Is Homework Ineffective?

By Shayaan Khawaja

Edited by: Rima Al Eisa, Qayla Yusri, Danya Nahas

 

Whether you realize it or not, homework is part of a huge debate going on in most countries in the world, Why? Some experts claim that homework is generally ineffective and serves no purpose to students. Others say that homework is very effective and plays a crucial role influencing students grades for the better.

 

In most schools all around the world as well as AIS-R, homework has been a concern to most students and teachers. Many of my peers and people I know complain about how homework serves no purpose. I wanted to find why these individuals had this perspective against homework, and so I decided to dig deep into the context of this topic.

 

Sengifted is a non-profit organization that advocates for the social and academic needs for struggling students all around the world. An experienced educator from this organization shares, “Homework was generally made for students to practice their skills independently so that they feel confident with a subject and don’t need to rely upon their teachers. Nowadays if you look around, a majority of students question whether the purpose of homework is being delivered in the right form.”  According to Qayla Yusri, a high achieving 8th grade student at American International school Riyadh, “Homework has its benefits, however nowadays it's not really presented the way that I feel is beneficial and healthy for us. A lot of the time the homework we receive is a heavy load, and probably a lot of it is unnecessary.”

 

Another teacher from Sengif states, “One of our jobs as educators is to show kids the connections between what they are being asked to do in school and what they will be asked to do in the real world. In my opinion, if a homework assignment can’t help to make that connection, it shouldn’t be given.”

 

On the other hand, a source such as Topmarks Education say, “Homework provides students with opportunities for reinforcing work learned during school time and for children to develop their academic and learning skills.” Many argue that they would not even understand the basic concepts if students are not receiving the basic information they are supposed to absorb via homework. Shaihan Nadeem, an average 8th grade student at AIS-R has to say, “Homework is good for reviewing a topic you find challenging, it give you the opportunity to practice it independently until you are comfortable with it.”

 

Noor Naeem is another high achieving student, and is part of the National Junior Honor Society at AIS-R and she shares, “I don’t think homework is very effective, because most of the content can be very basic, and in some classes has little to no effect.” Recent studies show that 10 minutes of more effective and direct homework is equally as beneficial as the countless hours of ineffective homework that most students are receiving today.

A survey conducted by TeenInk in the United States shows, that students who receive more than 2 hours of homework on average, are more likely to suffer from sleep deprivation. TeenInk also quotes, “Homework limits students from social activities and physical exercise, this affects both their physical and mental health and has a set back on the individuals ability to socialize with others, as well as being fit.”

A study by the Canadian Council of Learning suggests that homework appears to have little to no affect among most students in middle school. Experts from the CCL state that on average middle schoolers should receive no more than 10 minutes of homework per grade level. For instance, 8th graders should not be assigned more than 30 minutes of homework on average.

 

At the American International School, Riyadh, a survey amongst 8th graders was conducted. The data shows that 37% of students spend up to a hour or less doing homework, and 63% say they spend more than an hour completing homework. In simpler terms, More than half of 8th grade students are receiving more than an hours work each day.

 

The survey data also shows that 73% of students who receive more than an hour of homework each day get an average of 6 and a half hours of sleep each night. According to the JFK Medical & Health Research Centre, you need 8+ hours of sleep every night to function properly. Abdullah Albanyan is a student in 8th grade that is affected by this, he says, “Homework takes a lot of time out of my day and affects my sleeping schedule. On weekends I get around 9 hours of sleep. During weekdays, I'm limited to only 6 hours of sleep.”

 

According to the survey, on an average 60% of students that receive an hour or more of homework lack everyday exercise. This means that these students exercise less than the average time you are supposed to, or they don’t exercise at all. According to the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, “As a general goal, aim for at least 35 minutes of physical activity every day.” When you look at the survey data, on average students are receiving only 20 minutes of exercise each day. Danya Nahas is a female student in the 8th grade and she states, “Sometimes I get stressed with the amount of work I have to do and just skip exercising.”

 

All this information suggests that excessive amount of homework is generally academically ineffective. As many students say, it impacts their everyday life in a negative way from sleep to exercise. While other students suggest that homework has majorly influenced their grades in a positive way and, without homework they wouldn’t be where they are academically. The weight falls upon your shoulders, to enjoy the benefit of homework, or to continue and force your mind to fight back.