A s kids return to school, debate is heating up once again over how they should spend their time after they leave the classroom for the day.

The no-homework policy of a second-grade teacher in Texas went viral last week , earning praise from parents across the country who lament the heavy workload often assigned to young students. Brandy Young told parents she would not formally assign any homework this year, asking students instead to eat dinner with their families, play outside and go to bed early.

But the question of how much work children should be doing outside of school remains controversial, and plenty of parents take issue with no-homework policies, worried their kids are losing a potential academic advantage. Here’s what you need to know:

For decades, the homework standard has been a “10-minute rule,” which recommends a daily maximum of 10 minutes of homework per grade level. Second graders, for example, should do about 20 minutes of homework each night. High school seniors should complete about two hours of homework each night. The National PTA and the National Education Association both support that guideline.

But some schools have begun to give their youngest students a break. A Massachusetts elementary school has announced a no-homework pilot program for the coming school year, lengthening the school day by two hours to provide more in-class instruction. “We really want kids to go home at 4 o’clock, tired. We want their brain to be tired,” Kelly Elementary School Principal Jackie Glasheen said in an interview with a local TV station . “We want them to enjoy their families. We want them to go to soccer practice or football practice, and we want them to go to bed. And that’s it.”

A New York City public elementary school implemented a similar policy last year, eliminating traditional homework assignments in favor of family time. The change was quickly met with outrage from some parents, though it earned support from other education leaders.

New solutions and approaches to homework differ by community, and these local debates are complicated by the fact that even education experts disagree about what’s best for kids.

The research

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, meaning students who did homework performed better in school. The correlation was stronger for older students—in seventh through 12th grade—than for those in younger grades, for whom there was a weak relationship between homework and performance.

Cooper’s analysis focused on how homework impacts academic achievement—test scores, for example. His report noted that homework is also thought to improve study habits, attitudes toward school, self-discipline, inquisitiveness and independent problem solving skills. On the other hand, some studies he examined showed that homework can cause physical and emotional fatigue, fuel negative attitudes about learning and limit leisure time for children. At the end of his analysis, Cooper recommended further study of such potential effects of homework.

Despite the weak correlation between homework and performance for young children, Cooper argues that a small amount of homework is useful for all students. Second-graders should not be doing two hours of homework each night, he said, but they also shouldn’t be doing no homework.

Not all education experts agree entirely with Cooper’s assessment.

Cathy Vatterott, an education professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, supports the “10-minute rule” as a maximum, but she thinks there is not sufficient proof that homework is helpful for students in elementary school.

“Correlation is not causation,” she said. “Does homework cause achievement, or do high achievers do more homework?”

Vatterott, the author of Rethinking Homework: Best Practices That Support Diverse Needs , thinks there should be more emphasis on improving the quality of homework tasks, and she supports efforts to eliminate homework for younger kids.

“I have no concerns about students not starting homework until fourth grade or fifth grade,” she said, noting that while the debate over homework will undoubtedly continue, she has noticed a trend toward limiting, if not eliminating, homework in elementary school.

The issue has been debated for decades. A TIME cover in 1999 read: “Too much homework! How it’s hurting our kids, and what parents should do about it.” The accompanying story noted that the launch of Sputnik in 1957 led to a push for better math and science education in the U.S. The ensuing pressure to be competitive on a global scale, plus the increasingly demanding college admissions process, fueled the practice of assigning homework.

“The complaints are cyclical, and we’re in the part of the cycle now where the concern is for too much,” Cooper said. “You can go back to the 1970s, when you’ll find there were concerns that there was too little, when we were concerned about our global competitiveness.”

Cooper acknowledged that some students really are bringing home too much homework, and their parents are right to be concerned.

“A good way to think about homework is the way you think about medications or dietary supplements,” he said. “If you take too little, they’ll have no effect. If you take too much, they can kill you. If you take the right amount, you’ll get better.”

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Write to Katie Reilly at [email protected]

Home > Blog > Tips for Online Students > The Pros and Cons of Homework

School Life Balance , Tips for Online Students

The Pros and Cons of Homework

Updated: July 16, 2024

Published: January 23, 2020

Remember those nights when you’d find yourself staring at a mountain of homework, eyes drooping, wondering if you’d ever see the light at the end of the tunnel? The debate over homework’s role in education is as old as time. Is it a crucial tool for reinforcing learning or just an unnecessary burden?

For college students, this question takes on new dimensions. Juggling homework with the endless amount of classes, part-time jobs, and social lives can feel like walking on thin ice. The pressure to maintain grades, meet deadlines, and still find time for friends and relaxation can be overwhelming. So, is homework a friend or foe?

Photo by  energepic.com  from  Pexels

The homework dilemma.

A large amount of college students report feeling overwhelmed by their academic workload, leading to high levels of stress and anxiety. According to Research.com , 45% of college students in the U.S. experience “more than average” stress, with 36.5% citing stress as a major impediment to their academic performance. This stress often stems directly from the homework load, leading to symptoms like headaches, exhaustion, and difficulty sleeping. The intense pressure to manage homework alongside other responsibilities makes us question the true impact of homework on students’ overall well-being.

And then there’s the digital twist. A whopping 89% of students confessed to using AI tools like ChatGPT for their assignments. While these tools can be a godsend for quick answers and assistance, they can also undermine the personal effort and critical thinking necessary to truly understand the material.

On the brighter side, homework can be a powerful ally. According to Inside Higher Ed , structured assignments can actually help reduce stress by providing a clear learning roadmap and keeping students engaged with the material. But where’s the balance between helpful and harmful? 

With these perspectives in mind, let’s dive into the pros and cons of homework for college students. By understanding both sides, we can find a middle ground that maximizes learning while keeping stress at bay.

The Pros of Homework

When thoughtfully assigned, homework can be a valuable tool in a student’s educational journey . Let’s explore how homework can be a beneficial companion to your studies:

Enhances Critical Thinking

Homework isn’t just busywork; it’s an opportunity to stretch your mental muscles. Those late-night problem sets and essays can actually encourage deeper understanding and application of concepts. Think of homework as a mental gym; each assignment is a new exercise, pushing you to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information in ways that strengthen your critical thinking skills .

Time Management Skills

Do you ever juggle multiple deadlines and wonder how to keep it all together? Regular homework assignments can be a crash course in time management . They teach you to prioritize tasks, manage your schedule, and balance academic responsibilities with personal commitments. The ability to juggle various tasks is a skill that will serve you well beyond your college years.

Reinforcement of Learning

There’s a reason why practice makes perfect. Homework reinforces what you’ve learned in class, helping to cement concepts and theories in your mind. Understanding a concept during a lecture is one thing, but applying it through homework can deepen your comprehension and retention. 

Preparation for Exams

Think of homework as a sound check and warm-up for exams. Regular assignments keep you engaged with the material, making it easier to review and prepare when exam time rolls around. By consistently working through problems and writing essays, you build a solid foundation that can make the difference between cramming and confident exam performance.

Encourages Independent Learning

Homework promotes a sense of responsibility and independence. It pushes you to tackle assignments on your own, encouraging problem-solving and self-discipline. This independence prepares you for the academic challenges ahead and the autonomy required in your professional and personal life.

The Cons of Homework

Despite its potential benefits, homework can also have significant downsides. Let’s examine the challenges and drawbacks of homework:

Impact on Mental Health

Homework can be a double-edged sword when it comes to mental health . While it’s meant to reinforce learning, the sheer volume of assignments can lead to stress and anxiety. The constant pressure to meet deadlines and the fear of falling behind can create a relentless cycle of stress. Many students become overwhelmed, leading to burnout and negatively impacting their overall well-being. 

Limited Time for Other Activities

College isn’t just about hitting the books. It’s also a time for personal growth, exploring new interests, and building social connections. Excessive homework can eat into the time you might otherwise spend on extracurricular activities, hobbies, or simply hanging out with friends. This lack of balance can lead to a less fulfilling college experience. Shouldn’t education be about more than just academics?

Quality Over Quantity

When it comes to homework, more isn’t always better. Piling on assignments can lead to diminished returns on learning. Instead of diving deep into a subject and gaining a thorough understanding, students might rush through tasks just to get them done. This focus on quantity over quality can undermine the educational value of homework. 

Inequity in Education

Homework can sometimes exacerbate educational inequalities. Not all students can access the same resources and support systems at home. While some might have a quiet space and access to the internet, others might struggle with distractions and lack of resources. This disparity can put certain students at a disadvantage, making homework more of a burden than a learning tool. 

Dependence on AI Tools

With the advent of AI tools like ChatGPT , homework has taken on a new dimension. While these tools can provide quick answers and assistance, they also pose the risk of students becoming overly reliant on technology. This dependence can take away from the actual learning process, as students might bypass the critical thinking and effort needed to truly understand the material. Is convenience worth the potential loss in learning?

Finding the Balance

Finding the right balance with homework means tackling assignments that challenge and support you. Instead of drowning in a sea of tasks, focus on quality over quantity. Choose projects that spark your critical thinking and connect to real-world situations. Flexibility is key here. Recognize that your circumstances are unique, and adjusting your approach can help reduce stress and create a more inclusive learning environment. Constructive feedback makes homework more than just a chore; it turns it into a tool for growth and improvement.

It’s also about living a well-rounded college life. Don’t let homework overshadow other important parts of your life, like extracurricular activities or personal downtime. Emphasize independent learning and use technology wisely to prepare for future challenges. By balancing thoughtful assignments with your personal needs, homework can shift from being a burden to becoming a helpful companion on your educational journey, enriching your academic and personal growth.

Homework has its pros and cons, especially for college students. It can enhance critical thinking, time management, and learning, but it also brings stress, impacts mental health, and can become overwhelming. Finding the right balance is key. 

Focus on quality assignments, maintain flexibility, and make sure your homework complements rather than dominates your life. With a thoughtful approach, homework can support your educational journey, fostering both academic success and personal growth.

How can I manage my time effectively to balance homework and other activities?

Create a schedule that allocates specific times for homework, classes, and personal activities. Use planners or digital calendars to keep track of deadlines and prioritize tasks. Don’t forget to include breaks to avoid burnout.

How can I reduce the stress associated with homework?

To manage stress, practice mindfulness techniques like meditation or deep breathing exercises. Break assignments into smaller, manageable tasks and tackle them one at a time. If needed, seek support from classmates, tutors, or mental health professionals.

Is using AI tools for homework cheating?

While AI tools like ChatGPT can be helpful for quick assistance, relying on them too much can hinder your learning process. Use them as a supplement rather than a replacement for your own effort and critical thinking.

How can teachers make homework more equitable?

Teachers can offer flexible deadlines, provide resources for students who lack them, and design assignments that account for different learning styles and home environments. Open communication between students and teachers can also help address individual challenges.

What are some strategies to make homework more meaningful?

Focus on quality over quantity by designing assignments that encourage deep thinking and application of knowledge. Integrate real-world problems to make homework more relevant and engaging. Provide constructive feedback to help students learn and grow from their assignments.

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Does Homework Improve Academic Achievement?

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Educators should be thrilled by these numbers. Pleasing a majority of parents regarding homework and having equal numbers of dissenters shouting "too much!" and "too little!" is about as good as they can hope for.

But opinions cannot tell us whether homework works; only research can, which is why my colleagues and I have conducted a combined analysis of dozens of homework studies to examine whether homework is beneficial and what amount of homework is appropriate for our children.

The homework question is best answered by comparing students who are assigned homework with students assigned no homework but who are similar in other ways. The results of such studies suggest that homework can improve students' scores on the class tests that come at the end of a topic. Students assigned homework in 2nd grade did better on math, 3rd and 4th graders did better on English skills and vocabulary, 5th graders on social studies, 9th through 12th graders on American history, and 12th graders on Shakespeare.

Less authoritative are 12 studies that link the amount of homework to achievement, but control for lots of other factors that might influence this connection. These types of studies, often based on national samples of students, also find a positive link between time on homework and achievement.

Yet other studies simply correlate homework and achievement with no attempt to control for student differences. In 35 such studies, about 77 percent find the link between homework and achievement is positive. Most interesting, though, is these results suggest little or no relationship between homework and achievement for elementary school students.

Why might that be? Younger children have less developed study habits and are less able to tune out distractions at home. Studies also suggest that young students who are struggling in school take more time to complete homework assignments simply because these assignments are more difficult for them.

These recommendations are consistent with the conclusions reached by our analysis. Practice assignments do improve scores on class tests at all grade levels. A little amount of homework may help elementary school students build study habits. Homework for junior high students appears to reach the point of diminishing returns after about 90 minutes a night. For high school students, the positive line continues to climb until between 90 minutes and 2½ hours of homework a night, after which returns diminish.

Beyond achievement, proponents of homework argue that it can have many other beneficial effects. They claim it can help students develop good study habits so they are ready to grow as their cognitive capacities mature. It can help students recognize that learning can occur at home as well as at school. Homework can foster independent learning and responsible character traits. And it can give parents an opportunity to see what's going on at school and let them express positive attitudes toward achievement.

Opponents of homework counter that it can also have negative effects. They argue it can lead to boredom with schoolwork, since all activities remain interesting only for so long. Homework can deny students access to leisure activities that also teach important life skills. Parents can get too involved in homework -- pressuring their child and confusing him by using different instructional techniques than the teacher.

