Many people consider homework as an important part of a student’s daily routine allowing them to develop their study habits, research skills and independent learning; however, others view homework less favourably and question its value. Homework can be a source of friction between home and school, with teachers demanding greater support from parents in ensuring completion/quality, and parents’ concerns ranging from too much to too little, impacts on home life and commitments outside school. For many students, homework is a source of stress, and as a result, some put forward the case that homework may be linked to pupil disengagement with school.
The question of whether to set homework or not has been ongoing; as far back as the late 1800s a common viewpoint was “the less, the better”. In the 1950s homework was promoted as a way of improving academic outcomes, but again in the 1960s and 1970s the opposition to homework had regrown, with homework branded as an added and unnecessary pressure.
Homework may come in many forms including lesson task completion, preparing for future tasks, project based tasks or assessment revision. The Education Endowment Trust (EEF[1]) shows that “the impact of homework, on average, is five months' additional progress.” However it is clear that this positive impact is very much dependent on the type, quality and amount of homework set, and the students completing the homework independently and to the best of their abilities.
We would be very keen to hear your views on homework and encourage you to email me with any comments/ideas that you have.
More Secondary News:
Donating hair for a cause
Student of the month
TBS turns blue
Year 10 & 11 head to CityFit gym
Secondary Christmas Book Fair
Ann Byrne
Deputy Head Teaching & Learning,
and School Improvement
[1] the EEF is a charitable organization founded in 2011 which is one of the main partners in the UK government designated What Works Centre for Education.