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School Life Balance , Tips for Online Students

The Pros and Cons of Homework

The-Pros-and-Cons-Should-Students-Have-Homework

Homework is a word that most students dread hearing. After hours upon hours of sitting in class , the last thing we want is more schoolwork over our precious weekends. While it’s known to be a staple of traditional schooling, homework has also become a rather divise topic. Some feel as though homework is a necessary part of school, while others believe that the time could be better invested. Should students have homework? Have a closer look into the arguments on both sides to decide for yourself.

A college student completely swamped with homework.

Photo by  energepic.com  from  Pexels

Why should students have homework, 1. homework encourages practice.

Many people believe that one of the positive effects of homework is that it encourages the discipline of practice. While it may be time consuming and boring compared to other activities, repetition is needed to get better at skills. Homework helps make concepts more clear, and gives students more opportunities when starting their career .

2. Homework Gets Parents Involved

Homework can be something that gets parents involved in their children’s lives if the environment is a healthy one. A parent helping their child with homework makes them take part in their academic success, and allows for the parent to keep up with what the child is doing in school. It can also be a chance to connect together.

3. Homework Teaches Time Management

Homework is much more than just completing the assigned tasks. Homework can develop time management skills , forcing students to plan their time and make sure that all of their homework assignments are done on time. By learning to manage their time, students also practice their problem-solving skills and independent thinking. One of the positive effects of homework is that it forces decision making and compromises to be made.

4. Homework Opens A Bridge Of Communication

Homework creates a connection between the student, the teacher, the school, and the parents. It allows everyone to get to know each other better, and parents can see where their children are struggling. In the same sense, parents can also see where their children are excelling. Homework in turn can allow for a better, more targeted educational plan for the student.

5. Homework Allows For More Learning Time

Homework allows for more time to complete the learning process. School hours are not always enough time for students to really understand core concepts, and homework can counter the effects of time shortages, benefiting students in the long run, even if they can’t see it in the moment.

6. Homework Reduces Screen Time

Many students in North America spend far too many hours watching TV. If they weren’t in school, these numbers would likely increase even more. Although homework is usually undesired, it encourages better study habits and discourages spending time in front of the TV. Homework can be seen as another extracurricular activity, and many families already invest a lot of time and money in different clubs and lessons to fill up their children’s extra time. Just like extracurricular activities, homework can be fit into one’s schedule.

A female student who doesn’t want to do homework.

The Other Side: Why Homework Is Bad

1. homework encourages a sedentary lifestyle.

Should students have homework? Well, that depends on where you stand. There are arguments both for the advantages and the disadvantages of homework.

While classroom time is important, playground time is just as important. If children are given too much homework, they won’t have enough playtime, which can impact their social development and learning. Studies have found that those who get more play get better grades in school , as it can help them pay closer attention in the classroom.

Children are already sitting long hours in the classroom, and homework assignments only add to these hours. Sedentary lifestyles can be dangerous and can cause health problems such as obesity. Homework takes away from time that could be spent investing in physical activity.

2. Homework Isn’t Healthy In Every Home

While many people that think homes are a beneficial environment for children to learn, not all homes provide a healthy environment, and there may be very little investment from parents. Some parents do not provide any kind of support or homework help, and even if they would like to, due to personal barriers, they sometimes cannot. Homework can create friction between children and their parents, which is one of the reasons why homework is bad .

3. Homework Adds To An Already Full-Time Job

School is already a full-time job for students, as they generally spend over 6 hours each day in class. Students also often have extracurricular activities such as sports, music, or art that are just as important as their traditional courses. Adding on extra hours to all of these demands is a lot for children to manage, and prevents students from having extra time to themselves for a variety of creative endeavors. Homework prevents self discovery and having the time to learn new skills outside of the school system. This is one of the main disadvantages of homework.

4. Homework Has Not Been Proven To Provide Results

Endless surveys have found that homework creates a negative attitude towards school, and homework has not been found to be linked to a higher level of academic success.

The positive effects of homework have not been backed up enough. While homework may help some students improve in specific subjects, if they have outside help there is no real proof that homework makes for improvements.

It can be a challenge to really enforce the completion of homework, and students can still get decent grades without doing their homework. Extra school time does not necessarily mean better grades — quality must always come before quantity.

Accurate practice when it comes to homework simply isn’t reliable. Homework could even cause opposite effects if misunderstood, especially since the reliance is placed on the student and their parents — one of the major reasons as to why homework is bad. Many students would rather cheat in class to avoid doing their homework at home, and children often just copy off of each other or from what they read on the internet.

5. Homework Assignments Are Overdone

The general agreement is that students should not be given more than 10 minutes a day per grade level. What this means is that a first grader should be given a maximum of 10 minutes of homework, while a second grader receives 20 minutes, etc. Many students are given a lot more homework than the recommended amount, however.

On average, college students spend as much as 3 hours per night on homework . By giving too much homework, it can increase stress levels and lead to burn out. This in turn provides an opposite effect when it comes to academic success.

The pros and cons of homework are both valid, and it seems as though the question of ‘‘should students have homework?’ is not a simple, straightforward one. Parents and teachers often are found to be clashing heads, while the student is left in the middle without much say.

It’s important to understand all the advantages and disadvantages of homework, taking both perspectives into conversation to find a common ground. At the end of the day, everyone’s goal is the success of the student.

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Privacy overview.

Does Homework Really Help Students Learn?

A conversation with a Wheelock researcher, a BU student, and a fourth-grade teacher

child doing homework

“Quality homework is engaging and relevant to kids’ lives,” says Wheelock’s Janine Bempechat. “It gives them autonomy and engages them in the community and with their families. In some subjects, like math, worksheets can be very helpful. It has to do with the value of practicing over and over.” Photo by iStock/Glenn Cook Photography

Do your homework.

If only it were that simple.

Educators have debated the merits of homework since the late 19th century. In recent years, amid concerns of some parents and teachers that children are being stressed out by too much homework, things have only gotten more fraught.

“Homework is complicated,” says developmental psychologist Janine Bempechat, a Wheelock College of Education & Human Development clinical professor. The author of the essay “ The Case for (Quality) Homework—Why It Improves Learning and How Parents Can Help ” in the winter 2019 issue of Education Next , Bempechat has studied how the debate about homework is influencing teacher preparation, parent and student beliefs about learning, and school policies.

She worries especially about socioeconomically disadvantaged students from low-performing schools who, according to research by Bempechat and others, get little or no homework.

BU Today  sat down with Bempechat and Erin Bruce (Wheelock’17,’18), a new fourth-grade teacher at a suburban Boston school, and future teacher freshman Emma Ardizzone (Wheelock) to talk about what quality homework looks like, how it can help children learn, and how schools can equip teachers to design it, evaluate it, and facilitate parents’ role in it.

BU Today: Parents and educators who are against homework in elementary school say there is no research definitively linking it to academic performance for kids in the early grades. You’ve said that they’re missing the point.

Bempechat : I think teachers assign homework in elementary school as a way to help kids develop skills they’ll need when they’re older—to begin to instill a sense of responsibility and to learn planning and organizational skills. That’s what I think is the greatest value of homework—in cultivating beliefs about learning and skills associated with academic success. If we greatly reduce or eliminate homework in elementary school, we deprive kids and parents of opportunities to instill these important learning habits and skills.

We do know that beginning in late middle school, and continuing through high school, there is a strong and positive correlation between homework completion and academic success.

That’s what I think is the greatest value of homework—in cultivating beliefs about learning and skills associated with academic success.

You talk about the importance of quality homework. What is that?

Quality homework is engaging and relevant to kids’ lives. It gives them autonomy and engages them in the community and with their families. In some subjects, like math, worksheets can be very helpful. It has to do with the value of practicing over and over.

Janine Bempechat

What are your concerns about homework and low-income children?

The argument that some people make—that homework “punishes the poor” because lower-income parents may not be as well-equipped as affluent parents to help their children with homework—is very troubling to me. There are no parents who don’t care about their children’s learning. Parents don’t actually have to help with homework completion in order for kids to do well. They can help in other ways—by helping children organize a study space, providing snacks, being there as a support, helping children work in groups with siblings or friends.

Isn’t the discussion about getting rid of homework happening mostly in affluent communities?

Yes, and the stories we hear of kids being stressed out from too much homework—four or five hours of homework a night—are real. That’s problematic for physical and mental health and overall well-being. But the research shows that higher-income students get a lot more homework than lower-income kids.

Teachers may not have as high expectations for lower-income children. Schools should bear responsibility for providing supports for kids to be able to get their homework done—after-school clubs, community support, peer group support. It does kids a disservice when our expectations are lower for them.

The conversation around homework is to some extent a social class and social justice issue. If we eliminate homework for all children because affluent children have too much, we’re really doing a disservice to low-income children. They need the challenge, and every student can rise to the challenge with enough supports in place.

What did you learn by studying how education schools are preparing future teachers to handle homework?

My colleague, Margarita Jimenez-Silva, at the University of California, Davis, School of Education, and I interviewed faculty members at education schools, as well as supervising teachers, to find out how students are being prepared. And it seemed that they weren’t. There didn’t seem to be any readings on the research, or conversations on what high-quality homework is and how to design it.

Erin, what kind of training did you get in handling homework?

Bruce : I had phenomenal professors at Wheelock, but homework just didn’t come up. I did lots of student teaching. I’ve been in classrooms where the teachers didn’t assign any homework, and I’ve been in rooms where they assigned hours of homework a night. But I never even considered homework as something that was my decision. I just thought it was something I’d pull out of a book and it’d be done.

I started giving homework on the first night of school this year. My first assignment was to go home and draw a picture of the room where you do your homework. I want to know if it’s at a table and if there are chairs around it and if mom’s cooking dinner while you’re doing homework.

The second night I asked them to talk to a grown-up about how are you going to be able to get your homework done during the week. The kids really enjoyed it. There’s a running joke that I’m teaching life skills.

Friday nights, I read all my kids’ responses to me on their homework from the week and it’s wonderful. They pour their hearts out. It’s like we’re having a conversation on my couch Friday night.

It matters to know that the teacher cares about you and that what you think matters to the teacher. Homework is a vehicle to connect home and school…for parents to know teachers are welcoming to them and their families.

Bempechat : I can’t imagine that most new teachers would have the intuition Erin had in designing homework the way she did.

Ardizzone : Conversations with kids about homework, feeling you’re being listened to—that’s such a big part of wanting to do homework….I grew up in Westchester County. It was a pretty demanding school district. My junior year English teacher—I loved her—she would give us feedback, have meetings with all of us. She’d say, “If you have any questions, if you have anything you want to talk about, you can talk to me, here are my office hours.” It felt like she actually cared.

Bempechat : It matters to know that the teacher cares about you and that what you think matters to the teacher. Homework is a vehicle to connect home and school…for parents to know teachers are welcoming to them and their families.

Ardizzone : But can’t it lead to parents being overbearing and too involved in their children’s lives as students?

Bempechat : There’s good help and there’s bad help. The bad help is what you’re describing—when parents hover inappropriately, when they micromanage, when they see their children confused and struggling and tell them what to do.

Good help is when parents recognize there’s a struggle going on and instead ask informative questions: “Where do you think you went wrong?” They give hints, or pointers, rather than saying, “You missed this,” or “You didn’t read that.”

Bruce : I hope something comes of this. I hope BU or Wheelock can think of some way to make this a more pressing issue. As a first-year teacher, it was not something I even thought about on the first day of school—until a kid raised his hand and said, “Do we have homework?” It would have been wonderful if I’d had a plan from day one.

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Senior Contributing Editor

Sara Rimer

Sara Rimer A journalist for more than three decades, Sara Rimer worked at the Miami Herald , Washington Post and, for 26 years, the New York Times , where she was the New England bureau chief, and a national reporter covering education, aging, immigration, and other social justice issues. Her stories on the death penalty’s inequities were nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and cited in the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision outlawing the execution of people with intellectual disabilities. Her journalism honors include Columbia University’s Meyer Berger award for in-depth human interest reporting. She holds a BA degree in American Studies from the University of Michigan. Profile

She can be reached at [email protected] .

Comments & Discussion

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There are 81 comments on Does Homework Really Help Students Learn?

Insightful! The values about homework in elementary schools are well aligned with my intuition as a parent.

when i finish my work i do my homework and i sometimes forget what to do because i did not get enough sleep

same omg it does not help me it is stressful and if I have it in more than one class I hate it.

Same I think my parent wants to help me but, she doesn’t care if I get bad grades so I just try my best and my grades are great.

