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The homework debate — while evidence for the pros and cons is thin, it’s all about striking a balance

The homework debate — while evidence for the pros and cons is thin, it’s all about striking a balance
Having a dedicated space for children to do homework will help them to stay focused. (Photo: Unsplash)
Mark Potterton
By Mark Potterton
21 Oct 2024
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Research suggests that homework has limited benefits for younger pupils, but it helps older ones.

The homework debate about whether it helps students and how much is appropriate has raged for years. Homework debates fill parent WhatsApp groups and continue to be controversial, with claims that students and families suffer from the burden of huge amounts of homework.

Some governing bodies and parents turn to research for answers to their questions about the benefits and drawbacks of homework. Unfortunately, research has produced mixed results, but some findings might better inform decisions about homework.

A bit of history


Homework goes back centuries to the start of formal education. In ancient civilisations, when only the upper classes received an education, a lot of learning took place at home, under a tutor or family member.

With the development of public education systems, homework became a standard practice that reinforced learning at school as well as discipline.

In the early 20th century, there was a backlash against homework from progressive education movements in some parts of the world. There seems to be a swing back towards homework to make countries more competitive, with the strong belief that homework improves student achievement.

Today, the debate continues, and we need to reassess homework’s role in a changing education system. In a post-Covid time, we must balance academic rigour with students’ well-being.

A recent survey from the Center for Public Education in the US summarises the research on homework succinctly:

Some studies show that older students gain more academic benefits from homework than younger ones, perhaps because younger students have less-effective study habits and are more easily distracted.

Students from low-income homes may not benefit as much from homework as those from higher-income homes, because the latter have more resources (such as computers) and receive more help with homework, whereas low-income students may have fewer resources and less assistance.

Students with learning disabilities benefit from homework under certain conditions.

Asian-American students may benefit more from homework than do students from other groups.

The Center for Public Education quotes one study that has widely infiltrated popular thought: “While research on the optimum amount of time students should spend on homework is limited, there are indications that, for high school students, 1½ to 2½ hours per night is optimum.

“Middle school students benefit from smaller amounts (less than one hour per night),” it says.

Researchers observe that the positive relationship decreases when students spend more time than this on homework.

homework Having a dedicated space for children to do homework will help them to stay focused. (Photo: Unsplash)



In his now legendary book on homework, The Homework Myth, American researcher Alfie Kohn argues that the positive effects of homework are largely “mythical”.

He says: “I’ve spent a lot of time sifting through the research. The results are nothing short of stunning. For starters, there is absolutely no evidence of any academic benefit from assigning homework in elementary or middle school. 

“For younger students, there isn’t even a correlation between whether children do homework… At the high school level, the correlation is weak and tends to disappear when more sophisticated statistical measures are applied.” 

What does recent research say?


Gökhan Baş, Cihad Şentürk and Fatih Cigerci, in a 2017 meta-study to find out the effect of homework assignments on students’ academic achievement, found that homework had a small effect size (d = 0.229) on academic achievement levels.

Research generally suggests that homework has limited benefits for younger students. It reveals no academic gains for primary school students. Too much homework now can hurt children’s love of learning, raise their stress levels and lower their enthusiasm for school.

Some experts agree that homework should be minimal for young children. It should foster a love of learning, not drill-specific skills. But this is not always the case, as a mother I spoke to complained. “My son is in Grade 7 and gets too much homework. I wish the teachers would talk to each other. And the workload is unevenly distributed across subjects… I think homework hurts his motivation and interest in learning.”

As students move into higher grades, homework helps to improve their grades. Some research shows that moderate homework can boost learning and results. This is especially true for maths and science.

However, this positive correlation plateaus when the amount of homework is excessive. Some argue that high school students swamped with homework may suffer and that stress can harm their mental health and well-being.

There is research that argues that homework can bridge the divide between home and school and allow parents to be more involved in their child’s education. However, excessive or overly difficult homework can create tension at home, especially when parents are unable to help.

Read more: Home truths — the importance of teaching children moral principles

Despite all this research, education authorities like Nord Anglia Education espouse a strong connection between regularly completing homework and higher accomplishments in subjects such as English, maths and science.

It says that homework develops core skills in young children. It asks parents to support their children with homework and provides useful tips on its website, such as having a dedicated space for children to do homework, which will help them stay focused, and planning and breaking down the work into sections on homework-heavy nights, which will help to make work more manageable.

Way forward


From my limited interaction with students on the topic, I concluded that we need to recognise the importance of balance in students’ lives. Homework should not be overwhelming for them. It mustn’t cut into family time, extracurriculars or rest, as these are all critical for positive human development.

It seems that although homework can be valuable for reinforcing learning, especially for older students, its impact depends on how it is structured.

Schools need to ensure that homework is meaningful, age-appropriate and supportive of students’ broader development, avoiding excessive tasks that could lead to negative attitudes towards learning.

In short, there is no conclusive evidence that homework increases student achievement in school. Some studies show positive effects of homework under certain conditions and for older students, whereas some show no effects and some suggest negative effects. DM

Dr Mark Potterton is the director of the Three2Six Refugee Children’s Education Project.

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.

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