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is homework good or bad for student achievement
homework and its importance
homework and its importance
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Recommended: is homework good or bad for student achievement
R. Van Der Linden
Composition 1
Mr. Roos
December 1, 2013
Homework is Harmful
Homework is a very debatable topic. Is homework helpful or harmful? Some say that homework is helpful because it helps teachers know if a student understands the topic that he or she is working on in class. But, does that mean homework is helpful for the student? I say homework is harmful. Students have very busy schedules, and have many late nights throughout a typical school week. On top of the late nights at sports games, they still have homework to do when he or she gets home. Students lose a lot of time with his or her family due to the unending piles of homework. This is just a small factor of why homework is harmful. Some of the bigger reasons are that most students have jobs, and don’t get home until ten at night. I realize that school is more important than having a job in high school, but having a job as a high school student can better prepare someone for his or her future.
Students have never liked to do homework, but it has always been a part of our education system. When more attention is brought to the purpose and effects of homework, a question of its necessity can be argued for various reasons.
The key word in homework is, of course, home meaning that students should study for his or her classes outside of the classroom. This belief is not shared by everyone, students especially. The Washington Post says,
“An education program is, by definition, a societal program. Work should be done at school, rather than at home” (Hollande). At one point in time San Francisco and Los Angeles forced the amount of homework given to be lowered, because homework was seen as unhealthy. Homework was also reduced to be worth only 10% of a studen...
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...ves a purpose. But, if this purpose can be achieved while still in the classroom the negative effects of this practice can eliminate time consumption, irrelevant busy work, and distaste of an old and grueling tradition.
Works Cited
Kohn, Alfie. "The Value of Homework Needs Further Research." Do Students Have Too Much Homework? Ed. Judeen Bartos. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. At Issue. Rpt. from "Studies Support Rewards, Homework, and Traditional Teaching. Or Do They?" alfiekohn.org. 2011. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 4 Dec. 2013.
Strauss, Valerie. "'Work should be done at School, rather than at Home.'." The Washington PostOct 22 2012. ProQuest. Web. 4 Dec. 2013 .
Blume, Howard. "Homework Change on Hold; Los Angeles Unified Leader Requests More Public Involvement as 10% Rule is Halted." Los Angeles TimesJul 21 2011. ProQuest. Web. 4 Dec. 2013 .
When excessive homework is assigned, teachers often overlook that this can affect their interpersonal skills. When the opposite occurs, students have a major risk in forgetting the material and its processes. I appreciated the approach that the article took presenting both sides without distorting their views. The article counted with important individuals in the field of education and psychology who expressed their views based on their extensive work of research. I agree with Campbell in the sense that decision of assigning homework is very personal and is based on each educator’s individual teaching style. The article implies how the freedom that many school districts gives to educators give them a greater say in how they manage their classrooms. The decision making about homework allows educators to grow as professionals because they are able to have control and responsibility in how they impart their lessons, consequently gaining experience. In my personal opinion, I agree in the benefits of homework as a reinforcement or remedial strategy because extra practice can often provide clarification. However, when using this as a resource for academic advancement I consider it a way to confuse students if the content has not been previously covered. Homework is definitely helpful, but for it to not be considered busy work it is important that the educator
Stager, Gary. "Questioning Homework's Worth." Curriculum Administrator Jan. 2001. Questia School. Web. 7 Apr. 2014.
According to research done by the University of Michigan, elementary school students in 1981 spent forty-four minutes a week on homework. Sixteen years later 9-12 year olds had an increase of almost two more hours a week (Ratnesar 313). A 1983 government report, A Nation at Risk, caught the attention of the American Education System. The article explained the failings of the American school. It explained how education is declining, and teachers need to get tough on their students again. This prompted...
Incorporating homework into the average student’s life can significantly improve academic achievement, the understanding of lifelong study skills, and school appreciation. In order for students to solidify their understanding of certain topics, homework is required since it enables students to retrieve what they have learned outside of school and learning skills can be improved. “For example, Cooper summarizes many of the positive outcomes homework has on students’ lives. Cooper categorizes these outcomes into four sections: immediate achievement and learning, long-term academic benefits, non-academic benefits, and greater parental appreciation of and involvement in school. Under the first section, Cooper explains that one’s learning can progress rapidly since there will be increased understanding, better critical thinking, retention of factual knowledge, greater concept formation, information processing, and curriculum enrichment for a student in the learning process.
Homework can prevent students from discovering what they really enjoy doing. There is no time for them to read about interesting topics, or think about their own ideas, because they are too busy trying to keep up with their homework. By the time they are finished, they are too tired to do anything else.