My feeling is that homework policies should prescribe amounts of homework consistent with the research evidence, but which also give individual schools and teachers some flexibility to take into account the unique needs and circumstances of their students and families. In general, teachers should avoid either extreme.

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Why is Homework Important?

Why is homework important? Homework can be a divisive topic. In this article, we will discuss why it’s important and how it helps with your child’s development.

There is a strong connection between regularly completing homework and higher accomplishments in subjects such as English, Maths and Science. The Department of Education in the United Kingdom advises that spending time doing homework brings several benefits, more so for the students who put in two to three hours a night. Understanding the value of homework can help increase motivation and productivity. In this article, we’ll help you understand why homework is important and discuss all its benefits for both children and parents.

Benefits of Homework

Homework is important because it develops core skills in young children that will serve them throughout school and working life. Improved grades, discipline, time management, using resources and improving communication are all vital life skills that will open the door to unique opportunities and help children find success in their careers. Doing regular homework should be considered as an investment in your child’s future.

Through encouraging regular homework and supporting your child with their assignments, you can expect to see the following advantages:

1. Discipline of Practice

Repeating a task multiple times can feel arduous, but it’s necessary to help increase your child’s skill and understanding of a subject. Regular homework will make certain concepts easier to understand and put them in an advantageous position should they seek a vocational career.

2. Time Management Skills

Homework goes beyond just the task itself; it helps children take control of their workload and increase their time management skills. Homework is set with a deadline and taking ownership of this deadline helps them think independently and develop problem-solving skills. This is a prime example of why homework is important because time management is a vital life skill that helps children throughout higher education and their careers.

3. Communication Network

Homework acts as a bridge and can help teachers and parents learn more about how students like to learn, providing a deeper understanding of how to approach their learning and development. Many parents also want their child to receive homework so they can understand what they’re learning at school.

4. Comfortable Work Environment

Some children struggle to learn outside of their comfort zone, and while classrooms are designed to be warm and welcoming, there is often no place like home. Homework is an opportunity to learn and retain information in an environment where they feel most comfortable, which can help accelerate their development.

5. Using Learning Materials

Throughout a child’s education, understanding how to use resources such as libraries and the internet is important. Homework teaches children to actively search for information using these resources to complete tasks, and this is a skill that will be fundamental throughout their lives.

6. Revision Discipline

Regular homework helps children discover a pattern that will help them when they’re required to study for important tests and exams. Children who are familiar with a routine of completing homework will find it easy to adapt to a schedule of doing regular revision at home. Skills such as accessing learning materials, time management, and discipline will help improve how children revise, and ultimately, improve their grades.

7. Additional Time to Learn

Children learn at different paces, and the time spent in the classroom might not be enough for some students to fully grasp the key concepts of a subject. Having additional time for learning at home can help children gain a deeper understanding than they would if they were solely reliant on their time in school. Homework is important because it gives parents and children the freedom and the time to focus on subjects that they may be struggling with. This extra time can make a big difference when it comes to exams and grades.

Helping Your Child With Homework

We’ve discussed why it is important to do regular homework, but children may still find it difficult to stay motivated. Parents can play an important role in supporting their child with homework, so here are some of the ways you can help.

1. Homework-friendly Area

Having a dedicated space for children to do homework will help them stay focused. Make sure it is well-lit and stocked with everything they’ll need for their assignments.

2. Routine Study Time

A regular routine helps children get used to working at home. Some children work best in the morning, while others may prefer the afternoon. Work out a routine where your child is their most productive.

3. Make Sure They’re Learning

Homework is important, but only if children use this time to learn. If you do the work for them, they’re not going to see any of the benefits we listed above. It’s important you’re there to support and help them understand the work, so they can do it themselves.

4. Praise Work and Effort

Recognising the hard work that they’re putting in and praising them for it is a great way to get children to respond positively to homework. Pin their impressive test grades up in their homeworking space or around the house for extra motivation.

5. Make a Plan

Children can get overwhelmed if they have a lot of work to do. On homework-heavy nights, help them make a plan and break down the work into sections. This will help make the work more manageable. If your child responds well to this, you could do this each time they sit down to do work at home.

Understanding why homework is important and oftentimes necessary helps improve both motivation and productivity in young children. It also makes parents aware of the role they can play in supporting them. At Nord Anglia Education, we focus on bringing children, parents, and teachers together in a common effort to improve student learning through homework. You can learn more about our schools and the curriculum we teach by exploring our schools .

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This post has been updated as of December 2017.

It’s not uncommon to hear students, parents, and even some teachers always complaining about homework. Why, then, is homework an inescapable part of the student experience? Worksheets, busy work, and reading assignments continue to be a mainstay of students’ evenings.

Whether from habit or comparison with out-of-class work time in other nations, our students are getting homework and, according to some of them, a LOT of it. Educators and policy makers must ask themselves—does assigning homework pay off?

Is there evidence that homework benefits students younger than high school?

The Scholastic article Is Homework Bad? references Alfie Kohn’s book The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing , in which he says, “There is no evidence to demonstrate that homework benefits students below high school age.”

The article goes on to note that those who oppose homework focus on the drawbacks of significant time spent on homework, identifying one major negative as homework’s intrusion into family time. They also point out that opponents believe schools have decided homework is necessary and thus assign it simply to assign some kind of homework, not because doing the work meets specifically-identified student needs.

“Busy work” does not help students learn

Students and parents appear to carry similar critiques of homework, specifically regarding assignments identified as busy work—long sheets of repetitive math problems, word searches, or reading logs seemingly designed to make children dislike books.

When asked how homework can negatively affect children, Nancy Kalish, author of The Case Against Homework: How Homework is Hurting Our Children and What We Can Do About It , says that many homework assignments are “simply busy work” that makes learning “a chore rather than a positive, constructive experience.”

Commenters on the piece, both parents and students, tended to agree. One student shared that on occasion they spent more time on homework than at school, while another commenter pointed out that, “We don’t give slow-working children a longer school day, but we consistently give them a longer homework day.”

Without feedback, homework is ineffective

The efficacy of the homework identified by Kalish has been studied by policy researchers as well. Gerald LeTendre, of Penn State’s Education Policy Studies department points out that the shotgun approach to homework, when students all receive the same photocopied assignment which is then checked as complete rather than discussed individually with the student, is “not very effective.”  He goes on to say that, “If there’s no feedback and no monitoring, the homework is probably not effective.”

Researchers from the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia had similar findings in their study, “ When Is Homework Worth The Time ?” According to UVAToday, these researchers reported no “substantive difference” in the grades of students related to homework completion.

As researcher Adam Maltese noted, “Our results hint that maybe homework is not being used as well as it could be.” The report further suggested that while not all homework is bad, the type and quality of assignments and their differentiation to specific learners appears to be an important point of future research.

If homework is assigned, it should heighten understanding of the subject

The Curry School of Education report did find a positive association between standardized test performance and time spent on homework, but standardized test performance shouldn’t be the end goal of assignments—a heightened understanding and capability with the content material should.

As such, it is important that if/when teachers assign homework assignments, it is done thoughtfully and carefully—and respectful of the maximum times suggested by the National Education Association, about 10 minutes per night starting in the first grade, with an additional 10 minutes per year after.

Continue reading — The Homework Debate: How Homework Benefits Students

Monica Fuglei is a graduate of the University of Nebraska in Omaha and a current adjunct faculty member of Arapahoe Community College in Colorado, where she teaches composition and creative writing.

You may also like to read

• The Homework Debate: How Homework Benefits Students
• Ending the Homework Debate: Expert Advice on What Works
• Advice on Creating Homework Policies
• Elementary Students and Homework: How Much Is Too Much?
• Homework in Middle School: Building a Foundation for Study Skills
• Homework Helps High School Students Most — But it Must Be Purposeful

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January 18, 2024

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Q&A: Does homework still have value? An education expert weighs in

by Vicky Hallett, Johns Hopkins University

The necessity of homework has been a subject of debate since at least as far back as the 1890s, according to Joyce L. Epstein, co-director of the Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships at Johns Hopkins University. "It's always been the case that parents, kids—and sometimes teachers, too—wonder if this is just busy work," Epstein says.

But after decades of researching how to improve schools, the professor in the Johns Hopkins School of Education remains certain that homework is essential—as long as the teachers have done their homework, too. The National Network of Partnership Schools, which she founded in 1995 to advise schools and districts on ways to improve comprehensive programs of family engagement, has developed hundreds of improved homework ideas through its Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork program.

For an English class, a student might interview a parent on popular hairstyles from their youth and write about the differences between then and now. Or for science class, a family could identify forms of matter over the dinner table, labeling foods as liquids or solids. These innovative and interactive assignments not only reinforce concepts from the classroom but also foster creativity, spark discussions, and boost student motivation.

"We're not trying to eliminate homework procedures, but expand and enrich them," says Epstein, who is packing this research into a forthcoming book on the purposes and designs of homework. In the meantime, the Hub couldn't wait to ask her some questions.

What kind of homework training do teachers typically get?

Future teachers and administrators really have little formal training on how to design homework before they assign it. This means that most just repeat what their teachers did, or they follow textbook suggestions at the end of units. For example, future teachers are well prepared to teach reading and literacy skills at each grade level, and they continue to learn to improve their teaching of reading in ongoing in-service education.

By contrast, most receive little or no training on the purposes and designs of homework in reading or other subjects. It is really important for future teachers to receive systematic training to understand that they have the power, opportunity, and obligation to design homework with a purpose.

Why do students need more interactive homework?

If homework assignments are always the same—10 math problems, six sentences with spelling words—homework can get boring and some kids just stop doing their assignments, especially in the middle and high school years. When we've asked teachers what's the best homework you've ever had or designed, invariably we hear examples of talking with a parent or grandparent or peer to share ideas.

To be clear, parents should never be asked to "teach" seventh grade science or any other subject. Rather, teachers set up the homework assignments so that the student is in charge. It's always the student's homework. But a good activity can engage parents in a fun, collaborative way.

Our data show that with "good" assignments, more kids finish their work, more kids interact with a family partner, and more parents say, "I learned what's happening in the curriculum." It all works around what the youngsters are learning.

Is family engagement really that important?

At Hopkins, I am part of the Center for Social Organization of Schools, a research center that studies how to improve many aspects of education to help all students do their best in school. One thing my colleagues and I realized was that we needed to look deeply into family and community engagement. There were so few references to this topic when we started that we had to build the field of study. When children go to school, their families "attend" with them whether a teacher can "see" the parents or not. So, family engagement is ever-present in the life of a school.

My daughter's elementary school doesn't assign homework until third grade. What's your take on 'no homework' policies?

There are some parents, writers, and commentators who have argued against homework, especially for very young children. They suggest that children should have time to play after school. This, of course is true, but many kindergarten kids are excited to have homework like their older siblings. If they give homework, most teachers of young children make assignments very short—often following an informal rule of 10 minutes per grade level . "No homework" does not guarantee that all students will spend their free time in productive and imaginative play.

Some researchers and critics have consistently misinterpreted research findings. They have argued that homework should be assigned only at the high school level where data point to a strong connection of doing assignments with higher student achievement. However, as we discussed, some students stop doing homework. This leads, statistically, to results showing that doing homework or spending more minutes on homework is linked to higher student achievement. If slow or struggling students are not doing their assignments, they contribute to—or cause—this "result."

Teachers need to design homework that even struggling students want to do because it is interesting. Just about all students at any age level react positively to good assignments and will tell you so.

Did COVID change how schools and parents view homework?

Within 24 hours of the day school doors closed in March 2020, just about every school and district in the country figured out that teachers had to talk to and work with students' parents. This was not the same as homeschooling—teachers were still working hard to provide daily lessons. But if a child was learning at home in the living room, parents were more aware of what they were doing in school .

One of the silver linings of COVID was that teachers reported that they gained a better understanding of their students' families. We collected wonderfully creative examples of activities from members of the National Network of Partnership Schools. I'm thinking of one art activity where every child talked with a parent about something that made their family unique. Then they drew their finding on a snowflake and returned it to share in class. In math, students talked with a parent about something the family liked so much that they could represent it 100 times. Conversations about schoolwork at home was the point.

How did you create so many homework activities via the Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork program?

We had several projects with educators to help them design interactive assignments, not just "do the next three examples on page 38." Teachers worked in teams to create TIPS activities, and then we turned their work into a standard TIPS format in math, reading/language arts, and science for grades K-8. Any teacher can use or adapt our prototypes to match their curricula.

Overall, we know that if future teachers and practicing educators were prepared to design homework assignments to meet specific purposes—including but not limited to interactive activities—more students would benefit from the important experience of doing their homework. And more parents would, indeed, be partners in education.

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The learning network | does your homework help you learn.

Does Your Homework Help You Learn?

Questions about issues in the news for students 13 and older.

• See all Student Opinion »

New research suggests that a lot of assigned homework amounts to pointless busy work that doesn’t help students learn, while more thoughtful assignments can help them develop skills and acquire knowledge. How would you characterize the homework you get?

