The Great Homework Debate: Pros and Cons of Spending Out-of-School Time on Schoolwork

Some people may feel strongly about the homework debate, but have you really looked at both sides? I scoured multiple literature reviews to find a range of viewpoints for each side.

Definition of homework: schoolwork for children to complete outside of school hours (Cowan et. al., 1998).

Pro Homework

Homework can be seen as an opportunity for students to spend more time learning which in turn, leads to greater academic achievement (Cowan et. al., 1998). During this out-of-school work time, students build life skills including study habits, responsibility, time management, and working independently. It provides time to reflect on and internalize information presented to them in class through repetition and review (Dennis, 2008). After all, practice makes perfect, right? In addition, homework is a non-negotiable portion of higher education. Students who plan to pursue education at the college level will be much better prepared for success if they develop healthy study and homework habits before attending college (Matei & Ciasca, 2015).

Not only do some experts argue that homework develops skills that lead to academic success, but some also believe that homework is beneficial to families. Completing schoolwork at home is a way for parents and caregivers to get more involved in their child’s education (Cowan et. al., 1998). It’s also thought to increase communication between parents and teachers (Dennis, 2008).

There are only so many hours in a day. It’s seemingly impossible for educators to fit all the required content into the school day. Homework can be an opportunity for students to cover what can’t be covered in class due to time constraints (Dennis, 2008).

Anti Homework

While some make a point that homework can be beneficial to families, a strong anti-homework counterpoint is that challenging homework assignments can create familial tensions because parents and caregivers don’t know how to help (Cowan et. al., 1998). Additionally, homework can be thought of as outdated since both parents are now working full time in many households. Parents just don’t have the amount of time needed to assist with homework anymore (Dennis, 2008). Working on assignments outside of the classroom may also be seen as an unrealistic expectation; if adults are not expected to bring work home or work outside of typical working hours, why are we expecting children to (Dennis, 2008)?

Homework interferes with leisure and social activities that take place outside of the school day (Cowan et. al., 1998) and this can lead to an increase in student anxiety (Matei & Ciasca, 2015), mental, and physical fatigue (Dennis, 2008).

Anti-homework advocates also claim that expecting students to complete assignments outside of school hours exacerbates inequities among social classes. Not everyone can complete homework assignments under the same conditions or with the same resources. More financially stable families may be able to hire tutors, have better access to computers/internet, or a more flexible working schedule to dedicate time with their child than less financially stable families (Dennis, 2008; Matei & Ciasca, 2015).

Homework Alternatives 

Assuming that out-of-school time assignments are here to stay, what could make homework a more productive and useful way to spend time in the evenings? It is understood that many individuals feel strongly that homework disrupts leisure and family time. Perhaps rather than assigned worksheets or additional word problems to solve, homework took a more creative approach through special projects focusing on art, creative writing, or dramatic play. 

Have you chosen a side or changed your mind about which side of the homework fence you’re on? How can you advocate your stance?

References

Cowan, R., Traill, D., & McNaughton, S. (1998). Homework for primary children: Ideals and reality. The Psychology of Education Review, 22, 20-27.

Dennis, J. (2008). Homework–Just Benefits? Retrieved from Digital Scientific Archive:  https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?dswid=7050&pid=diva2%3A1494655.

Matei, S., & Ciasca, L. (2015). Primary Teachers Opinion about Homework. Acta Didactica Napocensia, 8(3), 29-36.