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Kozma, A. (2009). Negotiating an End to the Homework Debate. CBC News. Retrieved November 13, 2011 from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2009/11/24/f-vp-kozma.html.
Summary: “Negotiating an End to the Homework Debate”
Homework has been a controversial topic for decades. Students usually argue for the ‘no homework’ side, as do many parents. Some teachers have even begun to fight against homework. No consensus on its true importance and value has yet been reached, however. Teachers may impose homework rules in the classroom that differ from others, which suggests that even school boards do not have uniform opinions about, and regulations for, homework completion.
Those who resist homework usually believe the assignments serve little purpose and are just intended as busy work. In fact, according to this article, studies show that homework is only effective for children in Grades 8 and above; little to no evidence supports the effectiveness for younger children. In fact, parents and students both report that homework assignments are a “significant cause of stress” at home (Kozma, 2009). Parents who are actively involved in their children’s education often note that the quality and quantity of homework assigned to young children is questionable.
Tom Milley, a parent from Calgary, notes particular frustration when hearing that his child’s teacher assigned the class a word search as homework. Milley and other parents got together with the teachers and created a legal document that “set out respective responsibilities for all three parties”; the teachers were not to penalize students for incomplete homework and they would only grade in-class work, the students were required to be adequately prepared for tests and improve their weaknesses, and parents were required to watch over their children and ensure they abide by the rules (Kozma, 2009).
On the other side of the spectrum, some people believe that homework is essential to student learning and success; as one woman, both a mother and teacher, explained, homework “both reinforce[s] class learning and ensure[s] that the curriculum is covered” (Kozma, 2009). Some believe that the very problems and stresses that homework causes are actually beneficial because children learn how to apply what they have learned. Others think that the very act of doing homework builds lifelong habits like motivation, study skills and independence. Parental involvement in homework fosters children’s achievement and positive parent-child relationships. Furthermore, the Canadian Council on Literacy reports results from a study and found that homework is effective when assignments are “engaging, relevant, and meaningful”.
Critical Perspective
While homework is beneficial to children in many instances, some children may actually suffer when homework is assigned. Children whose parents are not actively involved in education will likely not have the supports needed for successful homework completion. Children often have questions about their homework, so if a parent is not there for the child in his/her time of need, the child may complete their homework incorrectly or may not complete it at all. These children may not get the motivation they need from their parents, and so may not see the purpose in completing homework. Furthermore, children with learning disabilities and Individual Education Plans may also be marginalized when it comes to homework completion because they may not be able to understand the purpose of the assignment, the assignment instructions, or the teacher’s expectations. Without their educational assistants, they may not receive adequate instruction at home; their parents may not have the special tools or training to help disabled children succeed in homework. These students may obtain special accommodations so that they may submit their homework a different way or at a different educational level than the rest of the class, but these accommodations may make these children feel less intelligent than their peers, which could result in learned helplessness. Moreover, according to this article, children up to Grade Eight also do not benefit from homework assignments; they lack the mental capacity to understand the purposes of homework, and the intrinsic motivational purposes for completing homework assignments. These children may fail to complete homework because it disinterests them, is unclear, or is too repetitive; incomplete homework assignments may result in children being disciplined.
Homework is much more beneficial to older students whose brains have the ability to think abstractly so they can apply what they have learned to real-world examples. They also have greater attention spans so they can sit for a longer period of time and concentrate on a particular task. Homework is also more valuable to students whose parents are actively involved in their education; the parents act as academic supports and motivators. Children whose parents help them with their homework will likely perform better academically than those whose parents are not involved. Furthermore, children who are free of any attention or behavioural problems will likely benefit more from homework, as they are able to focus their attention on the task at hand; these children can ignore all distractions and external stimuli.
Bringing Balance
There are certainly some benefits to doing homework, as read in the article. Teachers who assign homework are teaching and promoting important life skills such as self-discipline, motivation, and problem solving. However, it is important to note that homework’s effectiveness depends on important variables. Firstly, the students must understand the purpose for doing homework. Secondly, teachers must not assign homework just for the sake of ‘busy work’; the assignments must be related to the lessons learned in the classroom and have some benefit to the students at home. Third, teachers must evaluate the quality of the homework they are assigning; is it interesting, relevant, and useful?
Furthermore, teachers must examine the two students who benefit or suffer from homework and find a way to help both groups succeed. For the disadvantaged students, teachers could form an after-school homework club where any and all students are welcome to sit and do their homework assignments in a distraction-free environment. These homework clubs would be beneficial to students of all academic levels. For example, students who perform very well on homework assignments can tutor the other students who need help; tutoring requires children to put information into their own words which strengthens their own learning. For students who do not succeed at homework while at home, or for those who have learning disabilities, the controlled environment at school along with the variety of academic supports available would certain help these students to excel. For this program to work, teachers must advertise the homework club to all students and reinforce that any students are welcome to attend; this way, no stigmas will be attached to the children who need to attend.