In the Sunday Review article “The Trouble With Homework,” Annie Murphy Paul reviews the research on homework:

The quantity of students’ homework is a lot less important than its quality. And evidence suggests that as of now, homework isn’t making the grade. Although surveys show that the amount of time our children spend on homework has risen over the last three decades, American students are mired in the middle of international academic rankings: 17th in reading, 23rd in science and 31st in math, according to results from the Program for International Student Assessment released last December. In a 2008 survey, one-third of parents polled rated the quality of their children’s homework assignments as fair or poor, and 4 in 10 said they believed that some or a great deal of homework was busywork. A new study, coming in the Economics of Education Review, reports that homework in science, English and history has “little to no impact” on student test scores. (The authors did note a positive effect for math homework.) Enriching children’s classroom learning requires making homework not shorter or longer, but smarter.

She goes on to enumerate some of the aspects of effective independent assignments, like “retrieval practice,” which basically means doing practice tests to reinforce learning and commit it to memory, and “interleaving,” in which problems are not grouped into sets by type, but rather scattered throughout an assignment, which makes the brain work harder to grasp the material.

Students: Tell us how effective you think your homework is. What kinds of assignments seem pointless? Which ones are confusing or frustrating? Which ones are most engaging and interesting? Which ones are you fairly sure help you learn and grow?

Students 13 and older are invited to comment below. Please use only your first name. For privacy policy reasons, we will not publish student comments that include a last name.

Comments are no longer being accepted.

“I see homework as a big part that helps me learn and grow” that’s what I always said up till I was moved to a different math class. My old math teacher made math easy and fun as well as understandable. But when I was moved I got confused easily, I found it boring, and I even found paying attention hard. Then there’s my English class. I love English with all my heart but my teacher makes me feel like I’m in Preschool! She has hand signs for every rule and if we don’t do them we get more homework! She always puts us into groups and so far every group I’ve been placed in I can’t get along in. One group wouldn’t let me talk and when I gave my opion they scolded me and said I was wrong though it was an opion lesson… Another group was lazy and since I ran out of my medicine that helps me focus, I was lost and told them I need their help to help me keep up with what’s going on yet they let me drag along! History was never my strong point from the start even though my dad is a History teacher. But when I got into a certain class I couldn’t stand it! I was miles behind in homework and around every corner was either homework or projects! I asked for help and I got yelled at! I’m sorry but sometimes homework feels like slave work since I don’t get anything out of good grades except a smile and/or a pat on the back and that’s it. Yes homework can be good for you but there is a limit of how much a student can handle before they collaspe underneath all of that work! But I love it when teachers make homework fun or competive (which we normally do now and days)! Cause that’s when I’m having a blast! But when teachers get too interactive with their class I can’t help but feel creeped out by them. (Cough, Cough, English teacher, Cough, Cough) I do love school but right now…its like they don’t want us going out and enjoying life…

Back at my old school I was drowning in homework! I just couldn’t get the chance to sit back and be young! It was just too much! In every class I had homework! Study this, learn that, solve this, and every where in between! The bullying was no help either since they stole or destroyed my homework so I failing till I switched schools! My suggestion to all you kids who don’t like homework….DON’T GO TO [name of school removed]!!!!!!!! Especially if you’re like me and are considered one of the special kids since the teachers don’t flex to your needs!

At my school , we all think that homework helps people learn in so many different ways. You do your homework to get better grades on test scores because some of the homework you get will have some stuff that can be on test. Another reason is that homework can get you better grades if you just hand it in. You can learn from homework. In my opinion.For example, I had to take notes in algebra yesterday for homework and only took 10 minutes it really help a lot the next day because we had a little mini quiz on it !

Doing my homework every night helps me learn because it helps me remember the lesson gone over in class that day. It also makes it easier to follow the next lesson, which is usually an extension from the lesson the day before.

Homework helps me learn because it’s a review of what we learned in class. Sometimes they give too much work though.

I feel like it all depends on if you understand the work. If a teacher taught you a new topic in class and you didn’t understand it, I dont think you would understand it if you did it again. If you understood it, It would help you because you are repeating the problems.

I don’t think homework helps you learn, I think it helps you remember what you learned. Homework is more of a review of what you did in school during the day, rather than a new subject to learn on a whole.

I personally am not a big fan of homework though, I think that some teachers don’t really realize that we have several other classes which also give us homework, and we sometimes end up with a large amount by the end of the day.

But I’m sure that my procrastination has a lot to do with it as well.

Homework definitely helps me learn. By the time i get home from school some subjects become unfamiliar and homework help reinforce what i learned in class. Better students do their homework and teachers recognize that frequently. Repetition of your homework also helps memorize which you could benefit from on tests and other classwork activities.

Depending on the subject or the assigment, homework can either be redundant or effective. Assignments which make you copy straight out of a textbook are redundant. These assignments are redundant because students hardly put all that much effort into it. By copying a textbook, people aren’t focused on the material, because they are just focusing on getting the assigment done. Straight copying is seen as boring or even in some cases ‘annoying’ by students, which translates into them not learning what they need to learn. Assigments where students are interactive and aren’t just being taught the textbook are interesting and that’s when students learn the most. Writing samples when students are asked for their opinion and to have their voice heard are deemed the most interesting. Thus, being because students then have the ability to share what they’ve learned in their own words and also get to apply their knowledge in their own voice.

On the other hand, when homework is done effectively, the end product will be better grades. If a student neglects to do homework, whether interesting or boring, it will show in their grades. Students who do apply their strongest efforts into their homework will ultimately contribute to better grades.

I think that homework is pointless when the teachers give us homework that is for fun and we have to waist our time doing little projects when we can be doing other more important things like studying. I think that most homework is important I just don’t like it when teachers give too much and it becomes over whelming and I can’t have time to study because it would be too late and then I wouldn’t be able to sleep. If anything I think teachers should give us homework but give us one big homework a week and we work on it for the whole week which it would be due on Friday and then get a test grade for it since it was a big homework. If teachers wouldn’t do that I would love if teachers would give us only three days of homework a week and Fridays we would get a test.

Homework is assigned so that students can practice what they have learned in school and see if they can remember what happened in class. Personally, the homework that has been assigned to me lately has been nothing but busy work that I feel is pointless. The truth is most of the modern day students don’t see the value in doing homework but the discipline and the practice for the real world really are fundamental. The most confusing type of homework assignments that we have come with little to no instructions. When teachers give assignments on things that they haven’t covered yet seems pointless to me since it really isn’t evaluating anything at all. Another type of pointless homework would be the ones in which there is so much repetition that it becomes pointless. In my personal life ive been faced with all types of homework. I believe homework is fundamental to the development of the mind and I will keep doing my homework.

I go to an American school in Bogota, Colombia. Recently in my school I have been getting exaggerated amounts of homework, and most of it has no impact on my learning. I say this because the homework I am assigned is just “busywork” and keeps me up until late hours in the night. The homework I am given is also extremely long and not smart, it is just a very basic review of what we did in class that day. Homework like that is a waste of time since if the student is good and pays attention in class he should know all of the material and shouldn’t be forced to demonstrate it through homework. I believe that what should be improved in not the quantity but the quality of the homework we are assigned. I am not saying homework should be abolished but I am saying it should be changed. If a student is overwhelmed with homework his academic development would also be affected. For example if a student has allot of homework he will probably stay up at night doing it. Maybe he will finish his homework around 10 or 11 in the night. The next day he will have to wake up very early and will only get about 5-6 hours of sleep. In order for the teenage brain to develop correctly a kid needs 8 hours of sleep. So. excessive amount of homework leads to a very tired, unmotivated and less active student. In my school I think the only homework assignments that help me learn are the math ones.

Each subject is different and each grade in school requires a different amount of practice. For example, Math is a subject that I believe needs out-of-classroom practice no matter what grade you are in, or what topic you are covering. It is one of the most essential aptitudes one must acquire in order to be successful in life. Language, whether it be english, spanish, or etc, is also a subject that is vital for an accomplished life. I believe that one must practice in order to become and eloquent speaker and writer, but i only think that a small amount of homework should be given, especially once one reaches the ends of high school. A subject that I feel doesn’t need practice outside of school is history. For me, history is more like a gossip story with dates that “should” be remembered than anything else; therefore, I don’t believe that homework would be necessary to enforce a subject like that.

The idea of having to work all night, studying for a billion exams the next day, getting the college applications going, and practicing a sport isn’t something strange for the average senior at CNG. It seems as if the need to excel at everything might just be the COD of many high school students. As college admissions become more competitive, as more and more people take AP exams and admissions tests there is a greater weight on our shoulders. But is it really worth it? I mean, even if everything goes the way we want it to, was it really worth all our time and energy? There are just better things to do with my life. I would prefer to go deeper into the sciences, write of some philosophical tendency I’m being carried into, do more social work, etc. But I need to commit to an organized agenda, learn the Standards I’m supposed to be learning and show my progress through time. These are fancy ways of creating a level playing field so students can be compared. Is this really what learning has become?

Practice makes perfect some might say. There is no arguing about that. Success in those specific tasks, such as doing homework or working on a particular project that requires zero creativity clearly needs those levels of repetitive practice and great memory. But are we supposed to do this the rest of our lives? I don’t think so. Harris Cooper, a professor from Duke University dedicated to homework research states that “even for high school students, overloading them with homework is not associated with higher grades” (Cooper). I’m sorry, so isn’t homework even doing what its supposed to be doing? The counter-productivity of too much homework, especially in such a critical moment as in college application season, makes the whole educational system lose credibility. Are we being trained to do something we aren’t going to really do or even need in the future? What is the real purpose of doing homework when we aren’t truly learning from it?

Don’t get me wrong. I do believe homework is critical in developing certain skills. How were we supposed to learn basic arithmetic operations without those tons of worksheets and problem sets? Yes, homework is a useful tool but only when used consciously. Statistical evidence seems to agree with this: “teachers in many of the nations that outperform the U.S. on student achievement tests–such as Japan, Denmark and the Czech Republic–tend to assign less homework than American teachers, but instructors in low-scoring countries like Greece, Thailand and Iran tend to pile it on” (Wallis). The need to assign homework, to put a million grades in is too antiquated in my opinion. What’s the problem with guiding classes to a true educational experience and leave behind the limitations of grading, of classifying students, of making them lose all interest, worse yet lose passion for learning and generate hatred towards certain areas of knowledge while capturing valuable time that is needed to explore others?

It depends on what type of homework and the time that it takes to finish it. The homework that I get from English, history, science, and math benefit me and my grades a lot. From my three band classes, and P.E. class, I usually do busy work. I love how the school is run… I learn a lot from the class just itself, and from school assemblies, etc. First, I have to learn before I get my grades… meaning, I don’t care what my grades are like until I actually know and understand the material and knowledge that I learned at school. What we learn from school and from homework are is different. We learn more at school and then apply what we learned in our homework. So most of the time we don’t learn anything that much from homework.

Homework assignments should be provided, but once a month. It allows children to have freedom, and actually feel like life is not all about study and going to a prestigious university.

Homework wastes our time, and in recent articles they say that school’s are killing creativity, and now there is an uproar about homework not providing learning material.

What homework should be is a subjet, say history, and children can choose one that interests them, and they could research it for a month. And after the month is up children can present in class, so that means the child knows thoroughly about their topic and can explain well to their friends, and also they will have an opportunity to listen to other peoples’ research.

I wish we didn’t have homework, because the learning network is providing us with a great amount of resources that homework, in a year, can’t accomplish.

40 hours per week, 8 hours a day, is the legal limit of hours an adult can work in California without being payed overtime. An employee must be payed 150% their usual salary for every hour they work past 8 hours a day. I spend between 34 and 39 hours per week at school, not counting homework (aprox. 10-15 hours per week). My suggestion is that any work assigned to students requiring them to spend more than 40 hours a week on academics be graded with a bonus of 50% the student’s grade. This would encourage students to do well in order to have a higher bonus, and would discourage teachers from assigning so much work (since we all how much giving out bonus points pains them!) As for the questions: I think that homework is effective as long as it will help improve a student’s understanding and execution of course material. As a general rule, I don’t think it’s very useful to be assigned more than one assignment in each category of homework to a class (1 chapter to read, 1 exercise, 1 essay). 5 math exercises is 5 too many if I understand the lesson, and 4 too many if it is the teacher’s goal to find out whether or not I do. As a student, I have a limited amount of time and love to divide up into my work. I find work that leaves the thinking up to the student to be the most engaging and helpful to my understanding: the fewer details on how I should do the assignment, the more I work to make it reflect my understanding of the topic.

It is interesting to write your homework in your free time at home. Homework and assignments are important for innovation and elaboration. Take your time in doing your homework because this will help you understand the lesson more.

i think this is the best amendment ever.

Sense at my school , school just started we do not have that much homework. But I’ve hear a lot of people say that towards the middle of the year is when everyone’s backpack’s become really heavy. Teacher’s start giving more than one homework assignment per class. So I think that homework does not help you learn because you do work at school why do you need to do it again at home? I think teacher’s do that because they want to figure out if you are capable to do the same thing at home and also because they just want us to have some type of work to do at home. Once again I do no think that homework helps you learn.

I personally don’t think homework helps a student learn. I feel if you don’t get what the teacher teaches in class then I personally don’t get the homework at all. If I don’t get the subject then I personally to the homework wrong and I’m sure that other people do it wrong too. My teachers all say that they don’t give so much homework and they really don’t, but since they all give about 20-30 minutes of homework each subject, it piles up.I think that homework is effective as long as it will help improve a student’s understanding and execution of course material. I personally don’t think that homework always helps, but it does.

