I knew it! Homework does make you stressed, unhealthy and more of an introvert!
A Stanford researcher has found that students in high-achieving communities who spend too much time on homework experience more stress, physical health problems, a lack of balance and alienation from society.
How much is too much homework? According to the study, more than two hours of homework a night may be counterproductive.
Denise Pope, a senior lecturer at the Stanford University School of Education and a co-author of the study published in the Journal of Experimental Education, has found that too much homework has negative effects on our well-being and behaviour.
What is more, the negative effects can extend to students’ lives outside of school, including family, friends and other activities.
“Our findings on the effects of homework challenge the traditional assumption that homework is inherently good,” says Pope in her study.
The researchers studied 4,317 students from 10 strong performing high schools in upper middle class California communities, where the median household income exceeded $90,000 (BD34,000) and where 93 per cent of the students went on to college.
Along with the survey data, Pope and her colleagues interviewed the students about their views on homework.
Students in those schools complete on average about 3.1 hours of homework each night.
Students who did more hours of homework experienced greater behavioural engagement in school, but they also experienced more academic stress, physical health problems and lack of balance in their lives.
“The findings address how current homework practices in privileged, high-performing schools sustain students’ advantage in competitive climates yet hinder learning, full engagement and well-being,” says Pope.
She and her colleagues found that excess homework diminished its effectiveness and could even be counterproductive.
The researchers cited prior research indicating that homework benefits plateau at about two hours per night - and that 90 minutes to two-and-a-half hours is optimal for high school.
The researchers also found that spending too much time on homework meant students were not meeting their development needs or cultivating other critical life skills.
Students were more likely to forgo activities, stop seeing friends or family and not take part in hobbies.
What is more, many students felt forced or obliged to choose homework over developing other talents or skills.
In the UAE, there is a growing belief that the volume of homework needs to be looked at closely. Students there spend an average of six hours or more a week on homework, according to a study by the Programme for International Student Assessment.
Based on data from countries that took part in tests to measure academic achievement among 15-year-olds, China – where the average child reportedly does a mammoth 14 hours of schoolwork at home – ranked the highest.
Finland was the lowest, with homework as a concept almost totally ruled out.
In his fascinating 2006 book The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing, American lecturer Alfie Kohn questions all the perceptions society has about homework.
While it is typically thought to promote higher achievement and reinforce learning and responsibility, Kohn explored as far back as the 1800s and maintains that homework does not improve learning for children.
He also laments the trend of giving it to younger students, tearing apart the alleged non-academic benefits such as teaching children time management and study skills.
Meanwhile, researchers in Australia say children, and adults too, should adopt an 8-8-8 circadian rhythm to life – where each 24-hour day is divided into eight hours of work, eight hours of play and eight hours of rest (sleep).
Apparently, this is an important factor in how we all roll!
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