How much homework is too much?

How much homework is too much? It’s a big question that students, teachers and parents alike grapple with every day. A 2014 report published by the UK Department for Education concluded that students who spent between two and three hours on homework on a week night were almost 10 times more likely to achieve better results than those who did no homework at all.

But where does the limit lie? When does too much homework become too stressful, and therefore counter-productive?

In fact, international comparisons confirm that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to educational success. Chinese students are given the largest amount of homework and are among the highest achievers academically. Conversely, students in Italy do not perform as well despite being given a relatively large amount of homework as well. Meanwhile, in Finland which has one of the most successful education systems in the world, there is far less emphasis on testing and homework.

What is more pertinent to remember is that every student is different and also experiences different levels of stability in their home life which plays a role in the successful completion of any homework given.

While I believe that homework is important and makes a difference in reinforcing what students learn in class, we need to be mindful to not overload students. Students too should have a good work-life balance. What is more important is making sure that students understand what he or she is learning – there is no point in overloading the student with homework if he or she struggles to fully understand and absorb the information learnt.

If you want to find out more about the findings in the Report, click the following link:

http://www.bbc.com/news/education-43386670

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