I think that homework is useful sometimes, but not always. Most of the time, it is just the same thing we did in class, and if we didn’t get it then we still won’t get it at home, primarily because our parents have no clue about how to do it either.

i think that homework should not in are school systems because homework is just practice and i know that practice makes perfect but when you got 5 subjects it add to a lot. I also i believe that all homework (practice) is just studying and unless we have i don’t want to take the time for nothing but another school day

1) What kinds of assignments seem pointless?

I don’t believe that any assignments are pointless, because teachers always have a reason for giving homework. However, teachers often give homework where the effort on the part of the student outweighs the teacher’s goal. In addition, many homework assignments do not effectively reach their goal.

2) Which ones are confusing or frustrating?

Assignments are usually not confusing, although sometimes, when given very easy assignments, I do not understand what the point is (which does not mean that the assignments are pointless — the point is simply mysterious to me). I get most frustrated by homework when I receive virtually identical assignments at regular intervals, but never get feedback from the teacher. When this happens, I cannot improve because I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. For example, our French teacher has given us this assignment three times this year: Comment on a predetermined stanza of a Baudelaire poem. The first two stanzas earned me 17 (out of 20) with no corrections other than grammatical mistakes. For the third assignment, I have written a very similar analysis and I expect to get a very similar grade. If there are 20 possible points and I didn’t get all of them, why did the teacher not provide any comments?

3) Which ones are most engaging and interesting?

Honestly, although I understand the value of homework, I do not enjoy doing it (unless it involves creativity, but with no art, music or creative writing classes in high school, this is extremely rare).

Which ones are you fairly sure help you learn and grow?

I believe all homework helps me learn and grow — the question is whether the amount of growth induced by the homework is worth the effort involved.

Yes, some homework are important. Like learning rhetoric at home to be able to talk about it in class. Doing a math problem to make sure the lesson is understood. But is doing ten exercises on a lesson we did not fully go over because the teacher did not manage to end the lesson on time and now needs us to try to figure it out on our own useful? Is doing forty little problems with the same math equation over and over again necessary? I believe it is not. I believe some teachers are using a lot of useless homework because they must think in some way that it will be beneficent one day or another. They are often wrong. Unless a whole class of twenty students decided they want to be physician, i do not understand why learning what is the kind of relation between the Earth and the Moon, over a dozen of exercises, is in anyway useful. Also, a teacher might think they are doing the right thing, making us practice something that is already learned in class, by giving its students five exercises. Sure, it is not a bad idea. But since all the teachers, or most of them, are looking to do the right thing, five teachers that wants you to practice with some homework exercises, becomes twenty-five exercises for the students. Over something they either understood, or not understood. In any case it’s frustrating. If you understand what it is about then you are just wasting your time doing those exercises. If you did not understand it, you are going to spend ten minutes on each question, usually ending by guessing wrong, when all it could have taken was another clear explanation from the teacher. So yes, homework can be useful, and it often is, but not always.

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Neag School of Education

How to use homework to support student success.

• by: Sandra Chafouleas
• January 13, 2022
• Community Engagement

Editor’s Note: Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor Sandra Chafouleas shares insights on supporting students’ homework during the pandemic in the following piece, which originally appeared  in Psychology Today , where she publishes a blog.

COVID has brought many changes in education. What does it mean for homework?

School assignments that a student is expected to do outside of the regular school day—that’s homework. The general guideline is 10 minutes of nightly homework per grade level beginning after kindergarten. This amounts to just a few minutes for younger elementary students to up to 2 hours for high school students.

The guidance seems straightforward enough, so why is homework such a controversial topic? School disruptions, including extended periods of remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, have magnified the controversies yet also have provided an opportunity to rethink the purpose and value of homework.

Debates about the value of homework center around two primary issues: amount and inequity.

First, the amount of assigned homework may be much more than the recommended guidelines. Families report their children are stressed out over the time spent doing homework. Too much homework can challenge well-being given the restricted time available for sleep, exercise, and social connection. In a 2015 study , for example, parents reported their early elementary children received almost three times the recommended guidelines. In high school, researchers found an average of three hours of homework per night for students living in economically privileged communities.

“ Debates about the value of homework center around two primary issues: amount and inequity.”

Second, homework can perpetuate inequities. Students attending school in less economically privileged communities may receive little to no homework, or have difficulty completing it due to limited access to needed technology. This can translate into fewer opportunities to learn and may contribute to gaps in achievement.

There isn’t a ton of research on the effects of homework, and available studies certainly do not provide a simple answer. For example, a 2006 synthesis of studies suggested a positive influence between homework completion and academic achievement for middle and high school students. Supporters also point out that homework offers additional opportunities to engage in learning and that it can foster independent learning habits such as planning and a sense of responsibility. A more recent study involving 13-year-old students in Spain found higher test scores for those who were regularly assigned homework in math and science, with an optimal time around one hour—which is roughly aligned with recommendations. However, the researchers noted that ability to independently do the work, student effort, and prior achievement were more important contributors than time spent.

Opponents of homework maintain that the academic benefit does not outweigh the toll on well-being. Researchers have observed student stress, physical health problems, and lack of life balance, especially when the time spent goes over the recommended guidelines. In a survey of adolescents , over half reported the amount and type of homework they received to be a primary source of stress in their lives. In addition, vast differences exist in access and availability of supports, such as internet connection, adult assistance, or even a place to call home, as 1.5 million children experience homelessness in the United States

The COVID-19 pandemic has re-energized discussion about homework practices, with the goal to advance recommendations about how, when, and with whom it can be best used. Here’s a summary of key strategies:

Strategies for Educators

Make sure the tasks are meaningful and matched..

First, the motto “ quality over quantity ” can guide decisions about homework. Homework is not busy-work, and instead should get students excited about learning. Emphasize activities that facilitate choice and interest to extend learning, like choose your own reading adventure or math games. Second, each student should be able to complete homework independently with success. Think about Goldilocks: To be effective, assignments should be just right for each learner. One example of how do this efficiently is through online learning platforms that can efficiently adjust to skill level and can be completed in a reasonable amount of time.

Ensure access to resources for task completion.

One step toward equity is to ensure access to necessary resources such as time, space, and materials. Teach students about preparing for homework success, allocating classroom time to model and practice good study habits such as setting up their physical environment, time management, and chunking tasks. Engage in conversations with students and families to problem-solve challenges When needed, connect students with homework supports available through after-school clubs, other community supports, or even within a dedicated block during the school day.

Be open to revisiting homework policies and practices.

The days of penalizing students for not completing homework should be long gone. Homework is a tool for practicing content and learning self-management. With that in mind, provide opportunities for students to communicate needs, and respond by revising assignments or allowing them to turn in on alternative dates. Engage in adult professional learning about high-quality homework , from value (Should I assign this task?) to evaluation (How should this be graded? Did that homework assignment result in expected outcomes?). Monitor how things are going by looking at completion rates and by asking students for their feedback. Be willing to adapt the homework schedule or expectations based on what is learned.

Strategies for Families

Understand how to be a good helper..

When designed appropriately, students should be able to complete homework with independence. Limit homework wars by working to be a good helper. Hovering, micromanaging, or doing homework for them may be easiest in the moment but does not help build their independence. Be a good helper by asking guiding questions, providing hints, or checking for understanding. Focus your assistance on setting up structures for homework success, like space and time.

Use homework as a tool for communication.

Use homework as a vehicle to foster family-school communication. Families can use homework as an opportunity to open conversations about specific assignments or classes, peer relationships, or even sleep quality that may be impacting student success. For younger students, using a daily or weekly home-school notebook or planner can be one way to share information. For older students, help them practice communicating their needs and provide support as needed.

Make sure to balance wellness.

Like adults, children need a healthy work-life balance. Positive social connection and engagement in pleasurable activities are important core principles to foster well-being . Monitor the load of homework and other structured activities to make sure there is time in the daily routine for play. Play can mean different things to different children: getting outside, reading for pleasure, and yes, even gaming. Just try to ensure that activities include a mix of health-focused activities such as physical movement or mindfulness downtime.

The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) accredits the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut. Read more about CAEP Accreditation, including the programs covered and the accountability measures .

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• The Highlight

Nobody knows what the point of homework is

The homework wars are back.

by Jacob Sweet

As the Covid-19 pandemic began and students logged into their remote classrooms, all work, in effect, became homework. But whether or not students could complete it at home varied. For some, schoolwork became public-library work or McDonald’s-parking-lot work.

Luis Torres, the principal of PS 55, a predominantly low-income community elementary school in the south Bronx, told me that his school secured Chromebooks for students early in the pandemic only to learn that some lived in shelters that blocked wifi for security reasons. Others, who lived in housing projects with poor internet reception, did their schoolwork in laundromats.

According to a 2021 Pew survey , 25 percent of lower-income parents said their children, at some point, were unable to complete their schoolwork because they couldn’t access a computer at home; that number for upper-income parents was 2 percent.

The issues with remote learning in March 2020 were new. But they highlighted a divide that had been there all along in another form: homework. And even long after schools have resumed in-person classes, the pandemic’s effects on homework have lingered.

Over the past three years, in response to concerns about equity, schools across the country, including in Sacramento, Los Angeles , San Diego , and Clark County, Nevada , made permanent changes to their homework policies that restricted how much homework could be given and how it could be graded after in-person learning resumed.

Three years into the pandemic, as districts and teachers reckon with Covid-era overhauls of teaching and learning, schools are still reconsidering the purpose and place of homework. Whether relaxing homework expectations helps level the playing field between students or harms them by decreasing rigor is a divisive issue without conclusive evidence on either side, echoing other debates in education like the elimination of standardized test scores from some colleges’ admissions processes.

I first began to wonder if the homework abolition movement made sense after speaking with teachers in some Massachusetts public schools, who argued that rather than help disadvantaged kids, stringent homework restrictions communicated an attitude of low expectations. One, an English teacher, said she felt the school had “just given up” on trying to get the students to do work; another argued that restrictions that prohibit teachers from assigning take-home work that doesn’t begin in class made it difficult to get through the foreign-language curriculum. Teachers in other districts have raised formal concerns about homework abolition’s ability to close gaps among students rather than widening them.

Many education experts share this view. Harris Cooper, a professor emeritus of psychology at Duke who has studied homework efficacy, likened homework abolition to “playing to the lowest common denominator.”

But as I learned after talking to a variety of stakeholders — from homework researchers to policymakers to parents of schoolchildren — whether to abolish homework probably isn’t the right question. More important is what kind of work students are sent home with and where they can complete it. Chances are, if schools think more deeply about giving constructive work, time spent on homework will come down regardless.

There’s no consensus on whether homework works

The rise of the no-homework movement during the Covid-19 pandemic tapped into long-running disagreements over homework’s impact on students. The purpose and effectiveness of homework have been disputed for well over a century. In 1901, for instance, California banned homework for students up to age 15, and limited it for older students, over concerns that it endangered children’s mental and physical health. The newest iteration of the anti-homework argument contends that the current practice punishes students who lack support and rewards those with more resources, reinforcing the “myth of meritocracy.”

But there is still no research consensus on homework’s effectiveness; no one can seem to agree on what the right metrics are. Much of the debate relies on anecdotes, intuition, or speculation.

Researchers disagree even on how much research exists on the value of homework. Kathleen Budge, the co-author of Turning High-Poverty Schools Into High-Performing Schools and a professor at Boise State, told me that homework “has been greatly researched.” Denise Pope, a Stanford lecturer and leader of the education nonprofit Challenge Success, said, “It’s not a highly researched area because of some of the methodological problems.”

Experts who are more sympathetic to take-home assignments generally support the “10-minute rule,” a framework that estimates the ideal amount of homework on any given night by multiplying the student’s grade by 10 minutes. (A ninth grader, for example, would have about 90 minutes of work a night.) Homework proponents argue that while it is difficult to design randomized control studies to test homework’s effectiveness, the vast majority of existing studies show a strong positive correlation between homework and high academic achievement for middle and high school students. Prominent critics of homework argue that these correlational studies are unreliable and point to studies that suggest a neutral or negative effect on student performance. Both agree there is little to no evidence for homework’s effectiveness at an elementary school level, though proponents often argue that it builds constructive habits for the future.

For anyone who remembers homework assignments from both good and bad teachers, this fundamental disagreement might not be surprising. Some homework is pointless and frustrating to complete. Every week during my senior year of high school, I had to analyze a poem for English and decorate it with images found on Google; my most distinct memory from that class is receiving a demoralizing 25-point deduction because I failed to present my analysis on a poster board. Other assignments really do help students learn: After making an adapted version of Chairman Mao’s Little Red Book for a ninth grade history project, I was inspired to check out from the library and read a biography of the Chinese ruler.

For homework opponents, the first example is more likely to resonate. “We’re all familiar with the negative effects of homework: stress, exhaustion, family conflict, less time for other activities, diminished interest in learning,” Alfie Kohn, author of The Homework Myth, which challenges common justifications for homework, told me in an email. “And these effects may be most pronounced among low-income students.” Kohn believes that schools should make permanent any moratoria implemented during the pandemic, arguing that there are no positives at all to outweigh homework’s downsides. Recent studies , he argues , show the benefits may not even materialize during high school.

In the Marlborough Public Schools, a suburban district 45 minutes west of Boston, school policy committee chair Katherine Hennessy described getting kids to complete their homework during remote education as “a challenge, to say the least.” Teachers found that students who spent all day on their computers didn’t want to spend more time online when the day was over. So, for a few months, the school relaxed the usual practice and teachers slashed the quantity of nightly homework.

