positive and negative effects of homework

Pros and cons of homework

positive and negative effects of homework

Homework has long been a point of contention, with parents, teachers and education experts continually debating the merits of take-home learning. We’ve taken a look at some key arguments to provide you with a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of homework.

Develops important study skills

From time management and organisation to self-motivation and independent learning, homework teaches students a range of positive skills that they will carry with them throughout their academic and working lives. Home learning motivates students to take responsibility for their workload, while also encouraging the development of positive research practices.

Opportunity to consolidate classroom learning

Homework is at its most effective when it allows students to revise what they’ve learnt in class. Assigned tasks that revisit what’s been taught during the day reinforces learnt knowledge and increases the likelihood of students remembering key information. Homework can then help students apply these learnt skills to other subjects and practical situations in their everyday lives.

Provides an indication of academic comprehension

Assigning learning tasks at home is a useful way for teachers to identify whether students are understanding the curriculum. Teachers can analyse gaps in comprehension or information through homework, making it easier for them to tailor their approach to each student’s needs – they can recognise students who need extra support in certain learning areas, while also identifying children who may benefit from more complex learning tasks.

Causes unnecessary stress

Simply uttering the word ‘homework’ can instil a sense of dread in students. When the workload is too large and tasks become increasingly difficult, homework causes students to feel anxious, stressed and unmotivated. This can lead to sleep deprivation and behavioural changes, while also ingraining homework as a negative aspect of schooling life.

Takes away from leisure time

Free time allows children to not only relax, but also discover the world on their own terms – learning how to ride a bike, reading books or interacting with friends and family teaches students useful skills that can’t be learnt by sitting at a desk. Healthy levels of physical activity, which can help to boost cognitive function, can also be impeded by sedentary time spent completing homework.

Not always effective

Plenty of studies have sought to analyse the value of homework and how it benefits academic performance. Research by John Hattie, Professor of Education at the University of Melbourne, has found that homework in primary school has an effect of around zero , as students are completing separate and unrelated projects rather than reinforcing learnt knowledge. Hattie’s work has suggested that homework only becomes effective at the primary and secondary levels when students are assigned learning tasks that ask them to revise taught information.

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positive and negative effects of homework

Positive vs Negative Effects of Homework

positive and negative effects of homework

Growing up, students are used to having homework most nights out of the week. As they get older, the workload seems to pile up, and sometimes it can seem unbearable. Many would say that homework is either not needed, or a waste of time, but this isn’t always true. There are many positive effects of homework along with the negative.

Although we may feel that homework isn’t helping us understand certain material, it is shown in class, on tests and quizzes, that the students who review material and do their homework are more likely to do better than the students that don’t do any school work outside of school hours. Harris Cooper, a professor at Duke University said, “ Across five studies, the average student who did homework had a higher unit test score than the students not doing homework.” This proves that every little thing from reading over material or study guides will increase your test rates.

Despite the fact that homework increases scores, there are definitely some negative impacts of homework for many students. Many people, no matter the grade, say that homework causes them some amount of stress or anxiety. This is because “too much homework can result in lack of sleep, headaches, exhaustion, and weight loss. Excessive homework can also result in poor eating habits, with families choosing fast food as a faster alternative,” according to Oxford Learning. These effects can be more or less extreme depending on the student.

Mental health is becoming something that people are taking a lot more seriously nowadays. Healthline said that a study at Sanford proved that unreasonable amounts of homework in teens was being linked to physical disruptions like lowers immune system defenses and self-harm statistics but also mental troubles like depression and apprehensiveness/nervousness. Some examples of things that teens do to help with this are talking through their stresses, having breathing techniques, or having certain foods or beverages to help relieve stress. For example, drinking hot tea or eating some mints are shown to take some of the stress off your shoulders.

Every year, high schoolers seem to have a semester or quarter that looks to be more extreme than the others. Here are some tips to help homework become a little less of a burden.

Homework is something that kids and teens all across the world have to do. It’s something that probably won’t change for a very long time, but learning how to control the stress that comes with it can help many people in their day to day lives.

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i don’t think that homework is any part neccasary, too much stress

Homework to an extent can be necessary. But when teachers are requiring you to do 1-2 hours of homework a night, with 5 teachers, and already spending 8 hours at school, how are you supposed to do 13-18 hours of school A DAY. That is way too much, and puts a lot on a person.

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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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Is Homework Necessary? Education Inequity and Its Impact on Students

positive and negative effects of homework

Schools are getting rid of homework from Essex, Mass., to Los Angeles, Calif. Although the no-homework trend may sound alarming, especially to parents dreaming of their child’s acceptance to Harvard, Stanford or Yale, there is mounting evidence that eliminating homework in grade school may actually have great benefits , especially with regard to educational equity.