I think that last question about Good help from parents is not know to all parents, we do as our parents did or how we best think it can be done, so maybe coaching parents or giving them resources on how to help with homework would be very beneficial for the parent on how to help and for the teacher to have consistency and improve homework results, and of course for the child. I do see how homework helps reaffirm the knowledge obtained in the classroom, I also have the ability to see progress and it is a time I share with my kids

The answer to the headline question is a no-brainer – a more pressing problem is why there is a difference in how students from different cultures succeed. Perfect example is the student population at BU – why is there a majority population of Asian students and only about 3% black students at BU? In fact at some universities there are law suits by Asians to stop discrimination and quotas against admitting Asian students because the real truth is that as a group they are demonstrating better qualifications for admittance, while at the same time there are quotas and reduced requirements for black students to boost their portion of the student population because as a group they do more poorly in meeting admissions standards – and it is not about the Benjamins. The real problem is that in our PC society no one has the gazuntas to explore this issue as it may reveal that all people are not created equal after all. Or is it just environmental cultural differences??????

I get you have a concern about the issue but that is not even what the point of this article is about. If you have an issue please take this to the site we have and only post your opinion about the actual topic

This is not at all what the article is talking about.

This literally has nothing to do with the article brought up. You should really take your opinions somewhere else before you speak about something that doesn’t make sense.

we have the same name

so they have the same name what of it?

lol you tell her

totally agree

What does that have to do with homework, that is not what the article talks about AT ALL.

Yes, I think homework plays an important role in the development of student life. Through homework, students have to face challenges on a daily basis and they try to solve them quickly.I am an intense online tutor at 24x7homeworkhelp and I give homework to my students at that level in which they handle it easily.

More than two-thirds of students said they used alcohol and drugs, primarily marijuana, to cope with stress.

You know what’s funny? I got this assignment to write an argument for homework about homework and this article was really helpful and understandable, and I also agree with this article’s point of view.

I also got the same task as you! I was looking for some good resources and I found this! I really found this article useful and easy to understand, just like you! ^^

i think that homework is the best thing that a child can have on the school because it help them with their thinking and memory.

I am a child myself and i think homework is a terrific pass time because i can’t play video games during the week. It also helps me set goals.

Homework is not harmful ,but it will if there is too much

I feel like, from a minors point of view that we shouldn’t get homework. Not only is the homework stressful, but it takes us away from relaxing and being social. For example, me and my friends was supposed to hang at the mall last week but we had to postpone it since we all had some sort of work to do. Our minds shouldn’t be focused on finishing an assignment that in realty, doesn’t matter. I completely understand that we should have homework. I have to write a paper on the unimportance of homework so thanks.

homework isn’t that bad

Are you a student? if not then i don’t really think you know how much and how severe todays homework really is

i am a student and i do not enjoy homework because i practice my sport 4 out of the five days we have school for 4 hours and that’s not even counting the commute time or the fact i still have to shower and eat dinner when i get home. its draining!

i totally agree with you. these people are such boomers

why just why

they do make a really good point, i think that there should be a limit though. hours and hours of homework can be really stressful, and the extra work isn’t making a difference to our learning, but i do believe homework should be optional and extra credit. that would make it for students to not have the leaning stress of a assignment and if you have a low grade you you can catch up.

Studies show that homework improves student achievement in terms of improved grades, test results, and the likelihood to attend college. Research published in the High School Journal indicates that students who spent between 31 and 90 minutes each day on homework “scored about 40 points higher on the SAT-Mathematics subtest than their peers, who reported spending no time on homework each day, on average.” On both standardized tests and grades, students in classes that were assigned homework outperformed 69% of students who didn’t have homework. A majority of studies on homework’s impact – 64% in one meta-study and 72% in another – showed that take home assignments were effective at improving academic achievement. Research by the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) concluded that increased homework led to better GPAs and higher probability of college attendance for high school boys. In fact, boys who attended college did more than three hours of additional homework per week in high school.

So how are your measuring student achievement? That’s the real question. The argument that doing homework is simply a tool for teaching responsibility isn’t enough for me. We can teach responsibility in a number of ways. Also the poor argument that parents don’t need to help with homework, and that students can do it on their own, is wishful thinking at best. It completely ignores neurodiverse students. Students in poverty aren’t magically going to find a space to do homework, a friend’s or siblings to help them do it, and snacks to eat. I feel like the author of this piece has never set foot in a classroom of students.

THIS. This article is pathetic coming from a university. So intellectually dishonest, refusing to address the havoc of capitalism and poverty plays on academic success in life. How can they in one sentence use poor kids in an argument and never once address that poor children have access to damn near 0 of the resources affluent kids have? Draw me a picture and let’s talk about feelings lmao what a joke is that gonna put food in their belly so they can have the calories to burn in order to use their brain to study? What about quiet their 7 other siblings that they share a single bedroom with for hours? Is it gonna force the single mom to magically be at home and at work at the same time to cook food while you study and be there to throw an encouraging word?

Also the “parents don’t need to be a parent and be able to guide their kid at all academically they just need to exist in the next room” is wild. Its one thing if a parent straight up is not equipped but to say kids can just figured it out is…. wow coming from an educator What’s next the teacher doesn’t need to teach cause the kid can just follow the packet and figure it out?

Well then get a tutor right? Oh wait you are poor only affluent kids can afford a tutor for their hours of homework a day were they on average have none of the worries a poor child does. Does this address that poor children are more likely to also suffer abuse and mental illness? Like mentioned what about kids that can’t learn or comprehend the forced standardized way? Just let em fail? These children regularly are not in “special education”(some of those are a joke in their own and full of neglect and abuse) programs cause most aren’t even acknowledged as having disabilities or disorders.

But yes all and all those pesky poor kids just aren’t being worked hard enough lol pretty sure poor children’s existence just in childhood is more work, stress, and responsibility alone than an affluent child’s entire life cycle. Love they never once talked about the quality of education in the classroom being so bad between the poor and affluent it can qualify as segregation, just basically blamed poor people for being lazy, good job capitalism for failing us once again!

why the hell?

you should feel bad for saying this, this article can be helpful for people who has to write a essay about it

This is more of a political rant than it is about homework

I know a teacher who has told his students their homework is to find something they are interested in, pursue it and then come share what they learn. The student responses are quite compelling. One girl taught herself German so she could talk to her grandfather. One boy did a research project on Nelson Mandela because the teacher had mentioned him in class. Another boy, a both on the autism spectrum, fixed his family’s computer. The list goes on. This is fourth grade. I think students are highly motivated to learn, when we step aside and encourage them.

The whole point of homework is to give the students a chance to use the material that they have been presented with in class. If they never have the opportunity to use that information, and discover that it is actually useful, it will be in one ear and out the other. As a science teacher, it is critical that the students are challenged to use the material they have been presented with, which gives them the opportunity to actually think about it rather than regurgitate “facts”. Well designed homework forces the student to think conceptually, as opposed to regurgitation, which is never a pretty sight

Wonderful discussion. and yes, homework helps in learning and building skills in students.

not true it just causes kids to stress

Homework can be both beneficial and unuseful, if you will. There are students who are gifted in all subjects in school and ones with disabilities. Why should the students who are gifted get the lucky break, whereas the people who have disabilities suffer? The people who were born with this “gift” go through school with ease whereas people with disabilities struggle with the work given to them. I speak from experience because I am one of those students: the ones with disabilities. Homework doesn’t benefit “us”, it only tears us down and put us in an abyss of confusion and stress and hopelessness because we can’t learn as fast as others. Or we can’t handle the amount of work given whereas the gifted students go through it with ease. It just brings us down and makes us feel lost; because no mater what, it feels like we are destined to fail. It feels like we weren’t “cut out” for success.

homework does help

here is the thing though, if a child is shoved in the face with a whole ton of homework that isn’t really even considered homework it is assignments, it’s not helpful. the teacher should make homework more of a fun learning experience rather than something that is dreaded

This article was wonderful, I am going to ask my teachers about extra, or at all giving homework.

I agree. Especially when you have homework before an exam. Which is distasteful as you’ll need that time to study. It doesn’t make any sense, nor does us doing homework really matters as It’s just facts thrown at us.

Homework is too severe and is just too much for students, schools need to decrease the amount of homework. When teachers assign homework they forget that the students have other classes that give them the same amount of homework each day. Students need to work on social skills and life skills.

I disagree.

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.

Homework is helpful because homework helps us by teaching us how to learn a specific topic.

As a student myself, I can say that I have almost never gotten the full 9 hours of recommended sleep time, because of homework. (Now I’m writing an essay on it in the middle of the night D=)

I am a 10 year old kid doing a report about “Is homework good or bad” for homework before i was going to do homework is bad but the sources from this site changed my mind!

Homeowkr is god for stusenrs

I agree with hunter because homework can be so stressful especially with this whole covid thing no one has time for homework and every one just wants to get back to there normal lives it is especially stressful when you go on a 2 week vaca 3 weeks into the new school year and and then less then a week after you come back from the vaca you are out for over a month because of covid and you have no way to get the assignment done and turned in

As great as homework is said to be in the is article, I feel like the viewpoint of the students was left out. Every where I go on the internet researching about this topic it almost always has interviews from teachers, professors, and the like. However isn’t that a little biased? Of course teachers are going to be for homework, they’re not the ones that have to stay up past midnight completing the homework from not just one class, but all of them. I just feel like this site is one-sided and you should include what the students of today think of spending four hours every night completing 6-8 classes worth of work.

Are we talking about homework or practice? Those are two very different things and can result in different outcomes.

Homework is a graded assignment. I do not know of research showing the benefits of graded assignments going home.

Practice; however, can be extremely beneficial, especially if there is some sort of feedback (not a grade but feedback). That feedback can come from the teacher, another student or even an automated grading program.

As a former band director, I assigned daily practice. I never once thought it would be appropriate for me to require the students to turn in a recording of their practice for me to grade. Instead, I had in-class assignments/assessments that were graded and directly related to the practice assigned.

I would really like to read articles on “homework” that truly distinguish between the two.

oof i feel bad good luck!

thank you guys for the artical because I have to finish an assingment. yes i did cite it but just thanks

thx for the article guys.

Homework is good

I think homework is helpful AND harmful. Sometimes u can’t get sleep bc of homework but it helps u practice for school too so idk.

I agree with this Article. And does anyone know when this was published. I would like to know.

It was published FEb 19, 2019.

Studies have shown that homework improved student achievement in terms of improved grades, test results, and the likelihood to attend college.

i think homework can help kids but at the same time not help kids

This article is so out of touch with majority of homes it would be laughable if it wasn’t so incredibly sad.

There is no value to homework all it does is add stress to already stressed homes. Parents or adults magically having the time or energy to shepherd kids through homework is dome sort of 1950’s fantasy.

What lala land do these teachers live in?

Homework gives noting to the kid

Homework is Bad

homework is bad.

why do kids even have homework?

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Are You Down With or Done With Homework?

  • Posted January 17, 2012
  • By Lory Hough

Sign: Are you down with or done with homework?

The debate over how much schoolwork students should be doing at home has flared again, with one side saying it's too much, the other side saying in our competitive world, it's just not enough.

It was a move that doesn't happen very often in American public schools: The principal got rid of homework.

This past September, Stephanie Brant, principal of Gaithersburg Elementary School in Gaithersburg, Md., decided that instead of teachers sending kids home with math worksheets and spelling flash cards, students would instead go home and read. Every day for 30 minutes, more if they had time or the inclination, with parents or on their own.

"I knew this would be a big shift for my community," she says. But she also strongly believed it was a necessary one. Twenty-first-century learners, especially those in elementary school, need to think critically and understand their own learning — not spend night after night doing rote homework drills.

Brant's move may not be common, but she isn't alone in her questioning. The value of doing schoolwork at home has gone in and out of fashion in the United States among educators, policymakers, the media, and, more recently, parents. As far back as the late 1800s, with the rise of the Progressive Era, doctors such as Joseph Mayer Rice began pushing for a limit on what he called "mechanical homework," saying it caused childhood nervous conditions and eyestrain. Around that time, the then-influential Ladies Home Journal began publishing a series of anti-homework articles, stating that five hours of brain work a day was "the most we should ask of our children," and that homework was an intrusion on family life. In response, states like California passed laws abolishing homework for students under a certain age.

But, as is often the case with education, the tide eventually turned. After the Russians launched the Sputnik satellite in 1957, a space race emerged, and, writes Brian Gill in the journal Theory Into Practice, "The homework problem was reconceived as part of a national crisis; the U.S. was losing the Cold War because Russian children were smarter." Many earlier laws limiting homework were abolished, and the longterm trend toward less homework came to an end.