Online learning made the preexisting divides between students more apparent, she said. Many students, even during normal circumstances, lacked resources to keep them on track and focused on completing take-home assignments. Though Marlborough Schools is more affluent than PS 55, Hennessy said many students had parents whose work schedules left them unable to provide homework help in the evenings. The experience tracked with a common divide in the country between children of different socioeconomic backgrounds.

So in October 2021, months after the homework reduction began, the Marlborough committee made a change to the district’s policy. While teachers could still give homework, the assignments had to begin as classwork. And though teachers could acknowledge homework completion in a student’s participation grade, they couldn’t count homework as its own grading category. “Rigorous learning in the classroom does not mean that that classwork must be assigned every night,” the policy stated . “Extensions of class work is not to be used to teach new content or as a form of punishment.”

Canceling homework might not do anything for the achievement gap

The critiques of homework are valid as far as they go, but at a certain point, arguments against homework can defy the commonsense idea that to retain what they’re learning, students need to practice it.

“Doesn’t a kid become a better reader if he reads more? Doesn’t a kid learn his math facts better if he practices them?” said Cathy Vatterott, an education researcher and professor emeritus at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. After decades of research, she said it’s still hard to isolate the value of homework, but that doesn’t mean it should be abandoned.

Blanket vilification of homework can also conflate the unique challenges facing disadvantaged students as compared to affluent ones, which could have different solutions. “The kids in the low-income schools are being hurt because they’re being graded, unfairly, on time they just don’t have to do this stuff,” Pope told me. “And they’re still being held accountable for turning in assignments, whether they’re meaningful or not.” On the other side, “Palo Alto kids” — students in Silicon Valley’s stereotypically pressure-cooker public schools — “are just bombarded and overloaded and trying to stay above water.”

Merely getting rid of homework doesn’t solve either problem. The United States already has the second-highest disparity among OECD (the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) nations between time spent on homework by students of high and low socioeconomic status — a difference of more than three hours, said Janine Bempechat, clinical professor at Boston University and author of No More Mindless Homework .

When she interviewed teachers in Boston-area schools that had cut homework before the pandemic, Bempechat told me, “What they saw immediately was parents who could afford it immediately enrolled their children in the Russian School of Mathematics,” a math-enrichment program whose tuition ranges from $140 to about $400 a month. Getting rid of homework “does nothing for equity; it increases the opportunity gap between wealthier and less wealthy families,” she said. “That solution troubles me because it’s no solution at all.”

A group of teachers at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia, made the same point after the school district proposed an overhaul of its homework policies, including removing penalties for missing homework deadlines, allowing unlimited retakes, and prohibiting grading of homework.

“Given the emphasis on equity in today’s education systems,” they wrote in a letter to the school board, “we believe that some of the proposed changes will actually have a detrimental impact towards achieving this goal. Families that have means could still provide challenging and engaging academic experiences for their children and will continue to do so, especially if their children are not experiencing expected rigor in the classroom.” At a school where more than a third of students are low-income, the teachers argued, the policies would prompt students “to expect the least of themselves in terms of effort, results, and responsibility.”

Not all homework is created equal

Despite their opposing sides in the homework wars, most of the researchers I spoke to made a lot of the same points. Both Bempechat and Pope were quick to bring up how parents and schools confuse rigor with workload, treating the volume of assignments as a proxy for quality of learning. Bempechat, who is known for defending homework, has written extensively about how plenty of it lacks clear purpose, requires the purchasing of unnecessary supplies, and takes longer than it needs to. Likewise, when Pope instructs graduate-level classes on curriculum, she asks her students to think about the larger purpose they’re trying to achieve with homework: If they can get the job done in the classroom, there’s no point in sending home more work.

At its best, pandemic-era teaching facilitated that last approach. Honolulu-based teacher Christina Torres Cawdery told me that, early in the pandemic, she often had a cohort of kids in her classroom for four hours straight, as her school tried to avoid too much commingling. She couldn’t lecture for four hours, so she gave the students plenty of time to complete independent and project-based work. At the end of most school days, she didn’t feel the need to send them home with more to do.

A similar limited-homework philosophy worked at a public middle school in Chelsea, Massachusetts. A couple of teachers there turned as much class as possible into an opportunity for small-group practice, allowing kids to work on problems that traditionally would be assigned for homework, Jessica Flick, a math coach who leads department meetings at the school, told me. It was inspired by a philosophy pioneered by Simon Fraser University professor Peter Liljedahl, whose influential book Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics reframes homework as “check-your-understanding questions” rather than as compulsory work. Last year, Flick found that the two eighth grade classes whose teachers adopted this strategy performed the best on state tests, and this year, she has encouraged other teachers to implement it.

Teachers know that plenty of homework is tedious and unproductive. Jeannemarie Dawson De Quiroz, who has taught for more than 20 years in low-income Boston and Los Angeles pilot and charter schools, says that in her first years on the job she frequently assigned “drill and kill” tasks and questions that she now feels unfairly stumped students. She said designing good homework wasn’t part of her teaching programs, nor was it meaningfully discussed in professional development. With more experience, she turned as much class time as she could into practice time and limited what she sent home.

“The thing about homework that’s sticky is that not all homework is created equal,” says Jill Harrison Berg, a former teacher and the author of Uprooting Instructional Inequity . “Some homework is a genuine waste of time and requires lots of resources for no good reason. And other homework is really useful.”

Cutting homework has to be part of a larger strategy

The takeaways are clear: Schools can make cuts to homework, but those cuts should be part of a strategy to improve the quality of education for all students. If the point of homework was to provide more practice, districts should think about how students can make it up during class — or offer time during or after school for students to seek help from teachers. If it was to move the curriculum along, it’s worth considering whether strategies like Liljedahl’s can get more done in less time.

Some of the best thinking around effective assignments comes from those most critical of the current practice. Denise Pope proposes that, before assigning homework, teachers should consider whether students understand the purpose of the work and whether they can do it without help. If teachers think it’s something that can’t be done in class, they should be mindful of how much time it should take and the feedback they should provide. It’s questions like these that De Quiroz considered before reducing the volume of work she sent home.

More than a year after the new homework policy began in Marlborough, Hennessy still hears from parents who incorrectly “think homework isn’t happening” despite repeated assurances that kids still can receive work. She thinks part of the reason is that education has changed over the years. “I think what we’re trying to do is establish that homework may be an element of educating students,” she told me. “But it may not be what parents think of as what they grew up with. ... It’s going to need to adapt, per the teaching and the curriculum, and how it’s being delivered in each classroom.”

For the policy to work, faculty, parents, and students will all have to buy into a shared vision of what school ought to look like. The district is working on it — in November, it hosted and uploaded to YouTube a round-table discussion on homework between district administrators — but considering the sustained confusion, the path ahead seems difficult.

When I asked Luis Torres about whether he thought homework serves a useful part in PS 55’s curriculum, he said yes, of course it was — despite the effort and money it takes to keep the school open after hours to help them do it. “The children need the opportunity to practice,” he said. “If you don’t give them opportunities to practice what they learn, they’re going to forget.” But Torres doesn’t care if the work is done at home. The school stays open until around 6 pm on weekdays, even during breaks. Tutors through New York City’s Department of Youth and Community Development programs help kids with work after school so they don’t need to take it with them.

As schools weigh the purpose of homework in an unequal world, it’s tempting to dispose of a practice that presents real, practical problems to students across the country. But getting rid of homework is unlikely to do much good on its own. Before cutting it, it’s worth thinking about what good assignments are meant to do in the first place. It’s crucial that students from all socioeconomic backgrounds tackle complex quantitative problems and hone their reading and writing skills. It’s less important that the work comes home with them.

Jacob Sweet is a freelance writer in Somerville, Massachusetts. He is a frequent contributor to the New Yorker, among other publications.

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For decades (and even centuries, according to some anthropological evidence ), homework has been considered an essential part of formal education . It’s believed that it provides you with the opportunity to ‘learn by doing’ and test and apply what you’ve been taught during school hours. 

However, some modern studies suggest that the practice of homework in schools might not be as helpful as we think it is. According to statistics on homework, homework over a certain level (the 10 minutes per grade standard) has been linked to excessive stress and disruption of personal and social habits in adolescents. It may surprise you to find out that the average amount of homework that kids from countries like the US, UK, France, and Germany currently get is above the standard limit . 😮

If you’re currently a student in the UK, you may be wondering whether homework actually does kids and teenagers any good. Keep reading to find out more about the pros and cons of homework.

What are the pros and cons of homework in school?

Pros: , homework encourages practice.

The primary purpose of homework in schools is to reinforce the habit of practising what you’ve learned in school. Some subjects like maths and languages require daily practice even outside of school hours for you to strengthen the fundamentals you’re learning. 

Practising these subjects regularly from a relatively young age can help equip you for secondary school and college courses like economics and literature, which require a strong knowledge of the basics. Also, independent learning in your own time is a fantastic way for you to identify the subjects you’re most interested in – who knows, you may even find your preferred field of study at an early age through homework! 👍

It allows your parents to be actively involved in your 

A healthy learning environment requires your parents to take an active interest in your education. Your parent or guardian helping you with your homework can help you gain a better understanding of what you’re learning and working on, since you’ll benefit from having anything you’re unsure of explained to you by someone other than your teacher at school. 

Helping you with your homework also makes it possible for your parents to stay involved and keep track of your progress in school in a non-intrusive manner. Additionally, it fosters good communication as you’ll talk to your parents more about the classes you’re attending and other school-related activities that they should know about. ✔️

It’s a great lesson in time management 

Homework in secondary school can be a great way for you to learn how to manage your time better. Older students are often actively involved in academics, sports , and several other extra-curricular activities that facilitate their all-round development. 

Therefore, completing homework outside of school from an early age can help you learn beyond the classroom and gradually get used to managing your time and responsibilities well. ⏰

Homework research encourages independent critical thinking 

Many schools are now opting for homework research as opposed to the traditional practice homework. In fact, it forms the very base of the flipped classroom structure where the students are given review materials before the class to grasp the concepts more quickly once they’re in school.

Homework research allows you to conduct your own research on a topic and form your own thoughts and opinions on what you’re learning. It encourages independent critical thinking from a young age, which is very beneficial for you. 💡

Not every child has a supportive enough home environment 

While most kids in school might have a supportive and peaceful home environment that allows them to study, some children and teenagers aren’t that lucky. Difficult domestic environments can be extremely stressful for kids, which can make independent learning outside of school challenging.

It might be difficult for kids without strong support at home to muster up the time and concentration needed to do the kind of homework that requires independent research and critical thinking. 

It adds to an already packed day 

Homework in schools, especially secondary school, often adds to your already busy days. While time management is an important virtue to learn, homework in secondary school can feel nearly impossible to manage with all the extra-curricular tasks you’re expected to juggle. 😰

Stress related to school can have a negative impact on young people’s mental health . If you find yourself struggling with your workload at school, you should speak to your parent or caretaker, or bring it up with your teacher so that you can get some extra support to help you through it. It’s not unusual for kids and teens to sometimes feel overwhelmed in their learning journey, so don’t be afraid to reach out if you need help!  

There’s no evidence that suggests the extra work produces better academic results for younger kids

A study conducted by the University of Michigan concluded that younger children (below 12 years of age) benefit more from activities such as reading for pleasure and not stipulated school homework. In fact, school homework might lessen the chances of a child reading or writing outside of school as a hobby. 

Research suggests that in many cases, kids having too much homework assigned to them stunts their overall personality development.  

How much homework do UK students get? 

Research on homework shows that the average British school student spends around 3.5 hours on their homework per week. Of these, primary students spend 2.2 hours; secondary students spend 4.3 hours; and sixth form students spend 5.3 hours on homework per week on average. While these numbers aren’t worrisome, they are still over the standard limit prescribed by most child health bodies. ☝️

It’s important for children and young people to communicate with their caretakers if they find that their workload is excessive. If you find yourself getting worried or stressed out over school , we would recommend speaking to your parents or bringing it up with a teacher. The most important thing is your wellbeing, and you need to be able to cope with your homework and make academic progress without increasing your stress levels. 

At GoStudent, we believe learning is a two-sided process that involves active participation from both students and tutors. We have thousands of top tutors available, so if you need any help with learning and homework, GoStudent may be just the ticket. Book a free trial lesson today to try us out! 

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New study explores what makes digital learning products more – or less – effective.

Educational technology has become a fixture in the U.S. classroom, but scholars continue to debate its effectiveness – some even arguing that the products might deter learning by taking students’ time and attention away from more powerful supports. 

What does research show about the effectiveness of edtech? Does the impact vary when it comes to teaching certain skills and student populations? How can schools determine which products are most useful for their own setting and purposes? 

A new Stanford-led study sheds light on the value of edtech interventions, with a focus on products aimed at helping elementary school students develop early reading skills. In a meta-analysis of studies conducted over the past two decades, the researchers found that the effectiveness of tech products varied considerably, depending on particular features of the interventions and the skills they targeted. 

“When we talk about digital learning products, they’re really not all the same – there’s a wide range,” said Rebecca Silverman , the Judy Koch Professor of Education at Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE), a faculty affiliate of the Stanford Accelerator for Learning , and the study’s lead author. “There isn’t a single answer to whether digital technologies support literacy. The question is much more complex: Which products, with which characteristics, under which conditions?” 