In fact, while the push to eliminate homework may come as a surprise to many adults, the debate is not new . Parents and educators have been talking about this subject for the last century, so that the educational pendulum continues to swing back and forth between the need for homework and the need to eliminate homework.

The Problem with Homework: It Highlights Inequalities

How much homework is too much homework, when does homework actually help, negative effects of homework for students, how teachers can help.

One of the most pressing talking points around homework is how it disproportionately affects students from less affluent families. The American Psychological Association (APA) explained:

“Kids from wealthier homes are more likely to have resources such as computers, internet connections, dedicated areas to do schoolwork and parents who tend to be more educated and more available to help them with tricky assignments. Kids from disadvantaged homes are more likely to work at afterschool jobs, or to be home without supervision in the evenings while their parents work multiple jobs.”

[RELATED] How to Advance Your Career: A Guide for Educators >>

While students growing up in more affluent areas are likely playing sports, participating in other recreational activities after school, or receiving additional tutoring, children in disadvantaged areas are more likely headed to work after school, taking care of siblings while their parents work or dealing with an unstable home life. Adding homework into the mix is one more thing to deal with — and if the student is struggling, the task of completing homework can be too much to consider at the end of an already long school day.

While all students may groan at the mention of homework, it may be more than just a nuisance for poor and disadvantaged children, instead becoming another burden to carry and contend with.

Beyond the logistical issues, homework can negatively impact physical health and stress — and once again this may be a more significant problem among economically disadvantaged youth who typically already have a higher stress level than peers from more financially stable families .

Yet, today, it is not just the disadvantaged who suffer from the stressors that homework inflicts. A 2014 CNN article, “Is Homework Making Your Child Sick?” , covered the issue of extreme pressure placed on children of the affluent. The article looked at the results of a study surveying more than 4,300 students from 10 high-performing public and private high schools in upper-middle-class California communities.

“Their findings were troubling: Research showed that excessive homework is associated with high stress levels, physical health problems and lack of balance in children’s lives; 56% of the students in the study cited homework as a primary stressor in their lives,” according to the CNN story. “That children growing up in poverty are at-risk for a number of ailments is both intuitive and well-supported by research. More difficult to believe is the growing consensus that children on the other end of the spectrum, children raised in affluence, may also be at risk.”

When it comes to health and stress it is clear that excessive homework, for children at both ends of the spectrum, can be damaging. Which begs the question, how much homework is too much?

The National Education Association and the National Parent Teacher Association recommend that students spend 10 minutes per grade level per night on homework . That means that first graders should spend 10 minutes on homework, second graders 20 minutes and so on. But a study published by The American Journal of Family Therapy found that students are getting much more than that.

While 10 minutes per day doesn’t sound like much, that quickly adds up to an hour per night by sixth grade. The National Center for Education Statistics found that high school students get an average of 6.8 hours of homework per week, a figure that is much too high according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). It is also to be noted that this figure does not take into consideration the needs of underprivileged student populations.

In a study conducted by the OECD it was found that “after around four hours of homework per week, the additional time invested in homework has a negligible impact on performance .” That means that by asking our children to put in an hour or more per day of dedicated homework time, we are not only not helping them, but — according to the aforementioned studies — we are hurting them, both physically and emotionally.

What’s more is that homework is, as the name implies, to be completed at home, after a full day of learning that is typically six to seven hours long with breaks and lunch included. However, a study by the APA on how people develop expertise found that elite musicians, scientists and athletes do their most productive work for about only four hours per day. Similarly, companies like Tower Paddle Boards are experimenting with a five-hour workday, under the assumption that people are not able to be truly productive for much longer than that. CEO Stephan Aarstol told CNBC that he believes most Americans only get about two to three hours of work done in an eight-hour day.

In the scope of world history, homework is a fairly new construct in the U.S. Students of all ages have been receiving work to complete at home for centuries, but it was educational reformer Horace Mann who first brought the concept to America from Prussia.

Since then, homework’s popularity has ebbed and flowed in the court of public opinion. In the 1930s, it was considered child labor (as, ironically, it compromised children’s ability to do chores at home). Then, in the 1950s, implementing mandatory homework was hailed as a way to ensure America’s youth were always one step ahead of Soviet children during the Cold War. Homework was formally mandated as a tool for boosting educational quality in 1986 by the U.S. Department of Education, and has remained in common practice ever since.

