Does homework really boost achievement?

We've all had homework in at least one stage of our life, but did homework really impact our academic achievement? For many schools, homework is a common practice, teachers believe that students will grow and learn more because of the work they are doing outside of the classroom. In the United States educational culture homework is a common string, meaning there should be a wealth of research and studies that supports homework, but does it exist? Research reveals that "the relationship between time spent on homework and achievement gains at the student level is unclear" (Trautwein, Köller, 2003, p. 116) in part this is due to the empirical method of study but also because studying the effectiveness of homework in relation to achievement is a difficult to measure. When we look at an additional study we find that "homework has a positive association with achievement and that this association is strongest and most positive at the secondary level..." (Maltese, Tai, Fan, 2012, p. 53) however the author continues by clarifying "...crucial questions remained unaddressed." (Maltese, 2012, p. 59). They were unable to answer important questions like whether time on homework directly impacts achievement or if homework time can be associated with higher test scores. In a study that studied other studies the following was published: "We found 69 correlations between homework and achievement reported in 32 documents. Fifty correlations were in positive direction and 19 in a negative direction." (Cooper,Robinson, Patall, 2006, p. 48). To summarize the paragraph above, research that has been conducted on homework and achievement have found varied data and difficult methods to measure true achievement and not include confounding variables. Studies have shown both that homework is affective but it has also been shown that homework does not affect student achievement.

Interestingly, one study has found a factor that directly impacts student achievement: time spent on homework. In a comparison between Chinese, Japanese and American culture mothers were asked from each culture to estimate the time their children spent on homework daily. Generally the american mothers reported that their children spent very little time on homework (70 minutes) whereas the time spent on homework in the first grade by children of Chinese and Japanese culture were staggering in comparison (494 minutes (China) and 233 minutes (Japan). The study continues to list ways that student achievement is impacted through homework and other variables such as time spent with a parent, student motivation and homework help (Chen, Stevenson, 1989, p. 559).

In conclusion, we have not found that homework helps nor harms a student's achievement. Based on the research used I would conclude that a student is much more impacted by the learning goals associated to the homework as well as family and environment factors outside of school. Student achievement may be impacted by homework but is most definitely is impacted by student's home environment and support. To a fellow colleague I would recommend to align your homework with your content core goals. I would also encourage my colleague to consider the student's home environment before assigning homework. It is vital to consider is this student will have access to the tools they will need to complete the assignment.

References:


Chen, C., & Stevenson, H. (1989). Homework: A Cross-Cultural Examination. Child Development,60(3), 551-561.

Cooper, H., Robinson, J., & Patall, E. (2006). Does Homework Improve Academic Achievement? A Synthesis of Research, 1987-2003. Review of Educational Research, 76(1), 1-62.

Maltese, A., Tai, R., & Fan, X. (2012). When is Homework Worth the Time? Evaluating the Association Between Homework and Achievement in High School Science and Math. The High School Journal, 96(1), 52-72

Trautwein, U., & Köller, O. (2003). The Relationship Between Homework and Achievement—Still Much of a Mystery. Educational Psychology Review,15(2), 115-145.