The debate re-emerged a decade later when parents of the late '60s and '70s argued that children should be free to play and explore — similar anti-homework wellness arguments echoed nearly a century earlier. By the early-1980s, however, the pendulum swung again with the publication of A Nation at Risk , which blamed poor education for a "rising tide of mediocrity." Students needed to work harder, the report said, and one way to do this was more homework.

For the most part, this pro-homework sentiment is still going strong today, in part because of mandatory testing and continued economic concerns about the nation's competitiveness. Many believe that today's students are falling behind their peers in places like Korea and Finland and are paying more attention to Angry Birds than to ancient Babylonia.

But there are also a growing number of Stephanie Brants out there, educators and parents who believe that students are stressed and missing out on valuable family time. Students, they say, particularly younger students who have seen a rise in the amount of take-home work and already put in a six- to nine-hour "work" day, need less, not more homework.

Who is right? Are students not working hard enough or is homework not working for them? Here's where the story gets a little tricky: It depends on whom you ask and what research you're looking at. As Cathy Vatterott, the author of Rethinking Homework , points out, "Homework has generated enough research so that a study can be found to support almost any position, as long as conflicting studies are ignored." Alfie Kohn, author of The Homework Myth and a strong believer in eliminating all homework, writes that, "The fact that there isn't anything close to unanimity among experts belies the widespread assumption that homework helps." At best, he says, homework shows only an association, not a causal relationship, with academic achievement. In other words, it's hard to tease out how homework is really affecting test scores and grades. Did one teacher give better homework than another? Was one teacher more effective in the classroom? Do certain students test better or just try harder?

"It is difficult to separate where the effect of classroom teaching ends," Vatterott writes, "and the effect of homework begins."

Putting research aside, however, much of the current debate over homework is focused less on how homework affects academic achievement and more on time. Parents in particular have been saying that the amount of time children spend in school, especially with afterschool programs, combined with the amount of homework given — as early as kindergarten — is leaving students with little time to run around, eat dinner with their families, or even get enough sleep.

Certainly, for some parents, homework is a way to stay connected to their children's learning. But for others, homework creates a tug-of-war between parents and children, says Liz Goodenough, M.A.T.'71, creator of a documentary called Where Do the Children Play?

"Ideally homework should be about taking something home, spending a few curious and interesting moments in which children might engage with parents, and then getting that project back to school — an organizational triumph," she says. "A nag-free activity could engage family time: Ask a parent about his or her own childhood. Interview siblings."

Illustration by Jessica Esch

Instead, as the authors of The Case Against Homework write, "Homework overload is turning many of us into the types of parents we never wanted to be: nags, bribers, and taskmasters."

Leslie Butchko saw it happen a few years ago when her son started sixth grade in the Santa Monica-Malibu (Calif.) United School District. She remembers him getting two to four hours of homework a night, plus weekend and vacation projects. He was overwhelmed and struggled to finish assignments, especially on nights when he also had an extracurricular activity.

"Ultimately, we felt compelled to have Bobby quit karate — he's a black belt — to allow more time for homework," she says. And then, with all of their attention focused on Bobby's homework, she and her husband started sending their youngest to his room so that Bobby could focus. "One day, my younger son gave us 15-minute coupons as a present for us to use to send him to play in the back room. … It was then that we realized there had to be something wrong with the amount of homework we were facing."

Butchko joined forces with another mother who was having similar struggles and ultimately helped get the homework policy in her district changed, limiting homework on weekends and holidays, setting time guidelines for daily homework, and broadening the definition of homework to include projects and studying for tests. As she told the school board at one meeting when the policy was first being discussed, "In closing, I just want to say that I had more free time at Harvard Law School than my son has in middle school, and that is not in the best interests of our children."

One barrier that Butchko had to overcome initially was convincing many teachers and parents that more homework doesn't necessarily equal rigor.

"Most of the parents that were against the homework policy felt that students need a large quantity of homework to prepare them for the rigorous AP classes in high school and to get them into Harvard," she says.

Stephanie Conklin, Ed.M.'06, sees this at Another Course to College, the Boston pilot school where she teaches math. "When a student is not completing [his or her] homework, parents usually are frustrated by this and agree with me that homework is an important part of their child's learning," she says.

As Timothy Jarman, Ed.M.'10, a ninth-grade English teacher at Eugene Ashley High School in Wilmington, N.C., says, "Parents think it is strange when their children are not assigned a substantial amount of homework."

That's because, writes Vatterott, in her chapter, "The Cult(ure) of Homework," the concept of homework "has become so engrained in U.S. culture that the word homework is part of the common vernacular."

These days, nightly homework is a given in American schools, writes Kohn.

"Homework isn't limited to those occasions when it seems appropriate and important. Most teachers and administrators aren't saying, 'It may be useful to do this particular project at home,'" he writes. "Rather, the point of departure seems to be, 'We've decided ahead of time that children will have to do something every night (or several times a week). … This commitment to the idea of homework in the abstract is accepted by the overwhelming majority of schools — public and private, elementary and secondary."

Brant had to confront this when she cut homework at Gaithersburg Elementary.

"A lot of my parents have this idea that homework is part of life. This is what I had to do when I was young," she says, and so, too, will our kids. "So I had to shift their thinking." She did this slowly, first by asking her teachers last year to really think about what they were sending home. And this year, in addition to forming a parent advisory group around the issue, she also holds events to answer questions.

Still, not everyone is convinced that homework as a given is a bad thing. "Any pursuit of excellence, be it in sports, the arts, or academics, requires hard work. That our culture finds it okay for kids to spend hours a day in a sport but not equal time on academics is part of the problem," wrote one pro-homework parent on the blog for the documentary Race to Nowhere , which looks at the stress American students are under. "Homework has always been an issue for parents and children. It is now and it was 20 years ago. I think when people decide to have children that it is their responsibility to educate them," wrote another.

And part of educating them, some believe, is helping them develop skills they will eventually need in adulthood. "Homework can help students develop study skills that will be of value even after they leave school," reads a publication on the U.S. Department of Education website called Homework Tips for Parents. "It can teach them that learning takes place anywhere, not just in the classroom. … It can foster positive character traits such as independence and responsibility. Homework can teach children how to manage time."

Annie Brown, Ed.M.'01, feels this is particularly critical at less affluent schools like the ones she has worked at in Boston, Cambridge, Mass., and Los Angeles as a literacy coach.

"It feels important that my students do homework because they will ultimately be competing for college placement and jobs with students who have done homework and have developed a work ethic," she says. "Also it will get them ready for independently taking responsibility for their learning, which will need to happen for them to go to college."

The problem with this thinking, writes Vatterott, is that homework becomes a way to practice being a worker.

"Which begs the question," she writes. "Is our job as educators to produce learners or workers?"

Slate magazine editor Emily Bazelon, in a piece about homework, says this makes no sense for younger kids.

"Why should we think that practicing homework in first grade will make you better at doing it in middle school?" she writes. "Doesn't the opposite seem equally plausible: that it's counterproductive to ask children to sit down and work at night before they're developmentally ready because you'll just make them tired and cross?"

Kohn writes in the American School Board Journal that this "premature exposure" to practices like homework (and sit-and-listen lessons and tests) "are clearly a bad match for younger children and of questionable value at any age." He calls it BGUTI: Better Get Used to It. "The logic here is that we have to prepare you for the bad things that are going to be done to you later … by doing them to you now."

According to a recent University of Michigan study, daily homework for six- to eight-year-olds increased on average from about 8 minutes in 1981 to 22 minutes in 2003. A review of research by Duke University Professor Harris Cooper found that for elementary school students, "the average correlation between time spent on homework and achievement … hovered around zero."

So should homework be eliminated? Of course not, say many Ed School graduates who are teaching. Not only would students not have time for essays and long projects, but also teachers would not be able to get all students to grade level or to cover critical material, says Brett Pangburn, Ed.M.'06, a sixth-grade English teacher at Excel Academy Charter School in Boston. Still, he says, homework has to be relevant.

"Kids need to practice the skills being taught in class, especially where, like the kids I teach at Excel, they are behind and need to catch up," he says. "Our results at Excel have demonstrated that kids can catch up and view themselves as in control of their academic futures, but this requires hard work, and homework is a part of it."

Ed School Professor Howard Gardner basically agrees.

"America and Americans lurch between too little homework in many of our schools to an excess of homework in our most competitive environments — Li'l Abner vs. Tiger Mother," he says. "Neither approach makes sense. Homework should build on what happens in class, consolidating skills and helping students to answer new questions."

So how can schools come to a happy medium, a way that allows teachers to cover everything they need while not overwhelming students? Conklin says she often gives online math assignments that act as labs and students have two or three days to complete them, including some in-class time. Students at Pangburn's school have a 50-minute silent period during regular school hours where homework can be started, and where teachers pull individual or small groups of students aside for tutoring, often on that night's homework. Afterschool homework clubs can help.

Some schools and districts have adapted time limits rather than nix homework completely, with the 10-minute per grade rule being the standard — 10 minutes a night for first-graders, 30 minutes for third-graders, and so on. (This remedy, however, is often met with mixed results since not all students work at the same pace.) Other schools offer an extended day that allows teachers to cover more material in school, in turn requiring fewer take-home assignments. And for others, like Stephanie Brant's elementary school in Maryland, more reading with a few targeted project assignments has been the answer.

"The routine of reading is so much more important than the routine of homework," she says. "Let's have kids reflect. You can still have the routine and you can still have your workspace, but now it's for reading. I often say to parents, if we can put a man on the moon, we can put a man or woman on Mars and that person is now a second-grader. We don't know what skills that person will need. At the end of the day, we have to feel confident that we're giving them something they can use on Mars."

Read a January 2014 update.

Homework Policy Still Going Strong

Illustration by Jessica Esch

Ed. Magazine

The magazine of the Harvard Graduate School of Education

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Is Homework Necessary for Student Success?

Readers argue both sides, citing Finland, the value of repetition, education inequity and more.

is homework harmful or helpful conclusion

To the Editor:

Re “ The Movement to End Homework Is Wrong ,” by Jay Caspian Kang (Sunday Opinion, July 31):

Finland proves that you don’t need homework for education success. Students there have hardly any homework, and it has one of the top education systems in the world. In America, there is ample time for students to do in class what is now assigned as homework.

Whether a student attends an expensive private school, an underserved public school or something in between, being burdened with hours of additional work to do after school unnecessarily robs them of time for play, introspection, creative thinking, relaxation and intellectual growth.

Mr. Kang regards the demonstration of diligence and personal responsibility as an important raison d’être of homework. He sees schools as places where students can distinguish themselves and pursue upward mobility. But ranking students on homework production favors students with quiet places to go home to, good Wi-Fi, and access to tutors and parents who can provide help. In other words, it favors students of higher socioeconomic status.

It follows that making homework an important part of a student’s evaluation perpetuates both educational inequalities and the myth of meritocracy. A first step toward improving our educational system is indeed the abolition of homework.

Dorshka Wylie Washington The writer is an assistant professor of mathematics at the University of the District of Columbia.

Homework’s value is unclear for younger students. But by high school and college, homework is absolutely essential for any student who wishes to excel. There simply isn’t time to digest Dostoyevsky if you only ever read him in class.

In both my own education and my 20-year career as an educator, I’ve observed that those students who spend the most time on homework tend to learn the most and earn the best grades. And this is no less true for athletes and musicians. Top performers have often spent far more time perfecting their crafts than their lesser competitors.

This isn’t to deny natural talent or to suggest that everybody starts from the same spot, but it is to say that what matters most is putting in the hours. As Jay Caspian Kang notes, “Kids need to learn how to practice things.”

Simone Biles became the greatest gymnast ever by training seven hours a day, six days a week . Lang Lang made it to Carnegie Hall at age 18 after practicing piano six hours a day starting when he was 5 years old. Steph Curry is the greatest shooter in N.B.A. history precisely because he puts up 300 to 500 shots every day . The recipe is surprisingly simple: Outwork others. It’s much harder than it sounds.

Justin Snider New York The writer is an assistant dean at Columbia University, where he also teaches undergraduate writing.

In my own practice as a high school mathematics teacher, I explored why students were not doing homework in certain classes and discovered that many of them were having difficulty doing the problems. When I “flipped” my classroom, I started assigning simple introductory videos for homework and doing the harder problems in class.

Students get credit for watching and doing the problems in the video. Then in class, they are better prepared to work on more difficult problems. This significantly increased the percentage of homework doers.

In other cases, I create an after-school “homework clinic” where I can guide students in how to approach the work, and how to judge if they have done enough. Sometimes groups of students come together to a homework clinic and enjoy helping one another.

I don’t think about homework as something that must be done “at home”; I think of it as an opportunity for a student to work independently, and to explore and practice new ideas.