School work assigned and completed outside of school hours is not without its benefits. Numerous studies have shown that regular homework has a hand in improving student performance and connecting students to their learning. When reviewing these studies, take them with a grain of salt; there are strong arguments for both sides, and only you will know which solution is best for your students or school.

Homework improves student achievement.

Homework helps reinforce classroom learning.

Source: “ Debunk This: People Remember 10 Percent of What They Read ,” 2015.

Homework helps students develop good study habits and life skills.

Homework allows parents to be involved with their children’s learning.

While some amount of homework may help students connect to their learning and enhance their in-class performance, too much homework can have damaging effects.

Students with too much homework have elevated stress levels.

Students with too much homework may be tempted to cheat.

Homework highlights digital inequity.

Homework does not help younger students.

Source: Review of Educational Research, “ Does Homework Improve Academic Achievement? A Synthesis of Researcher, 1987-2003 ,” 2006.

To help students find the right balance and succeed, teachers and educators must start the homework conversation, both internally at their school and with parents. But in order to successfully advocate on behalf of students, teachers must be well educated on the subject, fully understanding the research and the outcomes that can be achieved by eliminating or reducing the homework burden. There is a plethora of research and writing on the subject for those interested in self-study.

For teachers looking for a more in-depth approach or for educators with a keen interest in educational equity, formal education may be the best route. If this latter option sounds appealing, there are now many reputable schools offering online master of education degree programs to help educators balance the demands of work and family life while furthering their education in the quest to help others.

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positive and negative effects of homework

Positive And Negative Effects Of Homework

Persuasive essay on homework.

Homework, a single word that carries differing opinions amongst varied individuals. With the debate of homework at the forefront of many schools and classroom teachers, there are two positions to consider. Before taking a side and conducting research, we began by simply looking at what the word homework means. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines homework as, “an assignment given to a student to be completed outside the regular class period” (2017). The concept of homework is one that has been recently highly debated. With every school’s ‘hot topic’ there are pros and cons to be discovered. Looking at the topic of homework, the list seems to grow exponentially as our world rapidly changes.

Is Homework Beneficial to Student?

Nowadays, the view of homework has become the topic that people argue about. According to researchers England and Flatley (1985) states, “survey of teachers conducted in 1966 found that 89 of 90 teachers favored homework; another survey in 1989 found that teachers did not strongly believe homework was beneficial”. In this topic, there are some adherents who think that they can encourage students to take the initiative to do their homework, and can train them to have independent study skills. They believe homework is the extension of classroom instruction because homework is a kind of practice. Homework allows students to apply the knowledge they have gained in the classroom. On the other hand, critics think that homework has occupied

Negative Effects Of Homework And Its Effects On Students

How does homework affect students in academic and nonacademic ways? Both educators and students ask this infamous question throughout the course of their education tracks. Teachers and administrators often believe that homework is necessary; whereas, students often question the legitimacy of homework. However, due to new studies and research about homework, it has been proven to be insignificant, oppressive and pernicious to the student's wellness and success.

Pros And Cons Of Homework

Not only does homework help student but also it creates interaction between teens and parents. However, statics has shown that even though homework is a way to refresh what students have learned, it also create stress for students. Homework has shown its benefits for student but most of the time when student is given a homework it’s likely he/she will not do it. They believe it’s stressful,and when they can’t get the right answer, they gave up instantly instead of keep practicing. According to researchers, they believe that when student do more homework they get better grades and do well on the test/quizzes that were given. Even though homework has many advantage toward students, it also has disadvantage. Which include having too much homework and these things could lead to mental health issue toward students.

When Is Homework Beneficial

Imagine having a full time job where you did not get paid, could not quit, and have at least a few hours of paperwork to complete each night. This is what students go through everyday with homework. Homework is assignments sent home from school for students of all ages to finish by a certain due date, for a grade. In the past decade, controversies over the amount of work kids and teens are given has lead many to study the benefits of homework to see if the work teachers assign is actually helping students academically and improving test scores. It has grown to an extreme amount, prevents kids and teens from getting the things they need in life, gets in the way of a good childhood, damages relationships, and has not proven to actually aid

Importance Of Homework In Cowanesque Valley High School

“Homework puts pressure on both kids and parents.” The things students learn on a regular bases parents did not learn back when they were in school and if they did it had a new method of doing it. The stress level of kids always studying and doing homework on a daily basis is making them overwhelming. “Homework takes away our personal time no student wants to come home and do more work on what they were already doing for the past 6 hours anyway.”