The paper , published July 31 in the peer-reviewed journal Review of Educational Research , was co-authored by Elena Darling-Hammond, a doctoral student at the GSE; Kristin Keane, a postdoctoral scholar at the GSE; and Saurabh Khanna, PhD ’23, who is now an assistant professor at the University of Amsterdam. 

Stanford GSE Professor Rebecca Silverman

Accounting for variability

For the meta-analysis, the researchers drew on 119 studies published between 2010 and 2023 to examine the use of various digital interventions in kindergarten through fifth grade, including computer programs, e-books, online games, and videos. 

The study is unique, they said, in its focus on edtech at the elementary school level and its review of interventions across four skills: decoding (the ability to read words quickly and accurately), language comprehension (understanding the meaning of words), reading comprehension (processing the meaning of a passage), and writing proficiency (the ability to convey ideas in writing).

Their analysis found positive effects on elementary school students’ reading skills overall, indicating that generally, investing in educational technology to support literacy is warranted. But when the researchers isolated particular learning outcomes to measure effectiveness, they found wide variability, suggesting that the effectiveness of a particular edtech product can depend on different factors, including features of the tool and characteristics of the users.

The authors observed that most studies – and the majority of products in the marketplace – focused on basic decoding, where students use phonetic skills to understand the relationship between written letters and their sounds. Relatively few studies considered language and reading comprehension, and only a handful looked at writing proficiency. 

“Decoding is a fairly constrained construct involving a relatively circumscribed set of skills,” Silverman said. “There are only so many letters and sounds and letter-sound combinations that kids need to learn, so it’s generally easier to teach and see change over time.”

Language comprehension is a more complex construct, she said, involving a vast number of concepts, word meanings, and sentence constructions and the ability to make connections and build knowledge. “Its complexity makes it harder to teach and see progress. But it’s a crucial skill to be able to access texts and content, so we need more tools and research focused on that piece.” 

Product features that appeared to account for some of the variability in effectiveness included the type of technology, the duration of the intervention, and the instructional approach (that is, whether it emphasized repetition and facts, strategies to organize and process information, or open-ended tasks). 

The analysis found, for example, that certain personalization, gamification, and interactive feedback features, like pop-up questions and clickable definitions, were not effective for supporting more complex skills like reading comprehension.  

Where student characteristics were concerned, socioeconomic status surfaced as one factor moderating effectiveness: With decoding as an outcome, for example, studies with a substantial percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds tended to have larger effects compared with other studies, which Silverman said could be due to the programs they used being more geared toward their needs. 

The researchers suspected that disability and language status would also emerge as a factor in the variability they uncovered, but few studies disaggregated findings based on these backgrounds. 

“A program might not benefit some kids as much as others, and if we don’t track that in a systematic way, we’re not going to know,” Silverman said. “Right now, it’s not being systematically captured in the research, and that’s a problem.” 

The researchers also noted that few studies addressed edtech’s impact on students’ motivation or engagement, and few included follow-up over time, to assess whether the effects lasted months or even years after the intervention. 

Considerations for school leaders

The findings point to several directions for educators and policymakers, the researchers concluded. For one thing, Silverman said, districts contemplating a particular product should carefully consider whether it’s appropriate for their population of students, and whether the content and approach aligns with the curriculum and classroom teaching. 

She advised that, rather than taking marketing claims at face value, districts conduct a critical analysis of any program before deciding whether to adopt it for their schools. “Is it following the principles of effective practice for the skills you’re targeting with that program?” she said. “What studies have been done on it? How strong is the company’s own research? Has anybody done any independent research?”

Districts can also generate their own data, for example, by running a pilot program in which some schools or classrooms implement an edtech intervention, comparing their outcomes against the schools that don’t. “You may not be able to isolate [the effects of the program] completely,” Silverman said, “but an analysis can suggest whether this product is helpful.”

If a product doesn't appear to produce positive effects, districts can partner with researchers to try to figure out why — or they can move on to trying other tools and evaluate those, she said. “We don’t want kids to keep using products that aren’t helpful.”  

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America’s students are falling behind. Here’s how to reimagine the classroom

Psychologists have the research and expertise schools critically need right now

Vol. 55 No. 3 Print version: page 54

• Schools and Classrooms

It’s a familiar refrain: “America’s students are falling behind.”

Academic progress stalled during the pandemic and has yet to recover. But historic declines in test scores and growing achievement gaps are just part of the problem. Youth mental health issues surged ; behavioral problems increased ; and more teachers left the profession —creating a situation many are calling alarming.

“It should have been obvious to all of us that after a highly disruptive year, kids would come back with issues. But unfortunately, teachers often did not get the resources they needed, such as increased mental health support, to be able to respond to those issues,” said Russell Skiba, PhD, a professor of school psychology at Indiana University Bloomington and an expert in classroom management. One result was a return to more punitive discipline policies in some schools—policies researchers have long known to be ineffective, he added.

But the prospects for U.S. students are not all bleak. Researchers, practitioners, and policymakers are on the scene with creative solutions—more rigorous ways to evaluate student progress, different approaches to teaching and learning, and collaborations that make career training possible from an early age. They are also delivering on-the-ground support, including trauma-informed care and interventions designed to improve school belonging and discipline—using science to get student and educator well-being back on track.

[ Related: Schools in crisis: Here are science-backed ways to improve schools now ]

More progress is needed in guiding educators toward science-backed innovations. “The biggest thing that needs to change is that we need engagement with what the evidence says, in conversation with researchers,” said educational psychologist Francesca Lopez, PhD, a professor of education at Penn State.

To that end, psychologists are touching every part of the school experience, from big ideas about how to reimagine the classroom to targeted interventions that help students and teachers thrive each day. And it is not just about inventing something new. Some are leveraging research insights along with lived expertise to return to doing the basics well.

“What are the strategies that will work to help kids recover and thrive, based upon what we know about kids, education, and the science behind it?” said Randi Weingarten, JD, president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).

Skills for today and tomorrow

Among the most exciting changes in education is personalized learning backed by sound science, with the goal of making learning more effective for each student.

In some districts, learning is no longer confined to the walls of an individual school. Denver Public Schools allows middle and high school students to customize their curriculum with a combination of virtual and in-person courses across the entire district. That setup allows more students to access specialized opportunities, including instruction in cybersecurity, nursing, and psychology.

“One school doesn’t have to offer everything to every student. Instead, we can think about the expertise across the district and create more personal learning pathways for kids,” said educational psychologist Nicole Barnes, PhD, who is the senior director for APA’s Center for Psychology in Schools and Education as well as a former elementary school teacher.

A 2015 RAND Corporation study of 62 public schools found that personalized learning approaches improved academic progress. But research also suggests that teachers in schools that already perform well on standardized tests do a better job of implementing personalized learning than those in lower-performing schools ( Lee, D., et al., Education Technology Research and Development , Vol. 69, No. 2, 2021 ). Psychological science is helping educators better parse those findings, Barnes said, by accounting for the way school context interacts with student outcomes.

In a growing number of schools, those personalized pathways also increasingly include career-focused options alongside traditional academic routes. That emphasis is fueled by partnerships with local universities and community organizations: In Washington, DC, Anacostia High School and the University of the District of Columbia joined forces to teach students about environmental science and justice. Students in the program attend conferences, participate in internship programs , and learn essential science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills, including how to collect and analyze data. It can also be woven into the design of an institution: The Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering prepares students for roles in high-demand STEM fields, including with the Department of Defense and military contractors.

AFT is also working with 10 school districts across New York state to strengthen career and technical education (CTE) for careers in the semiconductor industry. Ninety-four percent of students enrolled in CTE programs graduate, compared with just 85% of students at traditional high schools ( “CTE Works!” Fact Sheet, Association for Career and Technical Education, 2022 ). CTE students are also more likely to attend postsecondary school and to have a higher median income 8 years later, so weaving technical skills training into K–12 education should be a priority, Weingarten said.

“With the world of artificial intelligence we’re walking into, we need application, not memorization,” she said. “These are not soft skills—they’re the skills of today and tomorrow.”

Psychologists are among those exploring how to best teach the skills of tomorrow, including critical thinking and information literacy skills. For example: What is real and what is written by Russian bots? How can you trust something you read online? How can you tell when a politician uses manipulation or scare tactics?

“We know from research that this kind of education needs to start early ,” said Susan A. Nolan, PhD, a professor of psychology at Seton Hall University in New Jersey, adding that research suggests belief in conspiracy theories starts around age 14 ( Jolley, D., et al., British Journal of Developmental Psychology , Vol. 39, No. 3, 2021 ).

At Arizona State University, the Center on Reinventing Public Education is exploring how school districts are already using AI and how they can step up their game . Teachers across the nation are experimenting with ways to embrace AI tools , including encouraging its use for outlining papers and challenging students to compare ChatGPT’s outputs with their own ( Zhang, P., & Tur, G., European Journal of Education , online first publication, 2023 ).

While the standard curriculum is still adapting to the advent of ChatGPT, the role of educators is already beginning to shift, Barnes said. Instead of a “sage on the stage” delivering lectures, some schools are shifting teachers into facilitator roles to better support students in developing critical thinking, communication, and relationship-building skills.

Educators are also rethinking how to evaluate students. The nonprofit Mastery Transcript Consortium has developed a new approach to grading: Rather than evaluating students in snapshots when a grading period ends, they learn at their own pace and are rated continually on their progress and mastery of specific skills. That approach is based on research by psychologists and others showing that competency-based learning can boost test scores, improve self-efficacy, and more.

Experts say these shifts are poised to better prepare students for careers of the future, but their implementation varies significantly from one school, district, and state to the next, with most U.S. schools still following a more traditional model. AFT is one example of an organization working to enact broader change through its Real Solutions for Kids and Communities campaign. The multistate effort focuses on providing schools with training and resources to address learning loss, improve student mental health, and provide direct support to help families thrive.

A key tenet of the plan is to increase the number of community schools , which deliver medical, dental, and mental health care to families. A 2023 Department of Education survey of more than 1,300 public schools found that 60% partnered with one or more community organizations to provide noneducational services, up from 45% the year prior ( School Pulse Panel, National Center for Education Statistics, 2023 ).

“If schools can become true centers of community, that is, in our view, the most efficacious and economic way of addressing loneliness and boosting mental health,” Weingarten said.

Enhancing instruction

Psychological research is central to efforts to improve education, starting at the most basic level: pedagogy itself.

Broadly, research on how we learn supports a shift away from direct instruction (the “sage on the stage” model) to experiential, hands-on learning—often called guided play—especially in early education ( Skene, K., et al., Child Development , Vol. 93, No. 4, 2022 ). Active Playful Learning , an evidence-based program developed by psychologists Roberta Golinkoff, PhD, of the University of Delaware, and Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, PhD, of Temple University in Philadelphia, leverages those research insights with the goal of bringing joy back into the classroom for both students and teachers ( Theory Into Practice , Vol. 62, No. 2, 2023 ).

“With guided play, teachers actually collaborate with students to work toward a learning goal they have in mind,” said Golinkoff, who is also a member of the National Academy of Education. “If this happened more, teachers would be happier, and kids would feel more valued as agents of their own learning.”

For example, a first-grade geometry direct instruction lesson might start with a teacher explaining the names and properties of squares, circles, and triangles and finish with a worksheet where students identify and draw each shape. In a guided play lesson, students might visit stations around the classroom where they build structures using specific geometric shapes, receiving feedback from their teacher along the way. Pilot studies in Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and Michigan show promising results, and Golinkoff and her colleagues received $20 million from the LEGO Foundation to expand tests of the program to schools throughout the country.

Educational psychologists are helping teachers explore how their own beliefs, emotions, and identities may influence their effectiveness in the classroom. Dionne Cross Francis, PhD, a professor of education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, works with elementary school mathematics teachers to explore how their past experiences and beliefs about math may influence the way they teach ( Frontiers in Psychology , Vol. 11, 2020 ).

“Many bring some degree of negative emotions, dispositions, and even trauma from their own experiences of mathematics in school to the classroom,” said Cross Francis, who is president of APA’s Division 15 (Educational Psychology) . “If that’s not resolved, they can easily pass on those anxieties to their students.”

Cross Francis’s six-step coaching model starts with extensive data collection, including surveys, an hour-long interview, and a video of the subject teaching. Using that data, she delivers individualized coaching, which may include mastery experiences to boost self-efficacy or a critical look at teaching practices that are not working well.

By making teaching more effective, such efforts also help address the growing issue of teacher retention. Large international surveys across both Eastern and Western societies indicate that teachers’ job satisfaction is linked to the quality of instruction they provide ( Harrison, M. G., et al., British Educational Research Journal , Vol. 49, No. 3, 2023 ).

“My approach is directly designed to support teacher retention,” Cross Francis said. “If they feel validated and empowered in their work, that ultimately improves well-being.”

Supporting teachers

Teacher well-being is undoubtedly suffering, with frequent job-related stress about twice as common as it is in the general population, according to a survey by the RAND Corporation ( Restoring Teacher and Principal Well-Being Is an Essential Step for Rebuilding Schools, RAND, 2022 ). More than half of educators polled in a 2022 National Education Association (NEA) survey said they were thinking about leaving the profession ( Poll Results: Stress and Burnout Pose Threat of Educator Shortages, NEA, 2022 [PDF, 344KB] ).