This is one approach to improving equity without lowering cognitive demand.

Joyce Leslie Highland Park, N.J.

Telling students that “a lot of work you’re going to end up doing in your life is pointless” is an absurd justification for repetitive, mindless homework.

Allen Berger Savannah, Ga. The writer is emeritus professor of reading and writing at Miami University (Ohio).

I see why Jay Caspian Kang can’t imagine a school that could educate children well without relying on homework, ranking, sorting and other trappings of meritocracy. Most people in our society have never seen such a thing. But some schools do provide a rigorous education that strengthens personal responsibility and skill mastery without emphasizing who is better than whom — and even without homework.

To see this in action, I encourage Mr. Kang to visit any of the powerful public Montessori schools serving low-income communities across our nation. And yes, many Montessori schools take a minimal approach to homework. Instead, they make time for children to struggle with challenging concepts and independently practice new skills during the school day.

Annie Frazer Decatur, Ga. The writer is executive director of Montessori Partnerships for Georgia.

I agree with Jay Caspian Kang that one value of homework is for a student to independently practice a skill until mastery, and I recognize the issue of equity when homework is assessed for students from “disadvantaged” homes. However, there is another important benefit to homework that can bolster social mobility.

Homework gives students the opportunity to practice responsibility, which arguably is an important “soft skill” that will pay off later in the work force. In the classroom, students practice compliance: doing what the teacher says. Homework provides students with agency to practice time management (remembering to do a task and making time to do it) and materials management (taking home the right notebook and bringing it back on time).

To ensure an equal playing field, teachers can directly teach these skills by providing strategies to students who may not have adults at home to do so. Schools can further support students by providing unstructured time for students to do this homework independently with supervision (free period, study hall, after school, etc.). Learning responsibility should be the fourth R.

Barbara Richman Hawthorne, N.Y.

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The Homework Debate: How Homework Benefits Students

This post has been updated as of December 2017.

In another of our blog posts,  The Case Against Homework , we articulated several points of view against homework as standard practice for teachers. However, a variety of lessons, content-related and beyond, can be taught or reinforced through homework and are worth exploring. Read on!

Four ways homework aids students’ academic achievement

Homework provides an opportunity for parents to interact with and understand the content their students are learning so they can provide another means of academic support for students. Memphis Parent writer Glenda Faye Pryor-Johnson says that, “When your child does homework, you do homework,” and notes that this is an opportunity for parents to model good behavior for their children.

Pryor-Johnson also identifies four qualities children develop when they complete homework that can help them become high-achieving students:

  • Responsibility
  • Time management
  • Perseverance
  • Self-esteem

While these cannot be measured on standardized tests, perseverance has garnered a lot of attention as an essential skill for successful students. Regular accomplishments like finishing homework build self-esteem, which aids students’ mental and physical health. Responsibility and time management are highly desirable qualities that benefit students long after they graduate.

NYU and Duke professors refute the idea that homework is unrelated to student success

In response to the National School Board Association’s Center for Public Education’s findings that homework was not conclusively related to student success, historian and NYU professor Diane Ravitch contends that the study’s true discovery was that students who did not complete homework or who lacked the resources to do so suffered poor outcomes.

Ravitch believes the study’s data only supports the idea that those who complete homework benefit from homework. She also cites additional benefits of homework: when else would students be allowed to engage thoughtfully with a text or write a complete essay? Constraints on class time require that such activities are given as outside assignments.

5 studies support a significant relationship between homework completion and academic success

Duke University professor Harris Cooper supports Ravitch’s assessment, saying that, “Across five studies, the average student who did homework had a higher unit test score than the students not doing homework.” Dr. Cooper and his colleagues analyzed dozens of studies on whether homework is beneficial in a 2006 publication, “Does Homework Improve Academic Achievement? A Synthesis of Research, 1987–2003. ”

This analysis found 12 less-authoritative studies that link achievement to time spent on homework, but control for many other factors that could influence the outcome. Finally, the research team identified 35 studies that found a positive correlation between homework and achievement, but only after elementary school. Dr. Cooper concluded that younger students might be less capable of  benefiting from homework due to undeveloped study habits or other factors.

Recommended amount of homework varies by grade level

“Does Homework Improve Academic Achievement?” also identifies the amount homework that serves as a learning tool for students. While practice improves test scores at all grade levels, “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 2.5 hours of homework a night, after which returns diminish.”

Dr. Cooper’s conclusion—homework is important, but discretion can and should be used when assigning it—addresses the valid concerns of homework critics. While the act of completing homework has benefits in terms of developing good habits in students, homework must prove useful for students so that they buy in to the process and complete their assignments. If students (or their parents) feel homework is a useless component of their learning, they will skip it—and miss out on the major benefits, content and otherwise, that homework has to offer.

Continue reading :  Ending the Homework Debate: Expert Advice on What Works

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.

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Stanford research shows pitfalls of homework

A Stanford researcher found that students in high-achieving communities who spend too much time on homework experience more stress, physical health problems, a lack of balance and even alienation from society. More than two hours of homework a night may be counterproductive, according to the study.

Denise Pope

Education scholar Denise Pope has found that too much homework has negative effects on student well-being and behavioral engagement. (Image credit: L.A. Cicero)

A Stanford researcher found that too much homework can negatively affect kids, especially their lives away from school, where family, friends and activities matter.

“Our findings on the effects of homework challenge the traditional assumption that homework is inherently good,” wrote Denise Pope , a senior lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Education and a co-author of a study published in the Journal of Experimental Education .

The researchers used survey data to examine perceptions about homework, student well-being and behavioral engagement in a sample of 4,317 students from 10 high-performing high schools in upper-middle-class California communities. Along with the survey data, Pope and her colleagues used open-ended answers to explore the students’ views on homework.

Median household income exceeded $90,000 in these communities, and 93 percent of the students went on to college, either two-year or four-year.

Students in these schools average about 3.1 hours of homework each night.

“The findings address how current homework practices in privileged, high-performing schools sustain students’ advantage in competitive climates yet hinder learning, full engagement and well-being,” Pope wrote.

Pope and her colleagues found that too much homework can diminish its effectiveness and even be counterproductive. They cite prior research indicating that homework benefits plateau at about two hours per night, and that 90 minutes to two and a half hours is optimal for high school.

Their study found that too much homework is associated with:

• Greater stress: 56 percent of the students considered homework a primary source of stress, according to the survey data. Forty-three percent viewed tests as a primary stressor, while 33 percent put the pressure to get good grades in that category. Less than 1 percent of the students said homework was not a stressor.

• Reductions in health: In their open-ended answers, many students said their homework load led to sleep deprivation and other health problems. The researchers asked students whether they experienced health issues such as headaches, exhaustion, sleep deprivation, weight loss and stomach problems.

• Less time for friends, family and extracurricular pursuits: Both the survey data and student responses indicate that spending too much time on homework meant that students were “not meeting their developmental needs or cultivating other critical life skills,” according to the researchers. Students were more likely to drop activities, not see friends or family, and not pursue hobbies they enjoy.

A balancing act

The results offer empirical evidence that many students struggle to find balance between homework, extracurricular activities and social time, the researchers said. Many students felt forced or obligated to choose homework over developing other talents or skills.

Also, there was no relationship between the time spent on homework and how much the student enjoyed it. The research quoted students as saying they often do homework they see as “pointless” or “mindless” in order to keep their grades up.

“This kind of busy work, by its very nature, discourages learning and instead promotes doing homework simply to get points,” Pope said.

She said the research calls into question the value of assigning large amounts of homework in high-performing schools. Homework should not be simply assigned as a routine practice, she said.

“Rather, any homework assigned should have a purpose and benefit, and it should be designed to cultivate learning and development,” wrote Pope.

High-performing paradox

In places where students attend high-performing schools, too much homework can reduce their time to foster skills in the area of personal responsibility, the researchers concluded. “Young people are spending more time alone,” they wrote, “which means less time for family and fewer opportunities to engage in their communities.”

Student perspectives

The researchers say that while their open-ended or “self-reporting” methodology to gauge student concerns about homework may have limitations – some might regard it as an opportunity for “typical adolescent complaining” – it was important to learn firsthand what the students believe.

The paper was co-authored by Mollie Galloway from Lewis and Clark College and Jerusha Conner from Villanova University.

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20 Pros and Cons of Homework

Homework. It’s a word that sends a shudder down the spine of students and parents alike.

It is also a question that has become divisive. Some people feel that homework is an effective way to reinforce the concepts that were learned at school. Others feel like the time that homework demands would be better spent with a meaningful activity that brings the family together.

Is homework important? Is it necessary? Or is the added stress that homework places on students and parents doing more harm than good? Here are some of the key pros and cons to discuss.

List of the Pros of Homework

1. It encourages the discipline of practice. Repeating the same problems over and over can be boring and difficult, but it also reinforces the practice of discipline. To get better at a skill, repetition is often necessary. You get better with each repetition. By having homework completed every night, especially with a difficult subject, the concepts become easier to understand. That gives the student an advantage later on in life when seeking a vocational career.

2. It gets parents involved with a child’s life. Looking at Common Core math can be somewhat bewildering to parents. If you see the math problem 5×3 expressed as an addition problem, 5+5+5 seems like the right answer. The correct answer, however, would be 3+3+3+3+3. By bringing homework to do, students can engage their learning process with their parents so everyone can be involved. Many parents actually want homework sent so they can see what their children are being taught in the classroom.

3. It teaches time management skills. Homework goes beyond completing a task. It forces children (and parents, to some extent) to develop time management skills. Schedules must be organized to ensure that all tasks can be completed during the day. This creates independent thinking and develops problem-solving skills. It encourages research skills. It also puts parents and children into a position where positive decision-making skills must be developed.

4. Homework creates a communication network. Teachers rarely see into the family lives of their students. Parents rarely see the classroom lives of their children. Homework is a bridge that opens lines of communication between the school, the teacher, and the parent. This allows everyone to get to know one another better. It helps teachers understand the needs of their students better.

It allows parents to find out their child’s strengths and weaknesses. Together, an educational plan can be developed that encourages the best possible learning environment.

5. It allows for a comfortable place to study. Classrooms have evolved over the years to be a warmer and welcoming environment, but there is nothing like the comfort that is felt at home or in a safe space. By encouraging studies where a child feels the most comfortable, it is possible to retain additional information that may get lost within the standard classroom environment.

6. It provides more time to complete the learning process. The time allotted for each area of study in school, especially in K-12, is often limited to 1 hour or less per day. That is not always enough time for students to be able to grasp core concepts of that material. By creating specific homework assignments which address these deficiencies, it becomes possible to counter the effects of the time shortages. That can benefit students greatly over time.

7. It reduces screen time. On the average school night, a student in the US might get 3-4 hours of screen time in per day. When that student isn’t in school, that figure doubles to 7-8 hours of screen time. Homework might be unwanted and disliked, but it does encourage better study habits. It discourages time being spent in front of the television or playing games on a mobile device. That, in turn, may discourage distracting habits from forming that can take away from the learning process in the future.

8. It can be treated like any other extracurricular activity. Some families over-extend themselves on extracurricular activities. Students can easily have more than 40 hours per week, from clubs to sports, that fall outside of regular school hours. Homework can be treated as one of these activities, fitting into the schedule where there is extra time. As an added benefit, some homework can even be completed on the way to or from some activities.

List of the Cons of Homework

1. Children benefit from playing. Being in a classroom can be a good thing, but so can being on a playground. With too much homework, a child doesn’t have enough time to play and that can impact their learning and social development. Low levels of play are associated with lower academic achievement levels, lower safety awareness, less character development, and lower overall health.

2. It encourages a sedentary lifestyle. Long homework assignments require long periods of sitting. A sedentary lifestyle has numerous direct associations with premature death as children age into adults. Obesity levels are already at or near record highs in many communities. Homework may reinforce certain skills and encourage knowledge retention, but it may come at a high price.

3. Not every home is a beneficial environment. There are some homes that are highly invested into their children. Parents may be involved in every stage of homework or there may be access to tutors that can explain difficult concepts. In other homes, there may be little or no education investment into the child. Some parents push the responsibility of teaching off on the teacher and provide no homework support at all.

Sometimes parents may wish to be involved and support their child, but there are barriers in place that prevent this from happening. The bottom line is this: no every home life is equal.

4. School is already a full-time job for kids. An elementary school day might start at 9:00am and end at 3:20pm. That’s more than 6 hours of work that kids as young as 5 are putting into their education every day. Add in the extra-curricular activities that schools encourage, such as sports, musicals, and after-school programming and a student can easily reach 8 hours of education in the average day. Then add homework on top of that? It is asking a lot for any child, but especially young children, to complete extra homework.