Homework Synthesis Research Paper

Every single student receives homework when he or she enrolls in school. Whether it is a single page, or three chapters a night, homework is always a factor in education. This said, Brian Haley captures the essence of these assignments, saying, “like mowing a lawn or taking out the garbage, homework seems to be a fact of life” (Source E). It has been long debated what amount of homework is adequate for students. Some view homework as a hindrance, whereas others view homework as positive reinforcement of skills learned in the classroom setting. Decreasing homework is necessary, as it is a detriment that takes up time and does not add value to a student’s education.

Is Homework Harmful Or Helpful?

First of all, homework builds up an initiative in students. They initiate study. Teachers get the schoolwork done from students whereas students initiate doing homework. There is a sense of responsibility associated with consummating their homework. Children feel responsible for finishing homework and accomplished when they do it. They commence allotting their time to study and play thus learning to consummate their scheduled

Persuasive Essay Homework

In 2008 the MetLife American Teacher series polled students, teachers, and parents on their feelings and thoughts about homework and the results were as follows; one-third of parents rated the quality of homework given as fair or poor, one-quarter of students say that they as if their homework is busywork and unrelated to what they were learning in class (MetLife). But, one of the leading reasons that people support homework in elementary levels is because they believe it can kick-start healthy and even necessary habits. These habits include; time-management, study skills, independent working, etc. It is unrealistic to expect students to gain important life skills from poorly created and unrealistic homework.

The Effects Of Homework On The American Educational System

The term “homework” has several different connotations and definitions associated with its meaning. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, homework is “work done at home, eps. as distinguished from work done in a factory” or “schoolwork assigned to a pupil to be done outside lesson time (typically at home).” Homework is commonly associated with those enrolled in both public and private institutions, primarily elementary school, middle school, high school and college. The history of homework in the United States began in the twentieth century where the “mind was viewed as a muscle that could be strengthened through exercise” (Cooper). Then in the 1940s,

What the public is concerned about is if homework should even be assigned? Homework was contrived to prepare students and help them engage them in the content being taught. Homework also enacts time management skills and responsibility of growing young adults. Although the debate about if homework should be given minimally or in discretion and that homework has no verified benefits still stands. Homework is necessary for causing students to be engaged in the content taught and delivers time management skills for the future.

Persuasive Essay : Should Homework Be Important For Students?

Bishop, author of the article “10 Benefits of Homework,” remarks, “In general, students are not excited about the homework they get assigned because they are bombarded with other options that seem more exciting. Lets face it, homework is no more exciting today than when we were kids,”which covers the totality of the student mind when given the workload that is homework (Bishop). Homework has always been something that has been presented and required for students without question. While this may be true within the schooling system, people are starting to wonder if the stress and diminishment of one's social life that homework plagues upon us as students entirely worth it. Although the workload may be strenuous, homework also has the ability to benefit the student, whether it may be in terms of the increase of responsibility and the ability to multi-task, or in terms of the students discipline and work ethic. Being given multiple tasks within the schooling system can prepare students for the real world and the harsh realities that the real world has to offer. Nonetheless, the act of doing homework can promote responsibility as well as accountability for students in the near future, homework should not be assigned because of the fact that it diminishes the students social life, which is crucial to one's mental health, increases the stress on students in and out of school, and adds more obstacles for them in terms of juggling things such as work and or taking care of

The Importance Of Homework As A Part Of Education

Homework has been a common teaching strategy since the middle of the 1800’s (Gartner, 1980). It is said to promote learning by taking what the kids learned at school and bringing it home for further practice. But some people see that there are more negatives to homework than positives. And those people are hoping to change the way our society looks at homework. For example, many kids don’t think that

How Effective is Homework as a Learning Resource? Essay

The main cause of homework is teachers not having enough time in a school day to cover all the material, and they give homework to make up for topics barely covered. This benefits some students, who can teach themselves and learn at their own pace, but for others, human interaction is an important keystone in learning. However, some things besides curriculum are administered with homework, as said by Cooper Robinson, and Patall, “Certain nonacademic benefits of homework have been shown, especially for younger students. Indeed, some primary-level teachers may assign homework for such benefits, which include learning the importance of responsibility, managing time, developing study habits, and staying with a task until it is completed” (2006).

The Importance of Homework Essay

Some people don't know exactly what homework is. Homework is defined as an out of class activity assigned to students as an extension or elaboration of classroom work(KidSource). There are three types of homework teachers generally give out. The first is Practice assignments, they are assignments that reinforce newly acquired skills or knowledge(KidSource). An example of these assignments is writing definitions down for new words

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Negative Effects of Homework

Experts say that students should have no more than 10 minutes of homework per grade, starting in the 1st grade. Many students have much more homework than this, though, and it could be detrimental.

