Homework is one aspect of academic life that is always a subject of debate. While students have a love-hate relationship with it, parents and teachers hold strong views and are always up for debate. Did you know that there is no law that mandates schools to give homework to their students?!

In fact, many institutions in the US are even getting rid of it. Having said that, it is the choice of schools to set their homework policies. Students who find solving home assignments challenging often seek homework help online. Let us explore whether such tasks are beneficial for students.

What Research Suggests About the Usefulness of Homework

Many studies have been done to determine the efficacy of homework on students’ learning outcomes. These studies point to different results. For example, research conducted on 8,000 students by the American Psychological Association found that students performed much better when they were given regular homework. 

The same study also found that those who spent approximately 1.5 hours every day doing homework improved their grades. Moreover, students who solved homework questions by themselves got 10 percent better results than those who did so with the help of another person. 

The Department of Education research report of September 2014 reveals that students who spent 2 to 3 hours on homework every night were 10X more likely to achieve good GCSEs than those who did not do any homework.

This is only one side of the research.

Many studies also reveal that when homework consumes a lot of time, it only stresses students. So, to improve the well-being of students, it is necessary to give the right amount of homework. A great step would be to assess the amount of homework students get in a week and then adjust it to give them time to relax and breathe.

Ways in Which Homework Helps Students

Students of all ages have been getting homework for decades now. But with the increasing complexity of assignment tasks, students everywhere have started seeking online homework help.

Regular homework does help improve student performance and learning. Here are some ways in which doing so can prove helpful.

1. Boosts student achievement

Take-home assignments do improve student achievement in terms of better grades and test results. According to research done in 2012, students who spend around half an hour to one hour doing homework every day scored around 40 points higher on the SAT-Mathematics subtest than those who didn’t.

2. Homework makes students retain classroom learning

Students retain half of the information they get in class. In order to learn it, they need to apply it in some way. At-home tasks make students apply the knowledge they gained in class. It, in turn, makes them absorb new concepts. Moreover, while completing these tasks, students set goals, work on time management, and are therefore more motivated and focused than those who don’t.

3. Homework increases parental involvement in student’s learning

According to studies by researchers, when students are involved in completing homework, parents can participate in their learning. This makes them understand where their child lacks and recognize possible learning difficulties.

According to a Duke University professor, many times parents aren’t even aware of their child having a learning difficulty till it is shown to them through homework.

4. Helps students develop essential life skills

Students can develop important life skills by doing their homework on a regular basis. These include the ability to manage time and the skills to prioritize daily tasks. All of them help children build a great future for themselves later.

Cons of Doing Homework for Students

Although it may be hard to believe, but homework, when given in large amounts can prove to be harmful. Here’s when homework damages a student’s well-being.

1. Sleep deprivation and health problems

In a poll of high school students from California, over half (59%) thought that they received too much homework. Many of them also said that homework stressed them out. Even top performers said that having a lot of homework kept them awake at night and gave them headaches.

2. Increases student’s reliance on cheating

Homework, when given in large amounts, tempts students to cheat. Students often avail of homework help online to cope with the ever-increasing pressure of coursework. However, sometimes, this large amount also makes them copy someone else’s work. They do it to escape the load of completing mountains of coursework.

3. Homework increases the digital divide

The digital divide refers to the difference between those regions and students who can access modern information and technology and those who cannot. Much of today’s homework requires students to conduct online research. In such a situation, if they don’t have access to devices like PC and the internet, they find themselves lagging behind. Completing homework for them is far more difficult.

4. Increases stress for students and their families

For many families, homework only increases stress. This is particularly true for families where parents don’t have the time, knowledge, or patience to monitor their child’s homework. Students in such families who don’t have the self-regulation skills to do their homework on their own suffer greatly.

How Can Homework Become Beneficial for Students

Too much homework is certainly counterproductive to students’ learning. Successful completion of homework relies on students getting a quiet and secure space at home, the necessary supplies and resources, and enough time after school. Internet access is also crucial for students to successfully complete their homework.

The best practice would be to create homework policies that prescribe assignments consistent with the research evidence. These policies should give schools and teachers some flexibility to consider the unique circumstances of students and their households. 

This means giving developmentally appropriate homework that is academically enriching. 

Such homework will benefit students belonging to households with varying income levels. Any practice taken to the extreme, such as giving arbitrary homework assignments or not giving homework at all, will do more harm than good.

Summing up

Homework undoubtedly offers a wealth of benefits to students. If they take it seriously, it results in a significant improvement in their academic scores. Moreover, it also helps them prepare better for examinations. But excessive coursework and assignments only make students disinterested in their studies. So, there needs to be a balance in order to make homework academically beneficial. Students can also seek professional homework help if they feel stuck at any point while doing their coursework or need guidance.