In addition to their teaching responsibilities, many have spent the postpandemic years fielding emotional and behavioral outbursts and other problems they are often ill-equipped to manage ( Baker, C. N., et al., School Psychology Review , Vol. 50, No. 4, 2021 ). They are also facing unprecedented levels of violence on the job. An APA survey of more than 15,000 teachers and school staff across the country found that 54% were threatened at work in the year preceding July 2021 ( Violence Against Educators and School Personnel: Crisis During Covid , APA, 2022 [PDF, 206KB]) .

“Psychologists have a really important role to play in addressing teacher well-being, the violence teachers experience, and the record rates of burnout,” said Stacy Overstreet, PhD, a professor of psychology at Tulane University.

At Tulane, the nationally funded Coalition for Compassionate Schools (CCS) unites government, community, and educational organizations to support 17 schools in New Orleans. In addition to several programs focused on students, CCS dispatches a team to schools after a crisis occurs (for example, the death of a student or the permanent closure of a school in the district) that is specifically focused on supporting educators. The center is also creating a series to educate teachers about secondary traumatic stress, an indirect result of supporting students who have faced trauma, as well as strategies for addressing it.

Basic stress-reduction techniques can make a big difference for both teachers and students. Delaying school start times so that teachers can get more sleep helps improve their daytime functioning ( Wahlstrom, K. L., et al., Journal of School Health , Vol. 93, No. 2, 2023 ). Plenty of research shows that starting school later would benefit students , too, but policymakers and school boards rarely make changes.

Mind-body interventions, which have a growing evidence base, are increasingly used in schools and can benefit students and teachers, said Melissa Bray, PhD, a professor and the director of the school psychology program at the University of Connecticut. Examples include breathing exercises, relaxation and guided imagery, yoga, and nature-based therapies, such as taking a mindful walk outside ( Cozzolino, M., et al., Human Arenas , Vol. 5, 2022 ).

CCS trains educators on trauma-informed approaches to working with students and helps schools develop an action plan to improve behavior and well-being across the board. For example, teachers learn to build safe and supportive classrooms using rituals and routines that create a sense of predictability and trust. A “calm down corner” gives students agency in controlling their emotions, and morning community building circles provide an opportunity to discuss experiences that affect the whole group. CCS also helps teachers develop their own emotion regulation skills and enhance teacher-student relationships using the Search Institute’s Developmental Relationships Framework . Outcomes include improved student engagement and fewer class disruptions, as well as more proactive classroom management efforts by teachers (2015–2022 Impact Report, 2022).

Such programs could be crucial because postpandemic behavioral challenges have led some schools to reinstate discipline policies known to be ineffective—even harmful. The so-called zero-tolerance approach, common in the 1990s, involves mandatory penalties (such as a suspension or arrest) for students caught with drugs or weapons.

“Coercive and punitive approaches are ineffective and especially harmful to Black and brown students,” Skiba said. “We know that they have both short- and long-term negative effects and do nothing to increase the safety of schools.”

Skiba and other psychologists have helped develop, test, and promote research-backed alternatives to zero tolerance, including social-emotional learning, restorative justice practices, and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) . PBIS, which is used in more than 25,000 schools across the country, is linked with reductions in out-of-school suspensions and other improvements in school climate.

“We need order in schools, but our attempts to bring order must be grounded in building relationships with children and showing them that we care about their future,” Skiba said.

One relationship-building intervention shows particular promise in an area where many other classroom management approaches have fallen short: reducing racial disparities in discipline. Empathic discipline , developed by Jason Okonofua, PhD, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, helps teachers develop a growth mindset toward their students and the capacity for an improved teacher-student relationship, as well as gain perspective about each student’s experience. Studies of empathic discipline show that it can reduce racial disparities in school suspension by up to 50% ( Science Advances , Vol. 8, No. 12, 2022 ; PNAS , Vol. 113, No. 19, 2016 ).

Shifting the overall culture in schools from a fixed to a growth mindset—including via informal messages adults send children, as well as formal learning opportunities such as the ability to revise an assignment for additional credit—could even be a means of reducing educational disparities around the world ( npj Science of Learning , Vol. 8, 2023 ). These “tier 1” supports that teachers can learn and use with all students are where psychologists hold the most power to improve the context of education, said David Yeager, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin and author of 10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People .

“Empowering teachers with concrete, evidence-based advice for busy professionals, whose main job is not to provide psychological help, is a place where our field could make a really big difference,” said Yeager, who is the coprincipal investigator of the National Study of Learning Mindsets and the Texas Mindset Initiative.

Promoting belonging in school

When students feel they are accepted, supported, and valued at school, they do better academically, socially, and behaviorally ( Korpershoek, H., et al., Research Papers in Education , Vol. 35, No. 6, 2020 ). But for students from marginalized groups, a sense of belonging at school could even be lifesaving. In a 2023 study of more than 4,000 Black adolescents, a decrease in school belonging was associated with a 35% increased risk for suicidal thoughts and attempts ( Boyd, D. T., et al., Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities , 2023 ).

Part of belonging at school is being able to seek support from a trusted source, such as an adult from the same racial or ethnic background. In Seattle, Janine Jones, PhD, a professor of school psychology at the University of Washington, has launched a project that will increase the number of Black male psychologists in the district from 1 to 12.

“Across the country, our school workforce is not as diverse as our population of students,” she said. “Through this project, 20% of the district’s school psychologists will be people who are more representative of who they’re serving.”

Students also benefit when they take classes with others who look like them, especially in advanced placement and STEM courses ( Educational Psychology Review , Vol. 34, No. 4, 2022 ; Bowman, N., et al., AERA Open , online first publication, 2023 ). Sandra Graham, PhD, a professor of human development and psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles, who has led research on that link, said it suggests a major downside of academic tracking, which separates students based on ability level, for young people from underrepresented groups.

“When you see other people like you in your classes, you feel more like you belong, and belonging is related to academic achievement,” Graham said.

Her research shows that increased school diversity can benefit all students. Higher diversity is linked to lower rates of bullying, due in part to shifts in power dynamics, and can improve adolescents’ attitudes toward people from other racial and ethnic groups ( Development and Psychopathology , Vol. 35, No. 5 , 2023 ; Educational Psychologist , Vol. 53, No. 2, 2018 ).

“We have the science behind us to say that we need to promote diversity in schools because it makes school a better place for everybody,” Graham said.

Culturally responsive education practices, including policies that provide adequate sociocultural education for teachers working with bilingual students, are a scientifically sound way to increase school belonging, said Lopez, of Penn State. But educational gag orders and book bans in at least 22 states often paint culturally responsive education as a means of scapegoating students from historically dominant groups ( Educational Censorship, PEN America, 2023 ). Lopez is working with Aspen Institute’s Education and Society Program to create user-friendly policy briefs that summarize research showing the contrary.

“We know that educational gag orders and book bans are making many marginalized students feel like their very identity is threatened, which is why it’s so important to counter the harmful misinformation surrounding them,” she said.

Increasing the school psychology workforce

Big-picture goals for the future should include broader efforts to influence the school context—for example by improving school belonging and mindset culture—rather than a focus on individual student-level interventions, Yeager said. Such programs have received less attention to date, he said, partly because it is difficult to randomize entire schools to test them.

Even if the overall school context gets healthier, there will always be kids who need extra support, and there are still far too few school psychologists to help them. Bray said we know what interventions work, but we often do not have the resources to implement them at scale.

“We need more school psychologists—there’s a dire shortage in the nation. More professionals would allow us to spend more time on interventions and less time on paperwork,” she said. But some hopeful changes, including increased funding from the U.S. Department of Education and more flexible training programs, are starting to boost the ranks of school psychologists.

[ Related: There’s a strong push for more school psychologists ]

Outside the school walls, AFT, APA, and others are committed to challenging social media companies to protect young people. The joint Likes vs. Learning report points to the risks of harm and ways to mitigate them, including limiting feed scrolling for teenagers during the school day or providing a hotline schools can call when bullying happens.

“We did this to show just how easy it is for these companies to change things,” Weingarten said. “There are things they could do—they just choose not to.”

Educational quality in the United States is still largely determined by ZIP code, which will remain the case as long as schools are funded at the local level, Golinkoff said. Changing that model would be a powerful way to reduce disparities, but plenty of other things can happen in the meantime.

“There are big things that have to change around education,” she said. “But we can make education better now. We don’t need to wait for those things to change.”

Information and resources

Learn more about the current state of education, challenges schools are facing, and promising psychological research on education:

Making the case: Compelling data on competency-based teaching and learning Knowledge Works, 2024

Education’s long Covid Lewis, K., & Kuhfeld, M., Center for School and Student Progress, 2023

The alarming state of the American student in 2022 Lake, R., & Pillow, T., The Brookings Institution, 2022

What does the research say about the effectiveness of zero-tolerance school discipline policies? Institute of Education Sciences, 2020

United we learn: Honoring America’s racial and ethnic diversity in education Aspen Institute, 2021

Learning through play: A review of the evidence (PDF, 5.54 MB) Zosh, J. M., et al., The LEGO Foundation, 2017

Continued progress: Promising evidence on personalized learning Pane, J. F., et al., RAND Corporation, 2015

Further reading

Making schools work: Bringing the science of learning to joyful classroom practice Hirsh-Pasek, K., et al., Teachers College Press, 2022

College is not the only answer: 7 policy recommendations to help youth succeed Lammers, J., The 74, 2023

Psychologists highlighting the urgent need to reduce violence against teachers Stringer, H., Monitor on Psychology , September 2022

Boys are facing key challenges in school. Inside the effort to support their success Abrams, Z., Monitor on Psychology , April/May 2023

ChatGPT and the future of education: Learner-centered approaches leading the way Sam, S., Education Reimagined, 2023

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TechBullion

The pros and cons of ai homework helper for students.

Introduction 

Homework is a hot topic with many angles to consider. It has its good sides and bad sides. This post talks about the pluses and minuses. Homework helps improve important skills like critical thinking and time management. It can also help with studying for tests and working alone. But it’s not all rosy. It might have negative effects on mental health, less time for other activities, and more stress levels. The new AI tools, like AssignmentGPT’s AI Homework Helper, could be a ray of hope. This helper makes homework easier and helps balance school work.

Quick Summary 

Homework is like a coin with two sides. It helps in learning and boosting important skills. But, it can also cause stress and stop students from enjoying other things in life. AI Homework Helper , kind of like AssignmentGPT, can help students overcome these troubles. They can solve tough problems, create diagrams, and guide students, making homework less of a burden. 

The Pros of Homework 

Homework, when given with care, can be a helpful resource in one’s academic path. Here’s how homework can positively aid your learning journey: 

Improves critical thinking skills 

Homework is not pointless; it’s a brain-strengthening tool. Those after-dark assignments and essays can deepen your grasp and utilization of concepts. Picture homework as a brain training center; each task is a novel workout, urging you to dissect, combine, and appraise knowledge in methods that enhance your problem-solving aptitude. 

Managing time effectively 

Ever had to manage several due dates at once and ponder over how to stay organized? Usual homework tasks can be your initiation into organizing your time well. They show you how to rank duties, control your timetable, and harmonize studying needs with personal obligations. The talent to handle multiple tasks is a craft that will be useful long after your university days.

Preparation for Exams 

Look at homework like it’s your band’s sound check and warm-up before the big concert, the exams. It ties you to the study stuff regularly, making it as simple as ABC to brush up and gear up when it’s time to face the exams. By always tackling those tough questions and penning essays, you’re essentially constructing a sturdy base. This could be your game-changer, transforming last-minute cramming into sure-shot exam success. 

Reinforcement of Learning 

Practicing regularly leads to perfection, and that’s the power of homework. It helps to anchor class lectures into your mind. Grasping a concept in class has its value, but when you use homework to apply and review, it makes understanding stick. 

Supports independent learning 

Homework AI helps you become responsible and independent. It nudges you to handle tasks solo, sparking solution-finding and self-control. This self-reliance readies you for the school trials awaiting and the self-drive needed in your job and personal life. 

Parental Involvement 

Homework serves as a bridge, connecting parents to their child’s learning journey. It opens doors for talks, offers opportunities for steering, and lets them keep track of their kid’s growth. This leads to better dialogue between home and school. 

The Cons of Homework 

Homework might have some perks, but it also has its downsides. Let’s dissect the tough parts and negatives about homework: 

Having an impact on mental health 

Homework can be a tricky thing regarding our mental health. It’s intended to bolster learning, but the overwhelming amount of tasks can cause stress and worry. The endless pressure to meet due dates and the dread of lagging can spawn a never-ending stress cycle. A lot of students get swamped, leading to exhaustion that affects their overall health negatively. 

Time-limited for other activities 

School isn’t only about studying hard. It’s your golden chance to learn about yourself, find new passions, and make friends. Too much homework can steal from time for things like clubs, hobbies, or just being with buddies. This one-sided focus may leave your school days lacking. Isn’t learning about more than just books?

Creativity and interest are lost 

Homework, while essential, can seem dull and repetitive for some kids, zapping their passion for knowledge. A big emphasis on finishing these tasks can block chances for inventive play and autonomous thought, thus narrowing their broad educational journey. 

