Quality Over Quantity The Homework Problem in Elementary

Quality Over Quantity: The Homework Problem in Elementary Classrooms For: ESEPSY 1359; Technology-Enhanced Learning Strategies By: Sara Specht

Context & Thesis The question of “how much homework is too much? ” is a common refrain in educational discourse. Especially for younger students, there is a risk that homework is trending more detrimental than beneficial; where “busy work” replaces quality assessments, stress levels are on the rise for students and their guardians both, and higher quantities of work is found to lower academic performance. Careful consideration of homework and its value must be brought into the spotlight.

Too Many Problems Is a Problem too little worth; too much stress; too much, too soon. ● Worksheets are of little worth, when that is all that is assigned. ● When the workload stress becomes too much: ○ ○ Risk of physical and mental stress, and potentially creating negative association with learning. Causes students to neglect other needs such as being physically and socially active. ● Benefits decrease at higher quantities, and lower age ranges: ○ ○ ○ Almost no measurable benefits for elementary students (Cooper et al. , 2006). Kindergarteners are sometimes assigned as much as an hour of hw a night (Hinton, 2018). The National PTA & The National Education Association support a “ 10 minute rule” where students are assigned 10 minutes of hw a night per grade level (Cooper, 2010).

Okay, but… “We need worksheets for assessing a student’s progress!” ● ● ● The same homework night after night is boring for both teacher and student alike; boredom leads to a lack of effort, and a lack of effort leads to imperfect assessment Educators have no need of an assessment tool that does not assess properly Example alternative: Interactive in-class demonstrations display active learning. “Stress is healthy! Students must be challenged by their work!” ● ● Yes. However, there is a careful balance that must be attended to: when the challenge reaches a frustration, rather than independent or instructional level, the student is overwhelmed The more overwhelmed a student becomes, the more likely they are to lose motivation “Practice makes perfect!” ● ● ● 10 minute rule! More hw often results in poorer student academic performance (Fernández-Alonso et al. , 2015). Quality over quantity; practice is not worth much if the practice is an exercise in memorization, not learning.

A Comparison The consequences of curriculum. Fig. A https: //www. oxfordlearning. com/how-does-homework-affect-students/

Correlation Is Not Causation Is higher achievement caused by homework, or do high achievers do more homework? One thing that is known for sure is that in the early years of school especially, students do not lack a desire to learn, and there is no want of curiosity. ● ● ● Worksheets? Formulaic homework leads to boredom, and a loss of that curiosity, and a lack of the development of critical problem-solving skills Stress damages a student’s development, destroys self-esteem and competitive drive, as well as negatively impacting familial relationships Too much homework reduces active learning, which is where students consider the context of a problem, and are encouraged to participate, rather than passively look up the answer ○ Active learning applies class content to real world settings. Less hw allows for room for analysis, and when homework takes a variety of forms, students have a creative outlet, given a choice over how to approach a problem, and are thus able to claim agency in their educational experience.

Conclusion Homework considerations: ● A Necessary tool when it comes to determining student progress, but… ○ like all tools, it’s the how of its use; much of its value is lost in common implementation ● Often crosses the fine line between healthy, motivational stress and stress that causes health issues both emotional and physical ● Meant to reinforce what students learn in class, but is found to do more harm than good large amounts, especially in lower grades ● Teach the knowledge, and learning, rather than to the test ● ● Throwing homework problems at the problem of lack of interest serves neither the student, the student’s family, or the teacher Practice does not always make perfect: sometimes less is more

References Cooper, H. , Robinson, J. C. , & Patall, E. A. (2006). Does Homework Improve Academic Achievement? A Synthesis of Research, 1987– 2003. Review of Educational Research, 76(1), 1– 62. https: //doi. org/10. 3102/00346543076001001 Cooper, H. (2010). Homework’s Diminishing Returns. The New York Times. Retrieved from https: //www. nytimes. com/roomfordebate/2010/12/12/stress-and-the-high-school-student/homeworksdiminishing-returns Fernández-Alonso, R. , Suárez-Álvarez, J. , & Muñiz, J. (2015). Adolescents’ Homework Performance in Mathematics and Science: Personal Factors and Teaching Practices. Journal of Educational Psychology. Hinton, M. (2018). Kindergarten Homework Debate: Too Much Too Soon? Education Week, 38(14), 12. Retrieved from https: //www. edweek. org/ew/articles/2018/11/12/kindergarten-homework-too-much-tooearly. html Infographic: How Does Homework Actually Affect Students? | Oxford Learning. (2016). Retrieved from https: //www. oxfordlearning. com/how-does-homework-affect-students/