Just what does too much homework do? Keep reading to find out more.

Too Much Homework Can be Harmful

What are the negative effects of too much homework? Too much homework can cause students to experience stress, anxiety, depression, physical ailments, and even cause lower test scores.

How much homework is too much? The National PTA and the National Education Association agree that homework that takes longer than 10 minutes per grade period is excessive. For example, a third-grader should have no more than 30 minutes of homework. Any homework beyond the 30 minutes is too much.

The problem lies in determining how long a homework assignment will take each child. As we all know, each child is different. One child may speed through the assignment while another may spend hours on it. At that point, it's up to the individual parents to discuss the issues with the teacher to come up with a plan appropriate for that child.

How much homework is appropriate for high schoolers? High school aged students can handle more homework. Going with the 10-minute rule per grade, freshman should have no more than 90 minutes and seniors no more than 2 hours of homework.

Does homework affect family time? Excessive homework can cut down on productive family time. This is especially true in families where the parents are incapable of assisting with the homework. As the stress levels increase, fights begin, which takes away from any quality family time students can spend on school nights.

Too much homework can also take time away from teens trying to save up for a big purchase or even college. If you're a teen looking to earn some extra cash, don't miss this list on all the best online jobs for teens.

Does homework affect test scores in high school? Studies show that a certain amount of homework can help test scores increase, but the benefits begin to fall off after doing about an hour of homework on any given subject. According to the Journal of Educational Psychology , students who did more than 90 to 100 minutes of homework per night actually performed worse on tests than those with less than 90 minutes of homework.

Does homework affect test scores in elementary school? Studies show that increased homework at the elementary school level actually has a negative effect on students' test scores. Increased homework often means it's a remedial attempt to catch a child up on what the teacher couldn't teach in the classroom. Because of the lack of teaching, children often do worse on tests as a result.

When did you first start to feel genuinely stressed by schoolwork?

The Health Effects of Homework

Are teens sleep deprived? The Journal of Adolescent Health states that 8% of high schoolers in the US get the recommended 9 hours of sleep each night. They also state that 23% of high school students get 6 hours or less of sleep and 10% get 5 hours or less.

Does Homework Cause Anxiety? A study conducted by Stanford University determined that students who feel that they spend "too much time" on homework experience stress and physical ailments that can be tied to anxiety. Students also cited having difficulty balancing everything in their life, including family time and extracurricular activities in addition to homework, which can contribute to the anxiety.

What health problems can homework cause? Excessive homework, which exceeds the 10-minute per grade rule, has been known to cause digestive issues, sleeping problems, headaches, weight loss, and generalized stress.

Can homework cause depression? Homework itself might not be the direct cause of depression, but it could have an indirect relationship. Students who feel overwhelmed with homework have a harder time balancing their family life, extracurricular activities, and social life. This can lead them to isolation and depression.

Does homework take away from a person's childhood? If a child has excessive amounts of homework and they have trouble balancing their life outside of school, it may take away from their childhood. Not having time to go outside, play with friends, or just "chill" could take away from the milestone experiences of childhood.

What type of homework was most stressful for you?

Does Homework Ever Make Sense?

What is the point of homework? According to the Review of Educational Research , homework should serve a purpose and that purpose is to practice, prepare, or extend a student's learning. The homework should be age appropriate and either engage a child's interest or help him/her learn good study habits.

Does homework help in any subject? This is a question of quality versus quantity. We've established that an overabundance of homework is detrimental. A study in the Economics of Education Review determined that homework in subjects like English, history, and science didn't affect a student's test scores. The one subject that does show benefits from homework is math, though.

Does more homework mean better grades? A Penn State and the Curry School of Education study claims that a relationship does not exist between homework and better grades. In fact, it can actually hurt a child if it causes unnecessary stress or anxiety.

Can homework be damaging to kids who don't understand a topic? According to a study conducted by Lee Bartel , a University of Toronto professor, homework is useless for students who know the topic and anxiety-provoking for students who don't understand the topic. This anxiety can lead to breakdowns, a dislike for school, and even begin to damage a family's well-being.

Does excessive homework encourage cheating? Students who find that they can't do the homework but know it's a large part of their grade often turn to cheating. Whether they cheat off peers or find other ways to do it, the point of the homework is lost.

According to NoCheating.org , 9 out of 10 middle schoolers copy someone else's homework, and 75% to 98% of college students admit to cheating at some point during their school career. The homework most copied is in math and science.