5. There is no evidence that homework creates improvements. Survey after survey has found that the only thing that homework does is create a negative attitude toward schooling and education in general. Homework is not associated with a higher level of academic achievement on a national scale. It may help some students who struggle with certain subjects, if they have access to a knowledgeable tutor or parent, but on a community level, there is no evidence that shows improvements are gained.

6. It discourages creative endeavors. If a student is spending 1 hour each day on homework, that’s an hour they are not spending pursuing something that is important to them. Students might like to play video games or watch TV, but homework takes time away from learning an instrument, painting, or developing photography skills as well. Although some homework can involve creative skills, that usually isn’t the case.

7. Homework is difficult to enforce. Some students just don’t care about homework. They can achieve adequate grades without doing it, so they choose not to do it. There is no level of motivation that a parent or teacher can create that inspires some students to get involved with homework. There is no denying the fact that homework requires a certain amount of effort. Sometimes a child just doesn’t want to put in that effort.

8. Extra time in school does not equate to better grades. Students in the US spend more than 100 hours of extra time in school already compared to high-performing countries around the world, but that has not closed the educational gap between those countries and the United States. In some educational areas, the US is even falling in global rankings despite the extra time that students are spending in school. When it comes to homework or any other form of learning, quality is much more important than quantity.

9. Accurate practice may not be possible. If homework is assigned, there is a reliance on the student, their parents, or their guardians to locate resources that can help them understand the content. Homework is often about practice, but if the core concepts of that information are not understood or inaccurately understood, then the results are the opposite of what is intended. If inaccurate practice is performed, it becomes necessary for the teacher to first correct the issue and then reteach it, which prolongs the learning process.

10. It may encourage cheating on multiple levels. Some students may decide that cheating in the classroom to avoid taking homework home is a compromise they’re willing to make. With internet resources, finding the answers to homework instead of figuring out the answers on one’s own is a constant temptation as well. For families with multiple children, they may decide to copy off one another to minimize the time investment.

11. Too much homework is often assigned to students. There is a general agreement that students should be assigned no more than 10 minutes of homework per day, per grade level. That means a first grader should not be assigned more than 10 minutes of homework per night. Yet for the average first grader in US public schools, they come home with 20 minutes of homework and then are asked to complete 20 minutes of reading on top of that. That means some students are completing 4x more homework than recommended every night.

At the same time, the amount of time children spent playing outdoors has decreased by 40% over the past 30 years.

For high school students, it is even worse at high performing schools in the US where 90% of graduates go onto college, the average amount of homework assigned per night was 3 hours per student.

12. Homework is often geared toward benchmarks. Homework is often assigned to improve test scores. Although this can provide positive outcomes, including better study skills or habits, the fact is that when children are tired, they do not absorb much information. When children have more homework than recommended, test scores actually go down. Stress levels go up. Burnout on the curriculum occurs.

The results for many students, according to research from Ruben Fernandez-Alonso in the Journal of Educational Psychology, is a decrease in grades instead of an increase.

The pros and cons of homework are admittedly all over the map. Many parents and teachers follow their personal perspectives and create learning environments around them. When parents and teachers clash on homework, the student is often left in the middle of that tug of war. By discussing these key points, each side can work to find some common ground so our children can benefit for a clear, precise message.

Quantity may be important, but quality must be the priority for homework if a student is going to be successful.

Is Homework Good or Bad for Students?

It's mostly good, especially for the sciences, but it also can be bad

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Homework isn't fun for students to do or for teachers to grade, so why do it? Here are some reasons why homework is good and why it's bad.

Why Homework Is Good

Here are 10 reasons why homework is good, especially for the sciences, such as chemistry:

  • Doing homework teaches you how to learn on your own and work independently. You'll learn how to use resources such as texts, libraries, and the internet. No matter how well you thought you understood the material in class, there will be times when you'll get stuck doing homework. When you face the challenge, you learn how to get help, how to deal with frustration, and how to persevere.
  • Homework helps you learn beyond the scope of the class. Example problems from teachers and textbooks show you how to do an assignment. The acid test is seeing whether you truly understand the material and can do the work on your own. In science classes, homework problems are critically important. You see concepts in a whole new light, so you'll know how equations work in general, not just how they work for a particular example. In chemistry, physics, and math, homework is truly important and not just busywork.
  • It shows you what the teacher thinks is important to learn, so you'll have a better idea of what to expect on a quiz or test .
  • It's often a significant part of your grade . If you don't do it, it could cost you , no matter how well you do on exams.
  • Homework is a good opportunity to connect parents, classmates, and siblings with your education. The better your support network, the more likely you are to succeed in class.
  • Homework, however tedious it might be, teaches responsibility and accountability. For some classes, homework is an essential part of learning the subject matter.
  • Homework nips procrastination in the bud. One reason teachers give homework and attach a big part of your grade to it is to motivate you to keep up. If you fall behind, you could fail.
  • How will you get all your work done before class? Homework teaches you time management and how to prioritize tasks.
  • Homework reinforces the concepts taught in class. The more you work with them, the more likely you are to learn them. 
  • Homework can help boost self-esteem . Or, if it's not going well, it helps you identify problems before they get out of control.

Sometimes Homework Is Bad

So, homework is good because it can boost your grades , help you learn the material, and prepare you for tests. It's not always beneficial, however. Sometimes homework hurts more than it helps. Here are five ways homework can be bad:

  • You need a break from a subject so you don't burn out or lose interest. Taking a break helps you learn.
  • Too much homework can lead to copying and cheating.
  • Homework that is pointless busywork can lead to a negative impression of a subject (not to mention a teacher).
  • It takes time away from families, friends, jobs, and other ways to spend your time.
  • Homework can hurt your grades. It forces you to make time management decisions, sometimes putting you in a no-win situation. Do you take the time to do the homework or spend it studying concepts or doing work for another subject? If you don't have the time for the homework, you could hurt your grades even if you ace the tests and understand the subject.
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Homework: Is it Helpful or Harmful?

Homework: a concept that everyone knows about. When they hear it, some cringe while others stand tall. Homework is a life changer for all students. It can help them prosper, or it can hinder them from achieving academic success. Is homework worth it? Is it worth the stress and anxiety most students have to feel accomplished? No, no it’s not. Students have lives outside of their school day and most of that life is being flooded by homework. Sports, friends, and other non-stressful activities are things that students look forward to, not academics. But when there’s too much homework, they are prevented from doing their extra-curricular activities. Life for high school students is now revolving around school with no relief. Also, many students stay up all hours of the night trying to finish their homework, only to fall asleep and not pay attention during the actual school day. They feel pressured to be the best and to eventually get into the top colleges. School and its workload are becoming extremely demanding. Students should not feel obligated to be perfectionists and should know that life will continue without that feeling of being perfect. Any way you look at it, homework is eating away at the lives of kids and is steering their thoughts down a mistaken path of perfectionism. This school disturbance has been observed and documented by students and their families. A mother decided to produce a movie about it called Race to Nowhere. The director of the film, Vicki H. Abeles, is a mother and witnessed her own daughter having panic attacks over the stress of school and how to balance her life. A girl in their community committed suicide after getting a poor grade on her math test because she had the mindset that only perfectionism is acceptable. Michelle L. Ardizzoni, an elementary school teacher, has watched this documentary and participated in the follow-up discussion with educators, parents, and students. She says, “Much of the discussion supported the views and sentiments presented in the Race to Nowhere movie. Several members of the community shared their personal experiences with their children’s overwhelming feelings of the pressure to succeed. These parents called upon school administrators to start implementing change in the schools.” A change in how schools function and student’s thinking can be done, but must take time to achieve. How are we going to fix the monster that has been created, destroying the lives of innocent students? The solution is to take the situation into our own hands. We cannot sit around and hope and pray that things will get better. It is time to act now while we still can. The Race to Nowhere documentary made many people aware of the situation occurring in schools, but now it’s up to the students to finish the job. As students, we have a right to speak to teachers and administrators. Like teachers, principals, and even the superintendent. If we can present the facts without much of our stressful emotions, they are sure to listen to our statement. We can time ourselves on how long we take to complete our homework and we can mention our interests about sports and hobbies that we enjoy. These extra-curricular activities are very educational, that cannot be measured by standardized tests. These activities teach us cooperation, responsibility, and effort. We have to learn how to get along with one another, take responsibility for our actions, and learn about the quality of effort when working as a team. The argument is there that these attributes are just as important when measuring success outside of the classroom. We can also tell them about our sleeping patterns and how unhealthy living stunts our growth as kids. We can tell them that because of our lack of sleep, grades are slipping. In conclusion, the last thing we can share is that homework is damaging our grades, sleep, and how we interact with others. This talk with the administration will definitely make them think about the quantity of homework teachers assign to students. Answer this, is homework helpful or harmful? Students all over the country are beginning to realize that it’s more harmful than helpful. They are experiencing the demanding atmosphere of school and feeling overwhelmed to be consistently perfect. The Race To Nowhere documentary’s goal was to create change in America’s schools. As students, we can help initiate this great transformation in schools. We must refocus the goals of our educational system to more manageable, realistic outcomes as opposed to an anxiety filled student who has been taught perfection is the norm.

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The Great Debate: Is Homework Helpful or Harmful?

Is Homework Helpful or Harmful?

Is homework helpful? Is it harmful? Does it even matter? These questions have spurred debate in homes and schools worldwide, and they likely will until the end. In this article, we’ll look at some of the main arguments made by both sides of the debate and see where they come from and how they can be countered.

Take note, though—this article will not attempt to sway you toward either side, as that’s not feasible!

The ROI May Not Be Enough

In the end, homework’s pros and cons can only be determined on a case-by-case basis. Students with a strong foundation in math and reading skills will likely see an ROI on their homework efforts. For students struggling with these subjects, however, the negatives may outweigh the positives. But again, what works for one child may not work for another. And finally, there is also a third side to this debate that many parents aren’t aware of—the issue of students’ mental health and stress levels. Before assigning their child any academic work at home, parents should consider all factors.

Homework Interferes With Essential Activities

Homework is often given at the end of a school day and is usually assigned to be completed outside of school. Thus, homework can interfere with family time, extracurricular activities, work, and social life. Moreover, if other tasks must occur (e.g., cooking dinner), doing them first will mean less time for homework later in the evening.

Homework does not adequately prepare students for standardized testing. Standardized testing is based on the curriculum from textbooks and teacher lectures in class; this curriculum was determined by experts who thoroughly studied the material.

Reasons Why Homework Is Good

Homework teaches students to plan, be responsible for their work, and motivate themselves. It also allows children to show what they have learned in the classroom.

It Develops Essential Skills for Success in College and Life

Homework is a chance for your child to develop the skills they need to succeed. It’s not just about learning math facts but also developing skills like patience, problem-solving, and working independently. It can also help kids maintain relationships with their parents at school all day.

Homework doesn’t only give students practice on what they’re learning in class; it helps them stay engaged with their studies by remembering what they learned earlier in the day. Many people think homework is too much work and could lead to burnout, but when done right (in moderation), it can be helpful for kids who are struggling in school.

Homework Serves a Purpose in Teaching Dedication, Time Management, Problem-Solving, Etc.

Homework is beneficial for students to complete, but it’s also essential for teachers to keep in mind that a student’s time should be free of work. The teacher’s job is to ensure the student spends quality time with their family, eats well, and gets enough sleep. Therefore, the teacher must balance productive assignments with doing what’s best for each student.

Reinforces Lessons Taught in the Classroom

Homework is one of the essential parts of a student’s education. It provides students with the practice they need to succeed in the classroom and in future assessments. In addition, homework teaches kids how to set goals and manage their time effectively. Finally, homework allows parents to become more involved in their child’s education by supporting them at home.

Final Thoughts

Homework is beneficial. It is a great way to practice what you have learned in the classroom and helps the teacher gauge your understanding of the material. However, some assignments are not necessary and can be frustrating for students. That’s why at The Tenney School , we only assign homework at the level of what your child has been learning in school and is also aligned with Texas State Standards. If you’re interested in enrolling your child, please reach out!

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Homework: harmful or helpful?

Senior+Mari+Uema+does+homework+in+the+media+center.

Homework hurts:

Written by Mitch Hammer

From teachers to parents, everyone has tried to explain to us just how important homework is. But the reality is that homework should not even be assigned.

Homework is stressful, it can lead to frustration, it limits the amount of free time a student has, it affects a student’s social life, it can affect a family emotionally, and it takes away time in which more productive things can get done.

