One of the most controversial topics in public education is homework. There are problems in addressing the issue and many of them are emotional. Many teachers and parents believe — for reasons not well-justified — that homework is an absolutely essential part of the learning process.
Teachers Should Base their Homework Policy on Good Information
The most consistent findings on homework seem to indicate that it is useful as a teaching tool as students grow older, being of little good for beginning learners and of some benefit in high school. Parents, teachers, and principals don’t spend a lot of time with reviewing research, and those that promote new ideas based on research are often not welcomed.
A subjective opinion is often the determining factor in homework policies — studying at home just seems to be a good idea — for some students it is and for some it isn’t. Unfortunately, when teachers choose to assign homework they are asking students to do something that is affected by more variables than they can control.
For example:
- Students can and do copy homework;
- Some parents help and monitor, others don’t or can’t;
- Students differ greatly in intrinsic motivation;
- The home environment is unpredictable;
- Homework is often boring — sad, but true;
- Homework is a formative assessment and should not be graded.
Teachers Need Alternative to Traditional Homework Practices
One choice is simple: don’t assign homework. This frees up more time for teaching in class during teacher-managed time. Often teachers assign homework because they feel that parents expect it, but parental expectations shouldn’t drive instruction. Competent teachers will be able to develop a policy about homework — or no homework — and relate it to parents.
If homework is assigned, give assignments of reasonable length. Students have a life away from school and time spent with friends and family is important. Leisure time and play are needed for physical and emotional health.
If homework is given, try to coordinate assignments with other teachers to minimize the amount of homework assigned on any given day. A well-placed calendar can serve as a location where teachers can indicate whether or not homework or assessments are assigned. This can help teachers to keep up with student workloads.
Try to be creative with assignments. Ask students to do something after school that will allow them to learn in some other way than looking up an answer to a question in a textbook. For example, science student involved in the metric system might be asked to look around the house and write down a few examples of containers with English and metric equivalents on the label Review the results next day in five minutes or so.
Homework is formative. Don’t grade it. There is an alternative that saves time — a homework quiz. Once a week — perhaps on Friday — give a short quiz based entirely on homework assignments. Be certain that teaching standards are always addressed in such assessments so that students will see similar questions on major summative assessments. This will help them understand why they do homework, i.e., to learn standards.
The teacher can quickly grade the quizzes and record the grades them as a legitimate summative assessment. This practice saves class time and reveals study habits of students — something to be shared with parents.
Homework Should Never be Given as Punishment of “Just Because”
If a teacher chooses to give homework, then it should be assigned for a specific learning standard. Don’t give homework to engender responsibility or because it is “expected.” As a general rule, don’t give homework on weekends or holidays. Respect students’ need for “down-time.”
Homework policies should be defensible based on contemporary research and best practice. Read the investigations of more than one person.
Homework Suggestions for the Apathetic Students
There are no magic bullets for apathy. Some research suggests the need for teachers to stick to solid teaching fundamentals — high expectations, good organization, varied teaching methods, non-threatening teaching environment — rather than try to extraordinary attempts to motivate individual students. In other words, you can’t beat a great teacher who cares about student success and plans well for winning every day.
Homework is more controversial than ever. Teachers should decide whether or not to assign homework based on their pursuit of best practice, not because parents expect it or because it seems like the right thing to do. There are valid problems with homework as a teaching tool. As a formative assignment, homework should not be graded daily — occasional homework quizzes can save time and take direct aim at teaching standards. Apathetic students may participate in homework best without special attention if a teacher applies the solid instructional methods daily.
Sources:
- Bennett, Sara; Nancy Kalish. The Case Against Homework: How Homework Is Hurting Our Children and What We Can Do About It. New York: Three Rivers Press. 2006.
- Kohn, Alfie. The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing. Jackson: Da Capo Press. 2006.
- “Research Spotlight on Homework,” nea.org. Accessed: September 22, 2011
Harvey Craft - I am a retired educator with diverse experience. I read anything science, education, and history. I write to share what I learn.