Does homework cause loneliness or social isolation? Handling homework as well as life's demands outside of school can prove to be too much for many students. This can leave them feeling lonely or isolated as they do their homework as they were told, but have less time to cultivate relationships outside of school.

Study on Homework Effects Outside of School

Does homework promote personal responsibility? Some researchers do believe that homework helps students develop a sense of responsibility at a young age. It can also help them develop the ability to multi-task, which is another important life skill that is best taught through doing.

Can homework take away from the chance to learn about personal responsibilities? Other researchers argue that homework takes away from the chance to learn about personal responsibilities. Because homework can be so daunting and take up so much time, it doesn't leave much time for learning about responsibilities outside of school.

Understanding How to Cope with Homework

Why is homework so stressful? Homework isn't just stressful for the students—the stress can often carry over to the family as well. This is especially true in families where the parents don't feel capable of helping their child after being out of school themselves for a decade or two. This can increase family fights and stress throughout the family unit.

How can you stay calm during homework? Homework can seem overwhelming and stressful, but there are ways to stay calm:

How should you handle homework that is too hard? It's inevitable that some homework will be harder than others. Rather than letting it stress you out, consider the following tips:

How should you cope with too much homework? If you find that you just have too much homework, try talking to your teacher about it. If it's overwhelming you and making you stressed out, your teacher may have ways to help you.

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Positive And Negative Effects Of Homework On Students

The negative effects of homework.

It is all too apparent that homework must be cut since it can adversely influence mental well-being. According to the article“Stanford Research Shows Pitfalls of Homework” by Clifton B. Parker,89% of students reported homework was a stressor. 56% of students considered homework as a primary source of stress. This is important information because of it clear that homework is causing worry for most students. In the piece “Homework vs. Sleep: A Cause of Stress in Teens (And Younger Kids)” by Craig Canapari MD, it was reported about 15% of juniors and seniors had more than two hours of homework per night. Canapari also pointed to a study finding 90% of teenagers are not getting enough sleep due to too much homework. This is significant because teenagers need sleep for their growth and development. Also, without sleep teenagers might fall asleep in class and not be able to pay attention to the lesson.

Why Kids Shouldnt Have Homework

For years kids under the age of 14 and 15 there is absolutely no scientific research to prove that homework is benefiting children. Students should not be assigned homework because it causes stress and along with that come other health issues and it is not worth it, and the results promised are not showing up in any studies on homework. Homework has been tested in many different ways by a ton different people and hasn’t shown any results. People around the country are complaining about homework. They are complaining about the realistic value of homework. A lot of teachers are trying to say that the homework is helping practice the concepts of the lessons, but studies show that the amounts of homework do not suggest an edge over people who are not having to do homework. This evidence shows that teachers feel it will help students academically by giving them homework and increasing amounts and that it does not make difference in a student’s education whether or not you have homework. Another reason example of why homework is not worth it is there

Why Is Too Much Homework Bad

Is too much homework increasing our knowledge, or does it distract, cause harm, and be plain useless like trying to drown a fish? Too much homework, a subject mostly every student had a serious debate about. School students have received an abundance of homework to work on at home. Students are spending more than half their day to finish assignments that were given to them by their teacher, causing serious issues at home, and even class time. Too much homework is not a good thing and can affect our lives, in a bad way.

Does Homework Cause Stress

Getting starved from sleep, missing time to have fun, and a oil tanker full of stress all support the fact that there is way too much homework. If the teachers in the students’ lives lower the homework amount, these problems may change for the better. Are we willing to let the huge amounts of homework destroy every students lives? Let 's take action against mountains of homework that is tearing up our students! Let’s take a stand against too much

Cheating In Middle School

Grades are one of the biggest stresses in middle school. With all of the big tests and the fear that if you fail then your whole future is ruined. Also most kids feel that they are always doing something for school, whether it is studying or homework they often feel the urge to cheat on them. Most schools are based on standardized tests and how well you do on them, middle schoolers are very stressed on a regular bases.

Persuasive Essay For Students: No Homework For Students

Homework is used in a lot of countries and in others there isn’t any. Some people believe it helps improve grades and scores. Others think kids should not have homework because it doesn’t help them and use standardized tests to support them. Over recent years, the debate has gotten more attention as to whether students should have homework as homework has seemed to increase. Students having homework does not benefit them in their academic skills and should be abolished.