Unnecessary stress 

Too much homework can lead to stress, impacting both kids and parents. This can shift the focus of schooling from fun learning to just another chore. 

How Can You Complete Your Homework Effectively? 

Consider the AI Helper from AssignmentGPT like your own personal coach. It tackles homework by swiftly solving tough tasks, producing charts, and laying out every step of the process. This aid is great at snagging the hard bits. Not just that, it also assists in arranging projects, allowing students to handle their time much better without feeling swamped. Thanks to AI, students pay more attention to the joy of learning, shifting away from just handling tasks. This boosts their overall school performance. 

Conclusion 

In end, despite the fact that homework plays an critical role in reinforcing learning and acquiring critical competencies, it can additionally improve pupil participation in different enrichment activities and avoid AssignmentGPT and Other AI homework assistants offer promising answers to stability schoolwork demands with personal boom. These equipment can put off a number of the demanding situations associated with conventional domestic care via presenting on the spot guide and customized steerage. However, it’s vital to use it accurately, and make certain it’s embedded in place of simply visible and understood. 

As college students and instructors embrace those AI tools, they want to cognizance on using the technology to decorate their getting to know enjoy, now not just work. When balanced, it can result in extra powerful training and happier, more healthy students. 

• What is an AI School Teaching Assistant? 

AI homework assistants are digital equipment designed to help college students with their homework by supplying answers, causes and gaining knowledge of help. These gear use synthetic intelligence to understand and solution a variety of educational questions. 

• How can AI Homework Helpers enhance my have a look at habits?

AI homework assistants can enhance your mastering through presenting immediately remarks, specific reasons and step-by means of-step hassle fixing. This lets you recognize the topic higher and manage a while higher. 

• Are there any drawbacks to using AI Homework Helpers? 

While AI school project assistants may be beneficial, over-reliance on them can lessen important questioning and trouble-solving capabilities. It is vital to use those equipment as a complement for your mastering rather than instead. 

• Can AI placement assistants cowl all topics? 

Many AI homework assistants are designed to cowl a huge range of topics . However, its effectiveness may also range depending on the severity and nature of the issue. It is greatly used together with traditional teaching methods for excellent results. 

• How do AI homework assistants impact instructional fidelity? 

Using AI Homework Helpers responsibly method looking for meaning as opposed to simply answers. Improper use of these equipment to finish unlearned assignments can undermine instructional integrity. It is crucial to stability the contribution of AI with character attempt and knowledge.

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Why Am I So Tired After School? Knowing When To Take A Break

It can be a common scenario for many high school students: You get through the school day, but by the time you get home, you’re feeling completely exhausted. The question is, why are you so tired after school? It’s possible for the constant activity and focus during school to result in tiredness, but you may also be tired due to not getting enough sleep, being dehydrated, or not consuming enough nutrients. Chronic stress can also lead to exhaustion and burnout. Lifestyle changes, social support, and therapy can help you address after-school tiredness.

Why school can contribute to tiredness

A typical school day can be quite demanding. From early mornings and rigorous academic schedules to physical education classes and social interactions, there’s usually a lot going on. This constant activity can drain your energy levels and leave you feeling worn out by the end of the day.

Several factors may contribute to this tiredness. First, the mental strain of managing academic pressure and maintaining focus in class can be mentally exhausting. The effort required to absorb and process information throughout the day often adds to mental fatigue. Additionally, physical activity during school, whether it’s in physical education classes or walking between classrooms, can also contribute to tiredness.

The impact of exhaustion and fatigue

Feeling tired after school isn’t just about needing a nap. Exhaustion and fatigue can have significant effects on both your physical health and mental well-being . When you’re physically tired, your body’s ability to function at its best may diminish. This can impact your performance in school and extracurricular activities.

Mental exhaustion can also affect your ability to concentrate and retain information, making it harder to stay motivated and engaged with your studies. Chronic stress and poor nutrition can exacerbate these issues, potentially leading to a cycle of fatigue and decreased academic performance.

Tiredness can also hinder social interactions and relationships. When you’re fatigued, you might be less inclined to engage in social activities, possibly leading to withdrawal and reduced social connections. Your mood and patience can suffer, affecting how you interact with friends and family. This withdrawal can further isolate you, creating a negative feedback loop that can impact both your social life and emotional well-being.

Recognizing the signs of student burnout

Understanding the signs of academic burnout can be crucial for managing and preventing it. Burnout isn’t just feeling tired; it typically involves a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged and excessive stress. Here are some signs of burnout:

• Persistent fatigue: A sense of being drained despite getting enough sleep
• Irritability and mood swings: Difficulty managing emotions and increased frustration
• Decreased performance: Challenges with meeting academic and personal expectations
• Lack of motivation: Finding it hard to engage with schoolwork or extracurricular activities

Knowing when to take a break

If you’re experiencing signs of burnout or exhaustion, it can be important to know when to take a break. Taking time to rest and recharge can prevent burnout and maintain your energy levels throughout the day. This might involve short breaks during study sessions, finding time for hobbies, or spending time with friends and family to relax, in addition to getting seven to nine hours of sleep each night.

Other underlying causes of sleepiness

Aside from school-related stress, there are other potential causes of feeling tired. These might include the following:

• Lack of sleep: Not getting enough deep sleep can leave you feeling tired.
• Poor nutrition: Eating habits that lack essential nutrients can affect your energy levels.
• Chronic stress: Ongoing stress can lead to mental and physical exhaustion.
• Physical or mental health conditions: Undiagnosed or untreated health conditions can also contribute to fatigue.

The importance of quality sleep

One of the most significant factors affecting your energy levels may be the quality of your sleep. In general, it’s not just about the number of hours you sleep but also how restorative that sleep is.

What to do when you struggle to fall asleep

If you’re having trouble falling asleep, try these strategies:

• Establish a bedtime routine: Create a relaxing pre-sleep routine to signal to your body that it’s time to wind down.
• Limit screen time: Avoid screens for at least an hour before bed, as the blue light can interfere with your sleep.
• Create a comfortable sleep environment: Ensure your bedroom is cool, dark, and quiet.

What to do when you struggle to stay asleep

If you find yourself waking up frequently during the night, you may be failing to achieve healthy, deep sleep. Consider these tips:

• Maintain a consistent sleep schedule: Go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time every day.
• Avoid caffeine and heavy meals before bed: These can disrupt your sleep.
• Practice relaxation techniques: Activities like deep breathing and meditation can calm your mind.

The benefits of a bedtime routine

A consistent bedtime routine can significantly improve your sleep quality. By establishing a regular routine, you can train your body to recognize when it’s time to sleep, making it easier to fall and stay asleep.

How to manage low energy levels

Managing low energy levels usually involves a combination of lifestyle changes and self-care practices. Here are some effective strategies:

• Exercise regularly: Engaging in physical activity can boost your energy levels and improve overall well-being.
• Prioritize nutrients: Ensure your eating habits are rich in essential nutrients to support your energy needs.
• Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water throughout the day to prevent dehydration-related fatigue.

More tips for boosting energy and finding motivation

To keep your energy levels up and stay motivated, consider these additional tips:

• Set realistic goals: Break large tasks into manageable steps to avoid becoming overwhelmed.
• Take breaks: Incorporate short breaks into your study routine to refresh your mind and body.
• Stay organized: Use planners or digital tools to keep track of assignments and deadlines, reducing stress.

Resources for tired students

Seeking help and utilizing resources can be a step toward effectively managing fatigue or burnout. Helpful resources may include the following: 

• School counselors or mental health services: School counselors can provide support for managing stress and mental health concerns, which can contribute to fatigue. They can offer strategies for balancing schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and self-care.
• Tutoring services or support centers: Many schools have academic support centers or tutoring services that can help students manage their workload more effectively, possibly reducing stress and fatigue.
• Health office or nurse: The school nurse can provide advice on physical health concerns, including potential underlying causes of fatigue, and suggest strategies for improving energy levels and overall well-being.
• Exercise and wellness programs: Programs or clubs focused on physical activity, yoga, or mindfulness can improve energy levels and reduce fatigue. Regular exercise and relaxation techniques can be beneficial for overall health.
• Online resources and apps: Websites and apps focused on stress management, sleep hygiene, and time management can offer practical tips and tools to help students manage fatigue. Examples include sleep trackers, relaxation apps, and productivity planners.

How therapy can help

For persistent difficulties with fatigue and burnout, therapy can be a valuable resource. A therapist can help you address the mental strain and chronic stress that may be contributing to your tiredness. They can also teach you strategies for managing academic pressure and improving your overall well-being. 

If you’re feeling tired and stressed from school, online therapy can be a great way to connect with a therapist who understands the unique pressures you face. It can offer the flexibility to schedule sessions around your busy life, whether you’re juggling homework, extracurricular activities, or other commitments. Plus, online therapy is often more affordable than traditional in-person sessions without insurance.

According to a 2020 study, online cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be equally effective as in-person therapy sessions , which may make it especially helpful for students facing after-school fatigue. However, if your tiredness doesn’t seem to be related to mental health challenges, it may be helpful to speak with your doctor to rule out any underlying conditions.

Feeling tired after school can be a common experience for many students, and it can arise due to a variety of factors, including academic pressure, lack of sleep, and poor nutrition. By understanding the causes of fatigue and taking steps to manage your physical health and mental well-being, you can improve your energy levels and overall quality of life. Remember to prioritize sleep, eat nutritious meals, and seek support when needed. Taking proactive steps to manage your energy levels can help you stay motivated and perform at your best throughout the school day. If stress and mental health concerns contribute to persistent exhaustion, consider speaking with a licensed therapist for support and guidance.

• The Importance Of Mental Health In Schools, Colleges And Beyond Medically reviewed by Julie Dodson , MA
• Sparking The Drive To Learn: How To Motivate Students Medically reviewed by April Justice , LICSW
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United Way: Summer Learning Program has a remarkable impact, but could do more with help

By bill hulterstrom - special to the daily herald | aug 17, 2024.

A United Way Summer Learning Program participant works on letters.

The start of a new school year is always an exciting time. Children get ready for new classes, parents prepare for new schedules and teachers put together classrooms for a new group of students. There are so many opportunities and possibilities awaiting students this school year, and we are so grateful for all the amazing teachers, school staff members and administrators for their hard work and dedication.

We are also grateful for the parents, neighbors and friends who have worked so hard to help their kids prepare for a new school year by providing learning activities and support throughout the summer.

Summer learning activities are such an important part of helping our children and youth retain all the knowledge they’ve learned in the past year and prepare for new educational opportunities in the fall. These activities can be as simple as setting time aside each day for reading, visiting a museum or cooking dinner together from a favorite recipe. These types of simple daily activities can reinforce essential reading and math skills for children and can help them feel excited about learning.

There are also many amazing summer learning programs that can provide additional educational opportunities. One of these programs is the Summer Learning Program at the United Way Center at South Franklin. This program offers reading, math, STEM and social-emotional classes to help kids improve their skills and resilience.

Each summer, more than 100 kids participate in Summer Learning. In addition to their classes, participants in the program receive a free lunch and healthy snack each day and go on a field trip every Friday. There are two different age groups for participants: grades one through three and grades four through six. This allows participants to benefit from smaller class sizes and tailored instructional methods.

Two young boys practice reading while participating in the United Way Summer Learning Program.

This program is made possible through dedicated teachers, aides and volunteers. This year, two math specialists, two reading educators and a teacher specializing in social-emotional development taught classes. Dedicated aides also supported each class. This allows students to receive individual support and even translation services when needed.

Participants in this year’s Summer Learning Program saw significant increases in their math and reading skills. Seventy-five percent saw improved math outcomes. Ninety-eight percent maintained or improved their personal reading levels, with many kids improving by two or more grade levels.

Parents also reported that after the Summer Learning Program, their children more frequently engaged in reading activities. These results not only show how effective the Summer Learning Program is but also how it helps the kids get ready for the next level of classes. One parent said, “I love how this prepares the kids to start school in the fall.”

The Summer Learning Program doesn’t just focus on helping kids increase their math and reading skills. The social-emotional class helps kids learn healthy skills for handling conflict and managing their emotions. After the class, participants showed increased confidence and ability to cope with emotions. When asked what they learned in the class, one participant said, “I learned that having emotions is a part of life we cannot control sometimes, but we can control how we react. I also learned the more you take care of yourself, the more you will love yourself.”

That type of awareness and confidence will not only help children in school, it will help them face life’s challenges with more resilience.

A young student works on spelling at the United Way Summer Learning Program.

The impact of the Summer Learning Program on its participants is remarkable, and United Way of Utah County would love to expand the program to additional locations. By expanding the program to new locations such as the new United Way Center in Payson, the Summer Learning Program would be able to impact hundreds more children and families in our community. In order to expand this program next year and for years after, we need your help. We need teachers, volunteers and sponsors to help provide this resource to families across Utah Valley.

Helping our children and youth learn to love learning and succeed in school is something that all of us can do. From parents and neighbors to teachers and volunteers, there is something each of us can do to make sure our kids have the support they need to learn — during the summer and during the school year.

To learn more about how you can help support programs like the Summer Learning Program, contact United Way of Utah County at 801-374-2588.

United Way Summer Learning Program participants enjoy a tour and demonstration from the Provo Fire Department.

Bill Hulterstrom, president and CEO of United Way of Utah County.

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