Homework. Just hearing the word makes more than one student cringe because it means more effort and less free time. After a long school day, the last thing they probably want is to keep studying. And that’s understandable.
Despite this, many teachers still assign homework as if there’s no tomorrow, thinking their subject is the only one in the curriculum and setting tight deadlines that force students to juggle their schedules. Are we going overboard? Are students being given too much homework? And how beneficial is it really?
More Isn’t Always Better: Where’s the Limit?
The debate about how much homework students should take home isn’t new. It has been going on for a long time. Numerous studies have been conducted to determine how beneficial homework really is and, more importantly, at what point it stops being helpful.
The reasoning behind teachers assigning homework has always been: if a student spends more time practicing multiplication tables, studying grammar, or grasping chemistry, they should improve in those subjects. However, our brain doesn’t work in such a straightforward way.
There’s no doubt that homework helps students better understand their subjects and retain important concepts, but not to the same extent. In other words, more isn’t always better.
There’s a limit beyond which exposure to a particular subject no longer provides any benefit. As a general rule, first graders shouldn’t spend more than 10 minutes on homework. That time increases as their attention span improves, up to a maximum of two hours in high school.
Beyond that point, fatigue sets in, attention wanes, and frustration kicks in. Mistakes become more frequent, stress levels rise, and useful information stops sinking in. It’s as if the brain “shuts down,” making continued studying counterproductive.
In this regard, a study by the University of Oviedo found that students who were regularly assigned math and science homework performed better on exams. However, the study also revealed that the amount of homework only accounted for 6% of the variation in test scores. Beyond 90 to 100 minutes per day, scores started to drop.
The researchers concluded that “How students do their homework is more important than how much they do” and that “The optimal duration is one hour per day.” They also highlighted that students’ prior ability and knowledge of the subject were essential for getting the most out of homework.
Nevertheless, a survey realized in the United States found that high school students were taking home an average of 3 hours of homework per day. Despite this workload—or perhaps because of it—students didn’t show more interest in homework. They reported higher stress levels and, unsurprisingly, less free time to unwind or connect with family and friends. They also experienced more health problems, such as headaches, stomach issues, and lack of sleep. It’s no surprise that some students even considered paying someone to do their homework.
Striking a Balance Between Academic Demands and Rest
Homework has always been a source of stress for students, and that’s nothing new. In fact, that kind of demand is important, not only academically to reinforce knowledge or apply what’s learned in the classroom but also for the overall development of their personality.
The purpose of homework is to:
- Teach students how to better manage their time
- Encourage students’ independence and the ability to work on their own
- Stimulate critical thinking through problem-solving
- Reinforce values such as discipline, organization, and responsibility
Even the positive stress (eustress) that homework can generate can be useful for developing stress management strategies that will be crucial later in life. But everything has a limit.
No one denies that the primary responsibility of children, teens, and young adults is to study, but it’s also important for them to have free time to develop other skills in different areas of life. Academic preparation and challenging our limits are important, but so is prioritizing health and well-being. Learning math or philosophy is important, but so is developing social skills, learning to empathize with others, and knowing when to switch off before hitting a point of no return.
In fact, we often think of our brain as an unlimited computer, but it’s more like a vacuum cleaner, as explained by researchers at Harvard University. It can take in a lot of information, but after a certain point, attention declines, and short-term memory becomes overloaded. At that moment, continuing to study is counterproductive because it’s like trying to keep vacuuming with a full dust bag.
Homework isn’t going away—and it shouldn’t—but perhaps it’s time to be more mindful of how much is assigned. A study conducted at the University of Minho revealed that students’ perception of the quality and purpose of homework was crucial to their performance.
If students are assigned too much homework that doesn’t add value, they’ll view it as a source of stress and a waste of time. Why assign 20 math problems when 10 would suffice? Teachers should also keep in mind that not all students will take the same amount of time to complete their homework. What might take one student half an hour could take another two hours.
In summary, the concept of meaningful learning should also extend to homework planning, ensuring that homework serves as a useful tool rather than being perceived as a necessary evil that students want to get rid of as quickly as possible. That attitude helps no one.
References:
Rosário, P. et. Al. (2018) Homework purposes, homework behaviors, and academic achievement. Examining the mediating role of students’ perceived homework quality. Contemporary Educational Psychology; 53: 168-180.
Fernández-Alonso, R. et. Al. (2015) Adolescents’ Homework Performance in Mathematics and Science: Personal Factors and Teaching Practices. Journal of Educational Psychology; 107(4): 1075–1085.
Galloway, M. et. Al. (2013) Nonacademic Effects of Homework in Privileged, High-Performing High Schools. The Journal of Experimental Education; 81(4): 490–510.