The Negative Benefits Of Homework In Schools

Homework is like a boat with a hole in its side if there is a leak in the boat then the boat is useless. The water will rush in and fill the boat with cold, dark water. The same goes for homework, it is useless. All the nights kids spend with hours and hours of homework, all the tears and stress are not helping kids in school. Numerous amounts of today's kids have excessive amounts of homework. Some children have extracurricular activities and some may even have jobs. It is difficult for them to juggle all these items at once. In other words, if students did not receive homework and were required to do other items, then countless benefits would be shown. Students attending K-12 public schools in the United States should not receive homework

Persuasive Essay: Why Homework Should Not Be Necessary?

An average student would spend hours on schoolwork a day, which can be very stressful. A high school student will use half of their day around school relation. Almost all elementary to high school students will likely to agree that homework should not be assigned. The majority of students complain about homework yet teachers don’t usually understand why. While homework gives benefits to students, unnecessary homework should not be assigned due to the fact that there are enough school hours, it consumes time, and the development of poor health is encouraged. “Homework has been a part of students’ lives for so long that the idea of not doing it can seem incredible, surreal, or even impossible. But if [people] stop to think about it, the truth is that homework is not necessary” (Mathprepa).

Argumentative Essay: Should Schools Assign Homework?

The clock strikes 12:00 am and students are trying to finish their pile of homework due in the morning. Students are rushing to finish in order to get ready for the next day. Schools are assigning students a lot of homework, but the homework can do more harm than good. Negatively affect kids by sleep deprivation. Source of frustration and daily stress. Problems at the other end of the socioeconomic. Schools should not assign homework because it can lead to sleep deprivation, to frustration and daily stress, to unequal disadvantages for poor students without parent support and resources.

Homework Should Be Banned Essay

Homework does, in fact, encourage good learning habits. It teaches students time management skills and responsibility. If Atwater claims that he is too tired to do his homework, he should learn how to best manage his time. A student could come home and take a break (take a nap, eat a snack, watch an episode of their favorite show) before beginning his or her homework. This allows students time to rest and get ready to begin their homework. Once, the student begins his homework it is important that he takes breaks on occasion to keep himself awake and focused on the task at hand. All of these habits can be applied to a person’s future career. It is likely that many students will go on to have jobs that require them to put in time off the clock. If a student learns how to effectively complete his or her homework from a young age, then the transition from school to the workforce will be much

Homework Should Not Be Banned Essay

A professor at the University of Toronto, Lee Bartel, studied the effects of homework on children by testing data on over twenty-thousand students and concluded with results showing that homework does indeed have the effects of causing stress and anxiety. Research preformed by Stanford Graduate School of Education examined the different effects of homework on students' well-being and discovered that students that worked on homework for longer than three hours a night are negatively impacted. It proves in a rise in stress levels along with physical health problems. Since the students are constantly bombarded with work, they have no phase during the day towards hobbies for themselves to go pump up weights in the gym to relieve stress or to play sports and fix their health problems for example. Jason Sapan, a parent of a student in White Plains, says that “it by takes the joy out of kids who are exceptional, and overwhelms those who are struggling.” Parents would agree that their children find the homework they do stressful due to the extensive amounts given which tires them

Argumentative Essay Homework

Teachers usually argue that students don’t have enough time to complete work during the day, and that homework reinforces the things students learn in class. While the former is true, the latter is actually a myth. There is actually no academic benefit from homework. Sources like Washington Post have researched the correlation of the amount of homework load to academic success and have concluded that there is none. Schools from Japan and Finland, who score in the top ranks globally, have under

Essay On Homework Becoming Too Much

Every day students spend hours upon hours doing homework every night and stressing out if they aren't able to finish it. The first form of homework was given as a punishment to the kids that would act up in class. The teacher would give them extra school work to take home and do instead of being able to go home relax and have fun. Although homework can help increase understanding of new topics this kind of practice is not helping students because it can interfere with sleeping, stresses kids and teenagers out and can cause depression, and even make a kid give up on school altogether.

Persuasive Essay: Why Homework Is Important For Students

First of all, homework is beneficial when you have the right amount of homework. Studies show that with the right amount of homework 2nd graders have done better in math, 3rd and 4th better in english and vocabulary, 5th in social studies, and high schoolers in american history as well as shakespeare. This makes me think that anyone could get better at these skills and improve their grade with homework. In addition, in a poll that was conducted for the associated press 58% of parents said that their children have the right amount homework, 23% think it’s too little, and then 19% say it’s too much. By having many parents perspectives you not only get researchers opinions but millions of other people as well. The national PTA and NEA think that grades k-2 should have 10-20 minutes of homework, 3-6 should have 60

Importance Of Homework Essay

According to John Bishop, “School and homework show students the important life lessons, such as how to read and communicate with others, that they will use as an adult.” Students can learn how important planning, staying organized and taking action is just from doing homework. Homework gives the students an opportunity to learn how to work independently. Although I understand that assigning homework is not beneficial at times, I still believe that assigning homework can teach students many skills and even help teachers. Assigning homework to students is constructive, therefore teachers should assign homework because it allows students to gain responsibility, time-management, perseverance, self-esteem, homework also gives students a chance to review the class material, and it also helps teachers determine how well the lessons and materials are being understood by their students.