Educational work should be done at school, not at home. Pointless worksheets that many teachers frequently assign for homework don’t help students learn. It’s busy work that often only requires an answer copied straight from the book. If indeed the worksheet does actually take brain power to complete, students may be unable to get questions answered and receive the help they need. At school, however, students can seek the help and support they need from teachers and peers.

Homework can also be extremely frustrating and stressful, which can lead to a loss of interest in learning, especially to students who are involved in extracurricular activities or sports. Many students view school as an obligation instead of a good learning experience. If there was little or no homework, students may be more eager to come to school and learn.

Frustration and stress can also lead to cheating or copying. In some cases, if a student becomes extremely frustrated with their homework, they will sometimes ask a friend if they can copy the work. Copying and cheating does not help a student learn whatsoever. If there were no homework, cheating wouldn’t be a problem.

Too much homework can limit the amount of rest students get. Not enough rest can really have an impact on how much a student can learn. The brain can’t function  in order to be creative.

Homework takes up a good chunk of free time for other important and essential activities. I feel that often teachers assign homework without thinking of other commitments students may have. We’re busy; many of us are trying to balance athletics, clubs, and musical instruments, on top of any other family or spiritual obligations we may have. To add hours of homework on top of that is just too much.

An overload of homework can also affect a student’s entire family. Often when students have too much homework they can’t find time to do other activities with their family. This can create a lot of tension in a family. According to CNN.com, children who spend more time with their family by eating dinner together are less likely to get depressed, among numerous other things. Homework should not prevent a student from spending valuable time with their family, but it does.

Homework cannot be used as an excuse to do less in school. We need more direct learning in school, not at home. In classes where we really apply ourselves, there is just not a need for a huge amount of homework.

Homework helps:

Written by Nadia Spock

Let’s face it, not many people really enjoy homework. But in reality it’s a crucial part of every student’s schooling process. The daily completion of homework not only prepares you for the near future outside of high school, but also to apply your knowledge from the outermost realms of the classroom.

An average school day at South allots each student about six hours of classroom learning, leaving just 55 minutes per subject. A class that lasts less than an hour only allows a very restricted amount of material to be covered, and students simply cannot absorb all the material in that time. Assigned homework makes it possible for students to cover a lot more than class time permits and to expand on the learned concepts on they’re own time.

Many teachers chose to defend homework with the continual reminder that it will serve you well in the future. Although sometimes this reminder can be irritating, this is a valid point. Due to the fact very little material can be discussed with in the class, its critical that students can expand and further their knowledge at home. The more time available to review studied topics, the better the chances are for a student to actually understand and feel confident with what is being taught.

The completion of homework not only strengthens students abilities to be successful for further forms of education, but also provides you with skills that can be applied outside of educational purposes. For example, time management is a craft that takes a long time to truly master, and homework requires the student to be able to accomplish assignments in the time given. With the ability to manage your time with ease, life’s tasks should come at a more manageable level.

Some teachers chose to focus on what is taught in class, rather than the emphasis on homework completion. When taking part in a class without homework, I find myself being sheltered beneath the teachers thoughts and ideas, rather than those of my own. One purpose for attending school day-in and day-out is to discover your own concepts and conclusions; homework allows for students to think without the constant guidance of their teacher in order to determine how they learn best.

If students can look past the thought of homework being a burden, then the future should appear bright for those who chose to take on such simple tasks. The purpose of homework is not to exclude you from the exciting world around you, but to teach how knowledge is applied to better our existence.

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Jaz • Sep 21, 2014 at 12:03 am

Homework is not helpful. At all.

nick • Apr 8, 2014 at 3:09 pm

homework sucks

Ben Sees • Dec 8, 2013 at 9:02 am

I think homework is okay to a point. I don’t really like having to do it at all, but I know it helps me with learning. What I don’t like is when teachers load you with it and have no respect for your personal schedual, and then don’t except valid reasons you couldn’t get your homework done.

chaitanya gupta • Aug 10, 2011 at 10:47 am

Home-work is good as learning maths but to much is sad.

Sarah Scott • Feb 10, 2011 at 7:46 pm

I think assigning homework is necessary albeit I think teachers neglect to recognize that we have 5 other classes worth of homework to complete every evening. One of my teachers often assigns homework every other night and gives us two days to complete it. I don’t agree in assigning daily homework, because very rarely does it help us, ‘specially when if we don’t understand the material in the first place. I easily get frustrated with homework and do not complete it, then go to school and get yelled at and judged by my teachers when my excuse for not doing it is just as valid as the kid that lied about getting home too late. It sucks. Just something to consider.

chaitanya gupta • Aug 10, 2011 at 10:49 am

you are right shara.

Iain Demay • Dec 8, 2010 at 8:18 pm

I really like the contrast between the two opinions. I think it’s really cool that you can leave the decision of agreeing, disagreeing, or agreeing equally to the reader. I think both of you have very valid points.

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Is Homework Helpful Or Harmful For Students (2023)

Is homework helpful or harmful? Well, homework has become one of the most debatable topics all around the world. Many people search on the internet for homework. Some people search for positive points and some people search for negative points of homework. 

If I talk about homework then it has many advantages and disadvantages. For students, it can be helpful or harmful.

In a positive way, homework can be valuable that can help students develop important skills and habits, improve their understanding of course material, and achieve better grades. Whether you are in elementary school, middle school, high school, or beyond, homework plays an important role. 

While homework can certainly have benefits, it can also have negative effects if it is not managed appropriately. When students are assigned too much homework, or when the assignments are overly difficult or not aligned with their skill level, they can experience a range of negative consequences. 

Excessive homework can lead to stress and burnout, reducing students’ motivation to learn and potentially leading to decreased academic performance. Also, too much homework can interfere with other important aspects of students’ lives, such as relationships, extracurricular activities, and physical and mental health.

In this blog, we will discuss some reasons of is homework helpful or harmful. So, let’s get started.

Let’s Learn About The History Of Homework

Table of Contents

If we talk about the invention of homework, then there is no exact date or year. According to our research, three names are being highlighted as responsible for the invention of homework in different research sources. Those three names are:

  • Roberto Nevilis.
  • Horace Mann.
  • Pliny the Younger.

Roberto Nevilis

Roberto Nevilis

Roberto Nevilis was an Italian teacher. Many researchers state that Roberto invented homework back in 1905. At the same time, I have seen many articles claiming the invention year to be 1095. There is no fixed data available regarding this. 

According to research, homework was supposed to be a punishment for those students who underperformed in the class. The punishment was especially for lazy students. 

Horace Mann

Horace Mann

Horace Mann is known as the “father of American education”. He was the first great American advocate of public education. He believed that education in a democratic society must be free for everyone. There should be no discrimination, and no particular section should be privileged. 

Many researchers say that Horace Mann was the one who invented homework for students. But according to our research, he invented the public school education system. 

Pliny the Younger

Pliny the Younger

Pliny the Younger was the nickname of a lawyer, author, and magistrate of ancient Rome. The real name of this genius is Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus. It is said that he started giving homework to his followers. He asked his followers to practice public speaking at home to sharpen this skill. Through this activity, they will become more fluent in their speeches.

Purpose Of Homework

Homework was initially started to teach students various management skills. It might sound complicated or exaggerated, but it is true. School or college homework teaches students a lot of life lessons. Let’s know about the various purposes of homework.

  • It helps you in managing your various activities according to your priorities.
  • It helps the students to learn time management . They do homework on different subjects in a particular time period which helps them learn to manage their time. 
  • Homework helps students to do prioritizations. They get to decide which work to finish first and which to put at the end.

Now that we know about homework, how it started, and why it started. Let’s talk about the main question of this article, “Is homework helpful or harmful”.

Is Homework Helpful Or Harmful For Students?

Many students are against homework culture. They find it stressful and time-consuming. So there is always a dilemma of “Is Homework Helpful Or Harmful”. Let’s get started with this discussion.

Why Homework Is Helpful?

  • Preparation for exams: Regular homework assignments provide students with regular practice and help prepare them for tests and exams.
  • Development of study habits: Consistent completion of homework can help students develop good study habits, such as time management, organization, and prioritization.
  • Improvement in problem-solving skills: Homework often involves solving problems or answering questions, which can help students improve their problem-solving skills.
  • Increased motivation: By seeing the direct connection between their homework and their grades, students can become more motivated to learn.
  • Improved grades: Consistent completion of homework can lead to improved grades, as students are better able to understand and apply the material they have learned.
  • Feedback and reflection: Homework provides students with the opportunity to receive feedback on their work, which can help them reflect on their progress and identify areas for improvement.
  • Self-directed learning: By working independently on homework assignments, students can develop their self-directed learning skills and take more ownership of their education.
  • A greater understanding of course material: By working through homework assignments, students can deepen their understanding of the course material.
  • Increased independence: By taking responsibility for their own learning and completing homework assignments on their own, students can become more independent learners.
  • Reinforcement of class material: Homework helps students review and reinforce the concepts and skills they learned in class.

Why Is Homework Harmful?

There are so many benefits of homework. But homework can also be harmful because of so many reasons. Let’s discuss the reasons why homework is harmful to students:

  • Increased stress and burnout: Too much homework can lead to stress and burnout, reducing students’ motivation to learn and potentially leading to decreased academic performance.
  • Interference with other activities: Too much homework can interfere with students’ ability to participate in other activities, such as sports, music, or hobbies, which are important for their physical, social, and emotional development.
  • Lack of sleep: When students have too much homework, they may stay up late to complete it, which can lead to sleep deprivation and a range of related health problems.
  • Decreased creativity: When students spend all of their time on homework, they may have less time for creative pursuits, such as writing, drawing, or playing music, which can be important for their overall well-being and personal growth.
  • Decreased family time: When students have too much homework, they may spend less time with their family and friends, which can be important for their social and emotional development.
  • Decreased physical activity: Excessive homework can lead to less time for physical activity, which is important for students’ health and well-being.
  • Decreased motivation: When students have too much homework to do, they may lose their motivation to learn and become disinterested in their studies.
  • Inadequate assessment: When homework is the primary method of assessment, it may not accurately reflect students’ understanding or mastery of the material, as they may not have access to the resources or support they need to complete the assignments.

We have talked about how much stress homework can give to a student. Now let’s know how you can do homework without taking any stress.

How To Do Homework Without Stress

Follow these tips to do your homework without taking any stress.

  • Do time management: Time management helps you make a schedule for dividing time slots between different work to bring out the best output.
  • Put queries: Students take stress mainly because they have so many doubts in their minds. But they don’t ask those doubts out. Keeping those uncleared doubts in their mind causes a lot of stress.
  • Make notes: You should make fair notes when your teacher gives a subject lecture in the class. Those notes are very beneficial while you do homework. 
  • Get proper sleep: Doing a lot in less time is the motive of students nowadays. Students sleep very less, which leads to more stress. A sound amount of sleep is much needed if you are a student. 

Conclusion ( Is Homework Helpful Or Harmful )

There is a lot of controversy about “Is Homework Helpful Or Harmful For Students”. In our opinion, homework can be extremely helpful for students. Homework helps students learn how to study and prepare for tests and exams. Some people think that students should only study at school and should not have to come home and work on their school work.

If a student comes home and has to work on their schoolwork, they will be able to study in a more relaxed environment with the help of their parents. This will allow the student to study for the test or exam in a more relaxed and comfortable setting. If you need help. If you need help with any subject like math homework help or statistics homework help then contact us today.

FAQs (Is Homework Helpful Or Harmful For Students)

Is homework necessary.

Homework is one of the inevitabilities of school, unless going to school is no longer an inevitability. Whether or not it’s necessary depends on the school and the work. Students in early elementary school do not need homework, because they go home at the end of the day and there is no reason for them to stay. Some teachers may assign something for the parents to do with their child, but this is not necessary for the child to succeed in the class.

What are the benefits of homework research?

When you’re in school, it’s crucial to be prepared for any given assignment. Researching is an effective way to increase the quality of your work, especially for homework and project assignments. If you are having trouble with a particular subject, it’s best to do your research and see what you can find out! You might be surprised by how much information you find. You could even find a website that has clear, step-by-step instructions on how to complete the assignment you’re working on. If you would prefer a more general source of information, you can look online for articles and videos that will give you insight on the information you need.

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Reasons Why Homework Is Bad For Students?

why homework is bad

  • Post author By admin
  • October 12, 2022

Homework is a word that most students don’t want to hear. Because, after many hours of sitting in the same class, the last thing students get is more schoolwork over their precious weekends. Well, it is known to be a traditional schooling system. Lets now 

Some feel that Homework is a necessary part of education. On the other hand, some believe that the time should be invested in extra activities. Many studies have found that most students are getting too much extra Homework and assignments that lead to many problems like stress, sleeping problems, and other problems related to health. 