As an example, in the article, “High School Homework: Are American Students Overworked?”, Lauren Miller declares, “However, in countries like the Czech Republic, Japan, and Denmark, which have higher-scoring students, teachers give little homework...more homework clearly does not mean a higher test score”. This manifests that students should be given less homework, allowing more time to study and even enjoy life as oppose to sitting at a desk for 2 to 4 hours. Moreover, Miller also points out “Too much homework is sapping students’ strength, curiosity, and most importantly, their love of learning”. This portrays today’s mindset that many students have and learning is viewed as a hardship one must overcome; the enjoyment of learning is absent in today’s curriculum. Thus, the amount of homework given should be limited or even nonexistent due to being proven ineffective in the learning
When a teacher always calls out that word terrifying word “homework”, moans and groans fill the classroom. Students start to slouch and lie their heads back, as teachers start to feel guilty for what they have done. You might say that homework will help teens and children to drill in the knowledge they’ve learned in school today, and help these kids learn some study habits. But let’s face it. The truth is that no student in any school loves homework. They have already spent their time in school focusing and learning for nothing, since homework is...
There should not be homework because classwork is already enough work. Since homework is practice, classwork already gives students the practice they need. If a class teaches 2 digit addition, then the classwork will practice that. This will leave homework as extra work that isn’t needed. Also, doing work at home contributes to doing the same thing as the kid did in the class. For example,
Ring! The bell has rung letting you know school is finally over. You slowly trudge to your locker to get all the homework and textbooks you’ll need. Once again your teachers have piled you with lots of homework that you know will take you hours to do. Every single school day, hundreds of schools across the country assign homework every night. This leads to hours of work after school that many students just don’t want to do. Many parents and schools think homework is helpful. However, this may not be the case. Schools should not assign homework because students need time to relax, and too much homework may cause health problems.
Homework dates back to at least the time of 50 BC or so. It's not sure who invented it. Homework, it’s a waste of time, money, paper and trees. Some people don’t even do the homework or they just copy it off of others the day it’s due so, they didn’t really learn much at all. In addition, if we didn’t do the homework we may have had a doctor’s appointment or something important we had to do. But, if we did do the homework our teachers are just using their own time to grade it when they could be somewhere else enjoying life. Also, when we get it back you look at the grade then just most likely throw it away so, us and our teachers just basically stayed up for a piece of paper that was just eventually going to get thrown in the trash. Some people also just lose their homework. Homework keeps everyone up and barely any of it has any meaning. So, I think homework is a waste!
...supporters say. Homework is also important because there are many types of assignments that cannot be easily completed during the school day, proponents contend. Writing an essay and conducting a science experiment, for example, are both extremely beneficial ways for students to gain a more total understanding of a certain subject, proponents say, but neither assignment is easily completed during classroom hours. Such assignments must be completed at home to be effective, supporters argue. (“Update: Homework”)
One of the reasons homework should be banned is because of the unnecessary stress and strain it creates for students. Many students are left pulling their hair out at homework time. Students struggle with homework for different reasons. Some of which are because they do not understand the assigned homework, or they are not being challenged, and quite possibly because they have hit their daily threshold for learning and have no more to give. Furthermore, students who struggle academically will likely require extra assistance to do their homework. Students are therefore tasked with finding a qualified person to assist them with homework. Students are not only under the stress of homework, but now they are under additional stress to find a qualified person that can assist them. Unfortunately, some students may not be able to obtain the help they need with their homework. Consequently and to no fault of their own their grades may be affected inaccurat...
Homework offers multiple benefits for real life. One benefit of homework is that it helps the student develop essential skills. While homework may seem like a tedious task, it can help a student comprehend the material. Homework is necessary for more than just a grade; it is an assignment that teaches you valuable life skills. According to “Do students have too much homework?”, homework should lead students to be better at taking what they know and applying it to a certain task. Students tend to portray homework as something that they have to get done without knowing the value that lies behind it. Homework enables the student to recall a certain problem and apply it to another distinctive situation. According to “Do students have too much homework?”, applying knowledge is the most important. Learning is definitely important but what students do with the facts that they learned is essential as well. Applying knowledge allows the students to take a simple fact and relate it to a grander scheme of things. Relating what they know will enhance their creativity and let them see behind the lines of how everything connects.
Dr. Michael Nagel, an associate professor at the University of the Sunshine Coast, says homework has no scientific benefit and that it could even be bad for a student’s brain. “The adult brain does not fully mature until the third decade of life (a person’s thirty’s) and too much stimulation could cause unnecessary stress on a student.” An analysis conducted by Pearson showed that the number of hours spent on homework was between ten and sixty-five hours a week, with females scoring higher on the hours of homework, stres...
We all know the downfall of homework: the frustration and exhaustion, family conflict, time loss, and decreasing interest in learning. No study has ever demonstrated any academic achievement linked to assigning homework. There is also no support to the fact that homework provides nonacademic benefits at any age. Here are a few examples: building character, promoting self-discipline, or teaching good work habits. All teachers who assign homework want to believe that the gain outweighs the pain. Although, there is no evidence of that and they must rely on faith (“Homework: No Proven Benefits”, pg. 1). Michellea, a mother of a middle school student, says that some work can reinforce certain skills, but hours of homework are unhealthy and unproductive. Mominseattle agrees. She contemplates that such a heavy load can result in potential drawbacks to the students. Hours of homework a night plus a full day of school can be just as much work as an adult at a full-time job. She believes students should enjoy their childhood, as short as it already is. MagnetMom complains about how her daughter’s homework takes away her beneficial sleep. With busy families, like hers, they have many after school activities, so when they get home, they do not have time for too much homework. She says ...