The role of homework has long been debated in education—what’s its purpose? How much is too much? Is it effective?
As schools weigh the impact and intent of homework, educators are also confronting new questions about artificial intelligence that students may use to complete it. Some students use AI differently based on their school’s policy on the technology. Others are turning to chatbots more for homework help than adults.
Below are six things educators should keep in mind about homework.
1. Reasons for assigning homework vary among educators
According to an EdWeek Research Center survey of 279 teachers conducted in December 2025 and January 2026, teachers assign homework for a wide range of reasons.
Some assignments are centered on increasing mastery of concepts (51%), while others believe homework teaches responsibility and discipline (50%). Fewer respondents said homework helps educators pinpoint areas of understanding and misunderstanding (31%). And the same percentage (31%) said they assign homework because it helps prepare students for tests.
2. Researchers disagree on whether homework is beneficial for students
Regardless of why teachers assign homework, some experts say that measuring its outcomes is tricky.
Students may receive help at home with assignments from an adult, which potentially undermines the goal of topic mastery. Additionally, students may use AI to help them complete homework, which undermines the goal of learning responsibility and discipline.
Other education experts disagree and say homework can be beneficial—even when parents or guardians are involved. For example, parents can provide incentives for children to finish their homework like offering a snack while the student works or a reward after completion. Or, when a parent helps a student, it creates an opportunity for the student to see positive examples of an adult dealing with challenges.
Students have also shared that they use AI for educational purposes—like homework—and it isn’t all bad. For example, a college student told Education Week that when she was in high school, she used the tool for tutoring, to research universities and scholarship opportunities, and to help prepare for the SAT and ACT.
3. Teachers say they’re assigning less homework
The EdWeek Research Center survey also asked respondents whether the amount of homework they have assigned has risen, fallen, or stayed the same over the past two years.
Forty percent said homework has decreased, 33% said it’s remained the same, while 3% said it has increased. About 24% said they don’t assign homework at all.
Among those who said there has been a decline, the majority believe it is due to students refusing to complete homework assignments (47%). Others pointed to students using AI to complete homework, decreasing its instructional value (29%).
4. Homework assignments are less common in higher-poverty districts
While homework assignments have declined overall, a deeper look shows a bigger drop in higher-poverty school systems—those where a majority of students qualify for free and reduced-price meals.
Some (44%) of teachers from higher-poverty school systems say they’ve assigned less homework over the past two years, compared with 39% from more affluent districts.
Twenty-eight percent of teachers from higher-poverty K-12 systems say they do not assign homework at all, versus 17% of teachers from more affluent school districts.
5. Homework can create an equity challenge
Students who have fewer resources at home or more responsibilities, such as working an after-school job or caring for a younger sibling, can be at a disadvantage, experts have told Education Week. Having responsibilities could take away time and energy from completing homework assignments.
Some educators also take punitive approaches to homework—for example, keeping students back from recess if they don’t complete homework. Some give higher grades to students who do turn it in. If students aren’t completing homework because of challenges they face at home, their grade or ability to participate in recess can then reflect their home circumstances more than their mastery of the material they’re learning in class. Taking these factors into consideration are in line with “equitable grading” practices.
6. Is there a right way to assign homework? Maybe.
Homework should be developmentally appropriate, a senior lecturer at Stanford University told Education Week. Assignments should be engaging and ask students to apply knowledge they’ve learned in the classroom without requiring students to rely too much on outside help, whether from the internet, AI, or parents.
If teachers do want to assign homework that requires parent involvement, they can keep it ungraded and simple, like an oral family history project. Teachers can also provide an option for students to receive help on homework during class or after school.
Research shows that homework should be limited to 1.5 to 2.5 hours per night for high school students and less than an hour for middle schoolers, according to the Center for Public Education. The time limit for high and middle schoolers is because any more could cause them to develop a negative relationship with homework, research suggests.
Elementary school students shouldn’t have any homework, some experts say. But, according to Johns Hopkins University research, younger students can benefit from homework if it’s engaging and doesn’t take too much time. These students, specifically, learn more from exploration and need time for that. Teachers can follow the informal rule of 10 minutes per grade level—for example, 20 minutes in 2nd grade, 30 minutes in 3rd grade, and so on.
Data analysis for this article was provided by the EdWeek Research Center. Learn more about the center’s work.