Typically in high schools, students take six classes a day, which means they receive 24.5 hours of homework weekly. But this is not the main problem. The problem with the school nowadays is that it promotes stress at a very high level by giving students extra work that most of the students don’t want to do. 

There are plenty of reasons why Homework is bad for students, but in this Blog, we will look at the top 18 most crucial reasons.

Without wasting any time, let’s get started.

Table of Contents

18 Reasons Why Homework Is Bad For Students

There are many reasons why Homework is bad, but in this Blog, we will cover the top 18 reasons why Homework is bad for students. 

  • May lead to Stress Problems

No time for outside activities

Excessive homework cause depression, have no real impact on performance, homework control the student’s freedom.

  • May break student’s confidence

No real benefit

The school became a full-time job, irrelevant content, lack of social skills , waste of time, no time for family, destroy sleep cycle.

  • Excessive Homework encourages cheating 

Can lower your grades

Counterproductivity.

  • No time for daily exercise

Consume free time

May lead to stress problems..

Extra assignments given by high schools and universities to students may lead to unhealthy stress levels. If bombarded with countless work at the school and at home, students may feel anxiety and stress. I know students need to learn in the class, but they also get some time to explore other things outside the academic world. 

This is obvious if you get work after work and fail to complete that work. You will automatically get stressed, and that gets worse over time. 

According to the survey, 56 percent of the students think that Homework is the primary cause of stress. At the same time, the remaining students think that giving tests and getting good marks causes stress. Only 1 percent of the students think that Homework does not cause notable stress.

One of the main reasons Homework is bad is that you get no time to go outside and play something that will automatically boost your productivity and instantly kill stress. Doing outside activities will not only boost your productivity but also make you healthy physically as well as mentally. 

Excessive Homework may cause Depression, which then affects students mentally and physically too. According to the studies, more than 39% of the students have experienced Depression daily. The main reason is that most students want more grades rather than doing Homework. When students are unable to attain their goals, then it is really hard to maintain their health, so as a result, they get depressed. All of these issues can have a negative impact on someone’s life. 

Extra time spent on Homework does not have a real impact on performance. As a result, it’s more like you’re wasting time by doing the same thing repeatedly, which does not produce any result.

Childhood is meant to be enjoyed, but extra Homework makes it impossible. Instead of spending time on something else, students spend most of their time on Homework. As a result, Homework became the reason to control students’ freedom. 

May break students’ confidence

If you’re doing the same thing repeatedly, you don’t get any result from this. Then the probability is high that you will lose your confidence. So, to boost your confidence, students should take some breaks and then get back to work.

A decrease in academic performance is directly connected to spending more time on Homework. Homework can help you get better marks, but it usually has a low return. As a result, there is no real benefit from the Homework. 

This is the seventh reason why Homework is bad for the students. 

In Chile, most school days start from 8 a.m and end at 4 p.m or later. Every day, students spend approximately 9 hours in school, like you’re doing a full-time job. 

If the Homework has nothing to do with the topic or the subject, it should be prohibited. It is unfair to provide Homework that a student did not cover in the class and expect a better report. 

Heavy homework activities may have a terrible effect on student life. Everyone needs some time for daily routine activity and quality time with their friends and family. But teachers assign heavy Homework during weekends. Then there is no choice but for the students to complete the task rather than be more social. 

Most studies found that Homework is a waste of time that keeps people from doing things they want to do. Such as attending important events or sports. As a result, even if a student wants to attend or participate in such events, in such circumstances, students don’t have enough time due to workload. 

This is the twelfth reason why Homework is bad and should be banned. In most parts of the world, students doest have time to spend with their family members. Well, the most difficult thing for today’s parents is that they don’t spend enough time with their children. Students start working on their homework as soon as they get back home. As a result, students barely have time to talk with their parents.

Even on the weekend, students work on their extra assignments and Homework. That being said, students miss weekends that they are supposed to spend with their family members. However, without work, students have more time for family. 

In most cases, students don’t want to get up early in the morning. When you sleep for a longer period and wake up late in the morning, you would feel more relaxed and chill. But due to excessive amounts of Homework, students barely get 7 hours of sleep. As a result, Homework is the biggest concern that destroys the sleep cycle. 

This is the thirteenth reason why Homework should be banned. 

Excessive Homework encourages cheating

When students have an excessive amount of work to complete in a short period, it is really difficult for them to complete their Homework. As a result, to complete Homework in time, they copy from other students. Cheating is illegal in any school. If the teacher finds out that both assignments have relevant material, they get punished. That is why Homework is bad. 

One of the main reasons Homework is bad is that many teachers cannot provide all the important information in the class, and parents can not help children. If you spend most of the time doing homework, you don’t get time to study. As a result, it can lower your grades. 

Rather than improving education, a heavy homework load may affect the students’ performance. Students have too much stress to complete Homework every other night, which can affect the student’s performance in school. A homework load may counter your productivity skills. 

No Time For Daily Workout

This is the seventeenth reason why Homework is bad. Well, exercise has many benefits, like if you work out daily then it can improve your mental health, and remove stress. On the other hand, some aerobic exercise can even help you with Depression. Students don’t have time for daily workouts due to an excessive homework load. 

Everybody needs some free time to chill or relax, but what if you don’t have time to do anything? How do you feel? Well, the obvious answer is you feel very bad. That’s what students feel when they don’t have time to play or to spend some time with family, just because of frequently given Homework and assignments by the teachers. 

Reasons Why Homework Is Bad & Should be Banned

is homework harmful or helpful conclusion

Four main reasons why homework should be banned

  • It creates family stress : Some parents argue with their children about getting Homework done or being frustrated with their inability to teach children about any topic.
  • Students can do other important activities : Other activities include outdoor time, family bonding time, and other unscheduled play.
  • Doesn’t increase academic achievement : According to many studies, Homework has weak links to get better academic achievements.
  • Leads to more anxiety : It can cause more academic stress for students. 

Conclusion: Why Homework is Bad

In this blog, we have learned 18 reasons why Homework is bad. I hope you understand why Homework is bad for the student; not only do students in the same city face this problem, but it’s a worldwide cause. Students also have the freedom to do other activities and have some free time to chill and relax. 

This is the end of this Blog. I hope you like it. Also, Read: Best Homework Songs to Listen While Study

Q1. Is Homework Good or bad?

Ans. Too much of anything can harm you instead of helping you. So, if students get too much work, it can do more harm than good. Studies have shown that if a student gets less Homework, it’s good, but if it’s too much, it’s bad.

Q2. Why is too much Homework bad for mental health?

Ans. Studies conducted at Stanford University in 2013 have found that top-performing students are distracted and mostly spend more time on Homework than on improving academic skills. As a result, they experienced more stress, problems related to health, lack of social skills, and many more.

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Is Homework Harmful or Helpful

is homework harmful or helpful

If you are a student your life cannot remain untouched by homework. All educational institutions have teachers assigning homework to students. It is the work that students must finish on their own, outside of their classrooms. Although a homework assignment is aimed at helping students gain better knowledge and understanding of the subject, it often ends up becoming a stressful task for them, leaving many to question – is homework harmful or helpful?

Is Homework Harmful or Helpful: Statistics

Here are some research findings and statistics which are the outcome of some prominent studies and surveys conducted by experts over the decades to find out whether homework is helpful or harmful. Take a look and decide:

  • A study conducted by Chinese researchers in 2010, established a connection between disrupted sleep and the overload of homework. It was found that students getting excessive homework on a regular basis ended up having poor routines and unstable schedules.
  • In 2015 a Canadian study linked high levels of homework to growing stress and obesity in boys clearly indicating that too much homework can be harmful.
  • Recent research done by a Stanford University expert goes on to explain why is homework harmful. The researcher found that more than 56% of students felt that homework was a major cause of stress in their lives. These students were also facing sleep deprivation and a lack of social interactions due to excessive homework. In the same study, homework was found to be counterproductive when given in high volumes on a daily basis. This was resulting in an overall lack of balance in students.
  • The harmful effects of homework can be seen on the mental as well as physical health of students.

On the other hand, there are studies that have found data to support homework is helpful and has a positive impact on students in high school.

  • According to a study (1987-2003), Prof Harris Cooper from Duke University conducted across several US schools, homework had an overall beneficial effect on the students’ test scores. It also helped improve attitude, especially in students from higher grades. Although even this study points out the complexity of the situation here and stresses the amount of homework to be a major factor in deciding whether homework harmful or helpful
  • In yet another ‘is homework harmful or helpful research’ conducted by Prof Ulrich Trautwein and team in 2009 at the University of Tübingen it was found that while excessive homework may stress some students, it might also improve the performance of others making them efficient. Therefore, it is important to find out why is homework helpful for some and not for others.

Why Is Homework Helpful

When trying to find out why and how is homework helpful, here are some reasons to consider:

  • Homework helps to improve the student’s overall grades and also enhances the possibility that the student will attend college.
  • Homework helps the students to indirectly revise what was taught in the class and even understand the concept better through self-application.
  • It lends the teacher an insight into the academic prowess of the students, their capabilities, and also the areas where they might need help.
  • It is a great way for the teacher to assess the students on a regular basis without having to give them tests and quizzes which may prove to be more stressful for the students.
  • If managed well, homework inculcates good study habits in students and builds their problem-solving skills.
  • Parents who help their children with homework get a chance to be involved in their academic life and activities at school.
  • Homework presents a chance to delve deeper into certain concepts and improve overall understanding.
  • Through homework, students learn the vital skills of time management, prioritization, and organization, that maximize productivity on the whole. ,

Why Is Homework Harmful

If you are wondering why is homework harmful to students, here are some reasons to consider:

  • Teachers with the best of intentions can make homework harmful for students when they assign in bulk without realizing the effort the homework demands. Excessive homework gets counterproductive and leaves students panicky, sleepless, and stressed.
  • Homework leaves students with no time to spend with their families. Many students do not meet their friends outside of school.
  • Students often spend all night on homework, compromising their sleep which in turn negatively impacts their body.
  • Those who wonder why is homework harmful must understand that homework leaves no time for students to pursue creative hobbies or sports outside of school. This impacts their personality on the whole.
  • If overburdened with homework many students lose the desire to study further and may even quit after school.

Tips To Cope With Homework Without Harming You

You have read about why is homework harmful or helpful, the pros and cons of homework, and even some research inputs. Now here are some tips to cope up with the homework you get so that you gain the most out of it without harming yourself:

  • Start early with your assignments. If you truly want to make homework helpful in the long run, you must learn to get organized and manage your time well. The sooner you start your work the more time you will have at hand for other things.
  • Always work with a schedule. How is homework harmful if we work with timelines, stay focused, and endeavor to finish as planned? This way homework will only help maximize productivity.
  • Finish the most difficult tasks and portions first. Prioritize and manage for best results.
  • Take breaks if you find the homework lengthy or hard. It helps.
  • Create a system of rewarding yourself when you finish a difficult assignment. This will keep you encouraged.

There is a growing need for teachers to be sensitive to the amount of homework that a child can finish comfortably after school hours. This is vital for the mental and physical health and wellness of the child.

Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ

Do i waste time doing my homework.

Whether the time you spend on homework is useful or wasteful depends on how much homework you have, how the teacher responds to incomplete homework, and how much it is interfering with your healthy amount of leisure. While there are many harmful effects of homework when given in excess.

Is homework harmful to my health?

Too much homework can be harmful to your health. If your homework is depriving you of sleep, taking up all your free time, and preventing you from play and exercise, then it can be highly harmful to you in the short and long run.

Can homework be helpful for students?

There is not any definite yes-or-no answer to the question “Is homework harmful or helpful?” Although too much homework can be harmful, if given wisely, it can benefit the students’ academic performance and contribute to their future in higher studies.

Can homework be harmful to students?

Too much homework can be harmful to students and actually jeopardize their health and future. The harmful effects of homework include sleep deprivation, deterioration of physical and mental health, and reduced motivation for learning. It has even been linked to the rising trends in obesity and stress among students.

Alexa Donne is an exceptional online writer who is skilled and passionate about her work. She creates high-quality content that captivates the readers’ attention and ensures you get the best grade in your research papers and essays.

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  • Is Homework Harmful or Helpful?
  • Is Homework Harmful or Helpful? Let Us Shed Some Light!

Is Homework Harmful or Helpful? Let Us Shed Some Light!

Pros and Cons of Homework

Why homework is helpful, why homework is bad, is homework harmful or helpful: debate, general tips for doing homework.

