Dive Brief:
- Debate has persisted for years on the right amount of homework, but research shows that what amount is most effective varies by grade level — and that there are notable risks for getting that wrong, Edutopia reports.
- Too much homework at the elementary level can hinder efforts to foster a love of learning, while the right amount of quality work at the middle school level can improve test scores.
- Meanwhile, high school homework is most effective when it relates directly to the lesson and requires no assistance, requiring no more than two hours all together, as too much homework at that level has been tied to higher stress, sleep deprivation, and other mental and physical health issues.
Dive Insight:
Ultimately, the research suggests what seems like common sense: Homework for the sake of assigning homework isn't effective, but when it can be especially beneficial if it has purpose. The time to complete, needs of all learners, impact on future success, ability to put lesson material in context, and additional support provided by an assignment should always be considered in any situation.
For educators that have adopted a flipped classroom approach, where students consume the lesson material via videos at home and complete typical "homework" assignments during class time, this has likely become less of an issue — though the most effective length of those videos must also still be considered, along with how the assignments performed in class are approached for maximum impact.
