Considering that students from all over the world have tons of homework everyday, I feel like it is an appropriate to question whether homework helps students gain more intelligence and understanding on whatever they are learning. I looked at a few websites that contained different viewpoints, but generally the same research was gained. It seems that most research concludes that homework does help students gain more knowledge, but only at a certain age. Research shows that homework mostly benefits high school students and older. Students of ages 11-13 also showed that they benefit from homework, but not as distinctly as older kids. Children under the age of 11 did not show any benefit.
This study is complicated to research because there are many third variables that cannot be controlled. For examples, different schools and teachers have different policies and curriculums. Some teachers may teach very well in the classroom and give an appropriate amount of homework, while other teachers may not be as good at their jobs and may give an overbearing amount of homework. Students in the study would give different data on whether homework is beneficial or not. Other third variables include how much time students spend on extracurricular activities, if students read in their free time, gender, how much sleep each student receives, what students’ life situation at home is, if students are ill, and if students are fed well. To read up on what a Penn State Professor concluded from his research on this topic click here.
Homework can be used to further students’ research or understanding of a topic. It is also used to reinforce information learned in the classroom. Teachers should not overload students’ homework especially at young ages because it does not allow for as much time for children try to discover learning by themselves nor experience life outside of school. Homework is good when it is given to help and benefit students, not to just give students busy work. Teachers need to allow for students to have time for family and friends outside of school and experience other life lessons that cannot be taught within a classroom.
Sources:
http://www.memory-key.com/improving/strategies/children/homework
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/30/too-much-homework-test-scores_n_1391134.html
http://blogdailyherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Student-Studying-1.jpg
I have always been an active homework completer. I felt as if homework challenged me- allowed me to figure things out on my own without the teacher walking me through everything step by step. From personal experience, I found that homework was the reason for my good grades. I always remember the first class I never had homework in. It was tenth grade geometry. I struggled with this class so much, and felt as if I was doing poorly because I wasn’t given the opportunity to study at home each day. I also think homework is great because it actually forces kids to attempt problems. Its a domino affect. If you don’t do your homework, your homework grade is going to be poor. And if you don’t do your homework, your test scores will probably be lower, too. Read this article! It explains exactly what I am talking about: http://www.memphisparent.com/Memphis-Parent/January-2012/Why-Homework-Is-Actually-Good-For-Kids/
I completely agree that homework is a good way for students to exercise what they are learning in school and further put their minds to work however too much homework can cause stress which will result in poor performance. When I was in high school, I felt as though teachers would load us with homework just to keep us busy. The purpose of homework should be for students to practice what they are learning. I found an article on a study at Stanford that was done regarding too much homework. Research at Stanford has found that students who are spending too much time on homework are experiencing higher levels of stress, health problems, and less time for family and friends. A study that was conducted found that 56% of students reported that their primary source of stress was from homework, while 43% viewed tests as their primary stressor. Students also reported that their homework load led to sleep deprivation and other health problems. Evidently, too much homework can pose negative effects on a student.
More information about the research at Stanford can be found here: http://news.stanford.edu/news/2014/march/too-much-homework-031014.html
Great post! Like me, when I was a kid at about 7 to 12, homework is just a block between me and TV. I didn’t pay any attention to my elementary school’s homework but just treated it as a daily work that I have to finish as quick as possible. Since the high school, I started to treat my homework with patience because I realized that those annoying things can actually help me with the knowledge I got from the last day’s class; and I can use homework as a tool to find out which part of the knowledge I missed in the class. Although I know the advantage of homework, I still don’t like it.
I agree with your post, but I feel like the homework for the kids under the age of 11 is mainly to prepare them for middle and high school. In middle and high school, one of the most key elements to success in class is doing your homework. Think about it. You get homework almost every single day and the teachers go over them in class every single day. When you are younger, I feel that giving them homework is just used to get them into the habit of doing their homework because in high school it is so vital. In high school, doing my homework was a “make and break” for some of my classes. If I did not do my homework, I would not be at Penn State. Homework is extremely important and it is started at such a young age to get kids in the habit of doing it… It is vital.
For additional information, click on this link: http://www.studentpulse.com/articles/99/the-value-of-homework-is-homework-an-important-tool-for-learning-in-the-classroom
I agree with this post. I don’t see how giving homework to a young child can benefit them. I still believe, like you said, college kids can learn from homework but an overload of work is counter productive. Personally having hours of homework a night is stressful and makes me just want to get it done not actually take the time to learn the material given. Good post.