Various authoritative sources like Statistic Brain share an average amount of time students spend on homework per night equals 3 hours. It is unacceptable! The report adds more than 10% of schoolteachers use their authority to assign more than an hour of exercises per single subject. It makes students feel exhausted. So, is homework harmful or helpful? We will try to figure out whether assignments to do at home are useless or beneficial. Would you like to prove why homework is futile? Or do you support the idea of assigning someone to do my homework ? Keep reading to find out some information in favor of or against each side. 

Articles about whether homework is harmful or helpful like this should help defend students' points either for or against.

Let's first discuss the pros about homework that benefit students learning out of the classroom. We will cover several factors to show why homework is helpful:

  • Review of studied material. When doing exercises at home, a student reviews the material learned in class and additional content provided. It can help get some new insights.
  • Better understanding. Doing homework allows students to get a better experience and deepen their knowledge.
  • Practice. Usually, such a task bases on information given in class. Students can practice more to improve their skills.
  • Improved learning habits and research skills. Doing assignments on one's own helps build learning as well as research skills.
  • Reinforces learning. Homework presupposes additional education and research, which contributes to broader knowledge.
  • Feedback received. Teachers usually give students feedback on completed work, helping them identify their strong and weak sides.
  • Improved time management. When you have some tasks to do during the day, you have to make appropriate plans to cope with all that work.
  • Improved academic achievements. Additional research and reviewing of material improves understanding and allows to receive higher grades for tests.
  • Excellent problem-solving skills. Indeed, homework is not always that easy. Coping with tons of educational materials and tasks improves one's analytical skills.
  • Opportunity to gain new skills. A student can do in-depth research on the topic and find some recent issues of interest.
  • Minimum of parental control. When teachers give tasks to do, they usually check them. Thus, parents are relieved of this responsibility.
  • More independence & freedom. If students have some material to cover at home, they feel more independent in terms of deadlines and resources to use.
  • Ability to set priorities. When students have several tasks with similar deadlines within the same week, they can prioritize them in order of importance.
  • Increased responsibility. Students should understand that they are responsible for their learning. Therefore, if you have issues with your studies, you should pay more attention to the process.
  • Remote learning. When students cannot attend school or college due to some reasons, studying can be done remotely. 

The above points show positive issues. But definitely, it has cons. Here are the facts proving homework can be harmful:

  • A statement about academic advantages is an absolute myth. TIMSS proved in their study that 4th-grade kids in regions that set below-average amounts of homework tasks tend to succeed more than their overwhelmed peers. It was tested on math and science assignments. Japan is the country with one of the best academic achievements. They shared no more than 3% of students have more than 3 hours of home tasks per evening. Other countries with excellent academic results do not support heavy loads and lots of homework . Greek students have the worst scores being overloaded with tasks.
  • Higher levels of stress are guaranteed! Spending 8 hours or more in an educational institution just to come back home and do more exercises is not the best idea. The mental health of an average child is under threat. Being more emotional and sensitive, a kid quickly gets overwhelmed by the number of homework assignments. Add problems with family, conflicts with friends, first girlfriend or boyfriend – and you will get a formula for a mentally unstable child! Eventually, students lose motivation to do homework .
  • School & college homework is irrelevant in 60% of situations. What teachers explain in class and assign to do at home are 2 different things. Each time they post a task distinct from topics covered in the course, a child may face an obstacle while doing homework. They might even think they are not smart enough to cope with it. 
  • A student may lack interest in specific fields of study. Many students know what they will do in life and their careers since their initial years in the educational institution. Lack of interest makes students succeed in some areas and fail other classes. Such an issue can turn into a real challenge. It is not fair from the beginning, but having to do homework on those subjects one hates is the worst crime!
  • The absence of free time is the worst nightmare. Many children share their sufferings about Freddy Krueger and lack of time, and it appears that they fear the last one more! They name overwhelming assignments among primary reasons they do not catch up with various life-important activities.
  • There is no objective evidence proving it is helpful. Home assignments are generally considered beneficial. In fact, no reported information or data is proving it is so. Thus, there is no confirmation of positive relation between homework and improved grades. 

After weighing all pros & cons, it is possible to answer our question, "Is homework harmful or helpful?". The most popular solution is to achieve a balance in any debate, and this one is not an exception. We gave a hint above. The amount of homework depends on the academic level of every student. The scientists have concluded the best time spent on homework assignments for different age groups are as follows:

  • Elementary school – 30-40 minutes;
  • Middle school – no more than 90 minutes;
  • Junior-high-aged students – no more than 2 hours and a half

Other experts who managed to achieve balance offer a bit different approach. Try multiplying the student's grade by 10 to define the corresponding number of homework minutes per night. It means that a kid from the 6th grade should not be assigned more than an hour of homework tasks per evening. Individual needs and skills matter as well. Sometimes, it just makes sense to learn how to do homework faster . The core outtakes of the article are:

  • Keep in mind the primary goal of homework. It helps come up with rote memorization. It also allows getting a more profound knowledge via elaboration and improvement of already existing skills
  • Relate the homework assignments to your study goals to gain a better learning experience
  • Make it possible to explore several concepts deeper than the rest of the terms
  • Give feedback on time. Every student has a right to realize what they did at an acceptable level and what to improve. Quizzes & tests are some of those evaluation tools. Home tasks assist in defining strengths and weaknesses faster
  • Ask for online assistance. When you are overloaded with home assignments, it is good to look for homework help websites  to avoid stress.
  • The participation of parents must be restricted to facilitate the accomplishment of tasks. Parents helping with homework is a common thing these days. But there is no way family members will do the job instead of a kid. Parents who do not enhance learning – leave the kids alone!
  • Home assignments should be based on material discussed in class. It should not transform into self-education.
  • Students should receive an adequate amount of homework they can cover within the time available daily. 

  We should face the fact that regardless of all the drawbacks, students are still given a lot of homework. We have prepared some general tips that will help you manage all your tasks faster:

  • Start early and leave yourself enough time
  • Create a schedule
  • Prioritize the assignments
  • Do hard tasks first
  • Resort to homework help services if you feel you cannot cope with it
  • Take breaks
  • Try to avoid studying the whole night
  • Create a reward system for yourself 

The "Is homework harmful or helpful?" question is indeed very debatable. There are many good sides and bad sides too. Hopefully, this article has provided enough information to consider. We believe that there should be a precise balance between studying at school and amount of homework students complete. Every learner should have enough time to pursue their own needs and desires apart from doing assignments at home.  In case tasks are overwhelming you, consider asking for professional homework help online. Our services will help you relieve your headaches from writing assignments. Come on, give it a shot, and you'll never regret it!  

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COMMENTS

  1. Is homework a necessary evil?

    Homework can indeed produce academic benefits, such as increased understanding and retention of the material, says Duke University social psychologist Harris Cooper, PhD, one of the nation's leading homework researchers. But not all students benefit.

  2. The Pros and Cons: Should Students Have Homework?

    Photo by energepic.com from Pexels Why Should Students Have Homework? 1. Homework Encourages Practice Many people believe that one of the positive effects of homework is that it encourages the discipline of practice. While it may be time consuming and boring compared to other activities, repetition is needed to get better at skills.

  3. Homework Pros and Cons

    Research published in the High School Journal indicated that students who spent between 31 and 90 minutes each day on homework "scored about 40 points higher on the SAT-Mathematics subtest than their peers, who reported spending no time on homework each day, on average." [ 6]

  4. Does Homework Really Help Students Learn?

    The argument that some people make—that homework "punishes the poor" because lower-income parents may not be as well-equipped as affluent parents to help their children with homework—is very troubling to me. There are no parents who don't care about their children's learning.

  5. Why Homework is Bad: Stress and Consequences

    In 2013, research conducted at Stanford University found that students in high-achieving communities who spend too much time on homework experience more stress, physical health problems, a lack of ...

  6. The Great Homework Debate: Is Homework Helpful or Harmful to Students

    When considering the view that homework is harmful, author and speaker Alfie Kohn states that there is no real evidence showing homework to be beneficial to elementary students. In an EdWeek article, he writes that he found no correlation between homework and improved standardized assessment scores.

  7. Are You Down With or Done With Homework?

    These days, nightly homework is a given in American schools, writes Kohn. "Homework isn't limited to those occasions when it seems appropriate and important. Most teachers and administrators aren't saying, 'It may be useful to do this particular project at home,'" he writes. "Rather, the point of departure seems to be, 'We've decided ahead of ...

  8. PDF Does Homework Really Improve Achievement? Kevin C. Costley, Ph.D ...

    The Homework Literature Review stated that "excessive homework may impact negatively on student achievement" (2004, p.3). Apparently, if teachers give too much homework, students may be overwhelmed, not complete the homework and ultimately achieve nothing a result. Homework Can Be Beneficial; Yet Nothing Replaces What is Learned in The ...

  9. Is Homework Necessary for Student Success?

    To the Editor: Re " The Movement to End Homework Is Wrong ," by Jay Caspian Kang (Sunday Opinion, July 31): Finland proves that you don't need homework for education success. Students there ...

  10. The Homework Debate: How Homework Benefits Students

    Pryor-Johnson also identifies four qualities children develop when they complete homework that can help them become high-achieving students: Responsibility. Time management. Perseverance. Self-esteem. While these cannot be measured on standardized tests, perseverance has garnered a lot of attention as an essential skill for successful students.

  11. Stanford research shows pitfalls of homework

    A Stanford researcher found that too much homework can negatively affect kids, especially their lives away from school, where family, friends and activities matter.

  12. 20 Pros and Cons of Homework

    3. It teaches time management skills. Homework goes beyond completing a task. It forces children (and parents, to some extent) to develop time management skills. Schedules must be organized to ensure that all tasks can be completed during the day. This creates independent thinking and develops problem-solving skills.

  13. Is Homework Good or Bad for Kids?

    Homework is a good opportunity to connect parents, classmates, and siblings with your education. The better your support network, the more likely you are to succeed in class. Homework, however tedious it might be, teaches responsibility and accountability. For some classes, homework is an essential part of learning the subject matter.

  14. Homework: Is it Helpful or Harmful?

    No, no it's not. Students have lives outside of their school day and most of that life is being flooded by homework. Sports, friends, and other non-stressful activities are things that students ...

  15. Argumentative Essay: Is Homework Helpful Or Harmful To Students?

    6/17/2015 Homework How important is this icon of education? Is homework helpful or harmful to students? Is homework something that eats up students time and energy for no real purpose? Do we need new ideas that move away from homework or is change too frightened, stuck on those famous eight words, "But, we've never done it that way before?"

  16. The Great Debate: Is Homework Helpful or Harmful?

    Homework is beneficial. It is a great way to practice what you have learned in the classroom and helps the teacher gauge your understanding of the material. However, some assignments are not necessary and can be frustrating for students. That's why at The Tenney School, we only assign homework at the level of what your child has been learning ...

  17. Homework: harmful or helpful?

    Homework should not prevent a student from spending valuable time with their family, but it does. Homework cannot be used as an excuse to do less in school. We need more direct learning in school, not at home. In classes where we really apply ourselves, there is just not a need for a huge amount of homework. Homework helps: Written by Nadia Spock

  18. Is Homework Helpful Or Harmful For Students (2023)

    For students, it can be helpful or harmful. In a positive way, homework can be valuable that can help students develop important skills and habits, improve their understanding of course material, and achieve better grades. Whether you are in elementary school, middle school, high school, or beyond, homework plays an important role.

  19. 18 Reasons Why Homework Is Bad For Students?

    Conclusion: Why Homework is Bad. In this blog, we have learned 18 reasons why Homework is bad. I hope you understand why Homework is bad for the student; not only do students in the same city face this problem, but it's a worldwide cause. Students also have the freedom to do other activities and have some free time to chill and relax.

  20. Is Homework Harmful or Helpful

    This was resulting in an overall lack of balance in students. The harmful effects of homework can be seen on the mental as well as physical health of students. On the other hand, there are studies that have found data to support homework is helpful and has a positive impact on students in high school.

  21. Homework: Harmful Or Helpful Essay Example

    First of all, homework causes students to become stressed out or even depressed. Second of all, it does not expand the student's learning much. Third of all, too much of it can effect the student's home life. Forth of all, doing too much homework can have negative effects on the body.

  22. Is Homework Harmful or Helpful? The Eternal Debate

    Review of studied material. When doing exercises at home, a student reviews the material learned in class and additional content provided. It can help get some new insights. Better understanding. Doing homework allows students to get a better experience and deepen their knowledge. Practice. Usually, such a task bases on information given in class.

  23. Is Homework Helpful or Harmful Essay

    In fact, some homework is actually harmful to a students learning experience. Homework should be banned because it can stress kids out, confuse the child on a subject, and can cause riots by parents. First of all, homework can stress kids out. 800 Words. 4 Pages.