How Much Homework Should My Child Be Getting?

Two Hours’ Homework A Night Linked To Better School Results

How Much Homework Should My Child Be Getting?

The discussion of how much homework is beneficial for children has hit the headlines once again with a Guardian article published on the 28th March 2012.  A study of 3,000 children from pre-school age upwards has been carried out over a 15 year period. The results appear to show that there is a link between doing two hours of homework a night and achieving better results in Maths, Science and English.  The producers of the study claim that any level of regular homework can increase a student’s ability to succeed in their learning. According to the article these findings are at odds with other research which showed a

“relatively modest” link between homework and achievement at secondary school.

Pam Sammons one of the authors of the study who is a professor of education at Oxford University was quoted as saying

“What we’re not saying is that everyone should do large amounts, but if we could shift some of those who spend no time or half an hour into [doing] one to two hours – one of the reasons private schools’ results are better is that there’s more expectation of homework.”

The report also highlighted the fact that children from disadvantaged backgrounds who do well are those backed by parents who value learning and encourage them to participate in extra-curricular activities. According to the report:

“Parents’ own resilience in the face of hardship provided a role model for their children’s efforts,”

How Accurate Are These Findings?

Our initial response, based upon the relatively vague information available, is that some of these results are neither new nor revelatory. It is and has been widely accepted for a long time in education circles that students who have supportive parents achieve more highly because these parents value a good education and will encourage their children and provide as much support as possible. This would therefore, apply as equally to disadvantaged children as it would to middle class and wealthy families.

Our second issue is that there have been many studies carried out on the efficacies of homework on educational achievement. These surveys have produced mixed results and we posted a piece recently in response to the DfE’s announcement that they would be scrapping the homework setting guidelines put in place by the previous Labour administration.  It was our basic contention in that article, which you can read in full here, that homework, even in small amounts, from a young age can be beneficial. But the benefits gained are only possible if the homework is appropriate for the studies in question and targeted according to the age and ability levels of the students concerned. It is therefore, the quality rather than the quantity of homework that makes the difference.

Thirdly, it appears that this report hasn’t even been published yet so it is impossible to produce a fully informed assessment of the study as we have no way of knowing the methodologies applied by the producers, no information on any variables and consequently, no idea how they have drawn their conclusions. We await the publication of the report with interest.

Finally, we note that this study was commissioned by the DfE. So our final question would be – Why did Michael Gove make a policy decision on this matter when the availability of conclusions of an in-depth and expensive departmental survey was imminent. Once again, it appears, rather worryingly, that he is enacting policies based on political ideology rather than on evidence based findings and expert guidance.

Two Hours’ Homework A Night Linked To Better School Results

The Guardian World News |by Jeevan Vasagar

The benefits of homework were greatest for those who did two to three hours a night, the study found. Photograph: RayArt Graphics/Alamy

Spending more than two hours a night doing homework is linked to achieving better results in English, maths and science, according to a major study which has tracked the progress of 3,000 children over the past 15 years.

Spending any time doing homework showed benefits, but the effects were greater for students who put in two to three hours a night, according to the study published by the Department for Education.

The finding on homework runs counter to previous research which shows a “relatively modest” link between homework and achievement at secondary school.

The academics involved in the latest research say their study emphasises what students actually do, rather than how much work the school has set.

Pam Sammons, a professor of education at Oxford University, said that time spent on homework reflected the influence of the school – whether pupils were expected to do homework – as well as children’s enjoyment of their subjects.

Sammons said: “That’s one of the reasons Indian and Chinese children do better. They tend to put more time in. It’s to do with your effort as well as your ability.

“What we’re not saying is that everyone should do large amounts, but if we could shift some of those who spend no time or half an hour into [doing] one to two hours – one of the reasons private schools’ results are better is that there’s more expectation of homework.”

The study controlled for social class, and whether pupils had a quiet place in which to do their homework, but still found a benefit, Sammons said.

The research was conducted by academics from the Institute of Education, Oxford and Birkbeck College, part of the university of London. It has tracked around 3,000 children from pre-school to the age of 14.

It also finds that students who reported that they enjoyed school got better results. “This is in contrast to findings during primary school where ‘enjoyment of school’ was not related to academic attainment,” researchers said.

Schools could ensure children had a better experience by improving the “behavioural climate”, making schoolwork interesting and making children feel supported by teachers, Sammons said.

The research shows that working-class parents can help their children succeed “against the odds” by having high aspirations for them.

Children who did well from disadvantaged backgrounds were backed by parents who valued learning and encouraged extra-curricular activities. “Parents’ own resilience in the face of hardship provided a role model for their children’s efforts,” the research says.

The study underlines the importance of a good primary school. Children who attended an “academically effective” primary school did better at maths and science in later life. The study did not find a link with performance in English.

Ministers have scrapped guidelines setting out how much homework children should be set amid criticism that it can interfere with family life.

Under the last government, guidance was issued to all schools recommending they have a policy on homework.

The guidelines suggested children aged five to seven should be set an hour a week, rising to half an hour a night for seven- to 11-year-olds. Secondary schools were encouraged to set up to two and a half hours a night for children aged 14-16.

Scrapping the guidelines frees headteachers to set their own homework policy, the government says.