More about Positive And Negative Effects Of Homework On Students

Related topics.

Does Homework Have a Greater Negative or Positive Effect on Students?

Homework is a ubiquitous activity that helps students learn material outside of the classroom. Since homework increases the likelihood that students will remember and apply what they have learned, it comes as a surprise to many that homework can have a detrimental impact on learning. If approached correctly, however, homework ultimately has a more positive effect on student achievement, academic outcomes and nonacademic pursuits.

Explore this article

1 The Benefits of Homework

In the most comprehensive study of homework to date, the Review of Educational Research found that homework is positively correlated with classroom achievement, measured through test scores. In addition, the report found that homework improved students' study habits, problem-solving skills, self-discipline and views toward school, among others. A stronger correlation between homework and classroom achievement was observed when the student, rather than the parent, worked on homework. In addition, the correlation between homework and academic achievement was stronger among students in high school than students in grades K–6.

Homework can also have nonacademic benefits. As noted in the academic journal Theory Into Practice, homework helps children "develop positive beliefs about achievement, as well as strategies for coping with mistakes, difficulties, and setbacks." Especially relevant for younger students, homework can help learners stay on task and prepare them for more demanding assignments that require a great deal of focus. In addition, homework can help students develop time-management skills and assume more demanding responsibilities.

2 The Drawbacks of Homework

Homework is so entrenched in education that many fail to see its weaknesses. The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development notes that despite its near-universal acceptance in American culture, homework can increase students' stress levels and lower their overall physical and emotional health. Some researchers believe that homework that goes beyond the "10-minute rule" – from 10 minutes in first grade to two hours in high school – can have an adverse impact on student achievement and learning.

This concern is supported by research from the Journal of Experimental Education, which found that too much homework can lead to increased academic stress, poorer physical health and an uneven school-life balance. According to the report, which studied students averaging 3.1 hours of homework per night at high-performing high schools, more than half of the students (56 percent) mentioned homework being one of their primary sources of stress. In addition, many students in the study claimed that that the amount of homework they received led to sleep deprivation and other health issues.

3 Finding the Balance

Homework has both academic and nonacademic benefits when it is assigned properly. Too little can lead to a poor understanding of material and outlook on learning, but too much can lead to increased academic stress and poorer health. A good rule of thumb is to follow the 10-minute rule; that is, a first-grader's homework should take no longer than 10 minutes, a second-grader's homework should take no longer than 20 minutes, and so on, adding 10 minutes for each grade level. When used in moderation, homework can be an excellent tool for students to gain knowledge and obtain essential skill sets.

About the Author

Tim Zimmer is an Associate Consultant at Manhattan Strategy Group (MSG), a management and social services consulting firm that works with Federal, State, and local government agencies.

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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.

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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COMMENTS

Pros and cons of homework
Develops important study skills · Opportunity to consolidate classroom learning · Provides an indication of academic comprehension · Causes unnecessary stress.
Purpose, Public Attitudes toward Homework, The Positive and
The Positive and Negative Effects of Homework ... The most direct positive effect of homework is that it can improve retention and understanding. More indirectly
Positive vs Negative Effects of Homework
This is because “too much homework can result in lack of sleep, headaches, exhaustion, and weight loss. Excessive homework can also result in
The Pros and Cons: Should Students Have Homework?
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
Is Homework Necessary? Education Inequity and Its Impact on
While some amount of homework may help students connect to their learning and enhance their in-class performance, too much homework can have damaging effects.
Positive And Negative Effects Of Homework
Pros And Cons Of Homework. Not only does homework help student but also it creates interaction between teens and parents. However, statics has shown that even
Negative Effects of Homework May Surprise You
Does homework affect test scores in elementary school? Studies show that increased homework at the elementary school level actually has a
Positive And Negative Effects Of Homework On Students
Although homework can help increase understanding of new topics this kind of practice is not helping students because it can interfere with sleeping, stresses
Does Homework Have a Greater Negative or Positive Effect on
Homework has both academic and nonacademic benefits when it is assigned properly. Too little can lead to a poor understanding of material and
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