Infographic: How Does Homework Actually Affect Students? - (2024)

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How does homework actually affect students? ›

Students with too much homework have elevated stress levels.

Higher-achieving students — those who may have more homework — are at particular risk for stress-related health issues including sleep deprivation, weight loss, stomach problems and headaches.

Italian pedagog, Roberto Nevilis, was believed to have invented homework back in 1905 to help his students foster productive studying habits outside of school. However, we'll sound find out that the concept of homework has been around for much longer.

If teens have more than two hours of homework a night, their academic success flatlines. But less is not better. The average high school student doing homework outperformed 69 percent of the students in a class with no homework. Many schools are starting to act on this research.

We do know that beginning in late middle school, and continuing through high school, there is a strong and positive correlation between homework completion and academic success.

In fact, too much homework can do more harm than good. Researchers have cited drawbacks, including boredom and burnout toward academic material, less time for family and extracurricular activities, lack of sleep and increased stress.

Homework Disrupts Family Time

Homework can also take up a significant amount of time, disrupting family time and other activities. This can be particularly challenging, especially for families with busy schedules or multiple children with different homework commitments.

The person who is considered to have invented the concept of school is Horace Mann. Born in 1796, Mann was a pioneer of educational reforms in the US State of Massachusetts. After he became Secretary of Education in 1837, he undertook one of the biggest education reforms in American history.

As the story goes, Nevilis invented homework in 1905 (or 1095) to punish students who didn't demonstrate a good understanding of the lessons taught during class. This teaching technique supposedly spread to the rest of Europe before reaching North America.

Roberto Nevelis of Venice, Italy, is often credited with having invented homework in 1095—or 1905, depending on your sources.

Over the years, numerous studies investigated the relationship between homework and stress levels in students. One study published in the Journal of Experimental Education found that students who reported spending more than two hours per night on homework experienced higher stress levels and physical health issues.

Does homework affect your grades? ›

Practice assignments do improve scores on class tests at all grade levels. A little amount of homework may help elementary school students build study habits. Homework for junior high students appears to reach the point of diminishing returns after about 90 minutes a night.

Their study found that too much homework is associated with: Greater stress: 56 percent of the students considered homework a primary source of stress, according to the survey data. Forty-three percent viewed tests as a primary stressor, while 33 percent put the pressure to get good grades in that category.

In 2013, research conducted at Stanford University found that students in high-achieving communities who spend too much time on homework experience more stress, physical health problems, a lack of balance in their lives, and alienation from society.

Homework is one of the essential parts of a student's education. It provides students with the practice they need to succeed in the classroom and in future assessments. In addition, homework teaches kids how to set goals and manage their time effectively.

Research shows that excessive homework leads to increased stress, physical health problems and a lack of balance in students' lives. And studies have shown that more than two hours of daily homework can be counterproductive, yet many teachers assign more.

Homework is one of the essential parts of a student's education. It provides students with the practice they need to succeed in the classroom and in future assessments. In addition, homework teaches kids how to set goals and manage their time effectively.

Homework gives parents a chance to see what is being learned in school. Homework teaches students how to take responsibility for their part in the educational process. Homework teaches students that they may have to do things—even if they don't want to. Homework teaches students to work independently.

Homework puts students off learning

Especially if we get too much homework it can take the enjoyment out of learning. No matter how engaging the teacher is in class homework will almost certainly be stressful, boring and tiring.

These studies revealed that the average high school student in a class doing homework outperformed 69% of the students in a no-homework class, as measured by standardized tests or grades. In junior high school, the average homework effect was half this magnitude.