Homework effectiveness has always divided teachers and education stakeholders. The majority have argued that introducing homework in the early stages of kids’ learning improves the students’ performance. However, data regarding this issue may offer a contrary opinion.
Teaching methods for young students are always revolving and with K-12 education, a revolution is happening. The system of learning which involves kindergarten and grade 1 up to grade 12, is improving the way education is approached. 21st-century skills such as creativity, critical thinking and collaboration are emphasized in this system of education.
The school performance, however, has become a central part of the debate on what is the best way to optimize the performance. The most suggested method of ensuring the improvement of performance in classwork is through homework. Most teachers give their students extra classwork to finish outside the allocated class hours.
Homework effectiveness through experts eye
This method has always posed a challenge to experts in trying to determine if this method is effective. Some proponents of the homework tasks argue that this increases the time spent on a particular subject, therefore a deeper understanding of the subject in question. An article by Youki Terada, however, seems to suggest otherwise and comes to the conclusion that the more you increase homework, the more it starts to become a negative factor in a student learning progression.
Second-grade teacher Fiorentino tried to put this concept into action through an experiment. She found that minimal benefits of homework did not outweigh the drawbacks which resulted in a negative perception of education by students. She noted that giving students voluntary homework rather than compulsory one resulted in better results while doing homework.
She is quoted as saying,
Something surprising happened: They started doing more work at home. This inspiring group of 8-year-olds used their newfound free time to explore subjects and topics of interest to them.
Terada, however, concluded that homework was still beneficial for older students. They were able to handle the pressure of school better, were better at planning on how to accomplish the tasks and it was much easier to collaborate on school work with each other. Therefore, with the right balance and age gaps, homework can be beneficial to all parties involved.
