For decades homework enjoyed the status of a good practice. It was thought to improve grades and student responsibility. But the other side of the coin was that homework began to interfere with family life when some students spent hours on assignments and family events were often postponed because of homework.
As years passed, educational researchers got involved in parental concerns and began to ask questions about the value of homework as an instructional tool. Homework is a difficult target for research because it isn’t one thing, but many things with varying degrees of difficulty assigned by teachers with different skill levels.
Different camps soon developed as different research produced whatever outcome one might imagine or support. The need to pin the homework issue down only intensified. The search for an answer became the educational equivalent of the search for dark matter in the cosmos. Still, the issue is unclear.
Common Sense Rather than Research Might be a Better Approach
There is little need to repeat the educational shortfalls of homework according to research, as they have received as much media attention. One common sense issue stands out and bears repeating: homework is often assigned not because of any proof that it helps, but because teachers assume that it does. It is simply what teachers are expected to do.
Grading homework creates lots of zeros — probably more zeros than any other assignment. These zeros tend to harm low achievers more than others because they are less likely to do homework. This is easily observed by teachers. It is reasonable to question the use of any instructional procedure which is known to lower the grade of a specific group of students.
Among the common sense observations is that for many teachers, homework is personal. That means that those teachers interpret missing homework as disrespectful — the student disobeyed instructions. This can harm student/teacher relationships.
Some Schools and Districts are Beginning to Change Homework Policies
Some schools are trying to clarify and add consistency to homework policies.
- Triton School District in Massachusetts has adopted a policy of not giving homework on holiday weekends. Other elementary schools within the district are exploring the purpose on homework and developing homework policies based on studying the research.
- Wellesley Middle School — also in Massachusetts — is working to “establish a philosophy about homework.” Teachers are involved in the process.
- The Poway United School District in California initiated a new policy seeking to limit homework assignments to a reasonable length. It’s a more-isn’t-necessarily-better policy.
- The changes are occurring in The United Kingdom as well. North Berwick High School in Scotland surveyed the faculty before revising the homework policy. The results of the survey brought changes in policy.
Why New Homework Policies are Needed
The main reason homework policies need revamping is that they can affect student grades. This is a problem because:
- Homework is often not graded — rather it is checked off as complete incomplete or not done and these checks are converted into grades.
- Homework is a formative assessment and, as such, should not be graded.
- Homework policies differ widely and wildly from teacher to teacher from no homework and no grade to frequent homework and 60% of a grade.
Some schools are revamping homework policies as a result of the uncertain nature of the practice. Homework continues to be a source of contention even though research does not certify it as a major tool for learning. Changes are coming in many schools that attempt to add some consistency to a haphazard process.
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.
Harvey Craft - I am a retired educator with diverse experience. I read anything science, education, and history. I write to share what I learn.
