Homework is one of those hot-button topics that never fails to set off a wide range of responses when people are asked about its value. From ardent backers of the age-old practice to absolute opponents of it, teachers in particular have strong opinions.
A recent (unscientific) EdWeek social media poll that asked educators whether homework is necessary for student learning bore this out.
Among 600-plus responses, reactions fell into fairly evenly split categories: 42% of respondents voted “yes,” while 37% voted “no.” The remaining 21% voted “sometimes.”
On the surface, these numbers seem to suggest that educators possess very different viewpoints about homework’s role in learning, period. But dozens of poll respondents also provided relevant comments, which offered a more nuanced glimpse into why homework can be so controversial.
Notably, these comments indicated that educators probably share more common ground on homework than the poll’s numbers reveal. Educators don’t necessarily disagree about whether the skills practiced during homework support learning—most think they do. The differences of opinion stem more from the “when” and “where” this skills practice should take place.
The following comments have been lightly edited for clarity.
Homework advocates say the practice builds skills acquisition
Many of those advocating for homework pointed to specific skills they believe it helps students build:
Repetition in some areas, especially math and writing, is important.
Homework is good for accountability. Don’t finish in class (with plenty of time to do so)? It’s homework.
I love homework, both as a parent and as a teacher. It practices and confirms not just subject knowledge but also important self-management and forward-planning skills.
Why naysayers denounce homework
Several homework opponents made arguments that focus squarely on why students shouldn’t bring school work home—namely, the disruptions and stress it can add to an already tenuous work-life balance that families strive to achieve.
No need for homework. It’s ineffective and a bad measure of student learning. It’s the workplace equivalent of telling everyone in the office they have to work 8-10 hour shifts, but they also have to take their laptops home and do at least 2-3 more hours of “home” work, on top of their other responsibilities. … Have students do their work at school, with access to a teacher and proper supports.
Everyone is too exhausted. What would be nice is [students] just read a book for 30 minutes every night.
I have changed my mind over the years watching my daughter struggle. She’s dyslexic and all the other Ds. Her mind is sooooo tired at the end of the day, she just wants some down time. I’m also a math/science/STEAM teacher, so I thought I needed to assign homework, but now I see that really all you need is to read. Also, neurotypical students need downtime and time to unwind from the day.
Re-evaluating the “home” in homework
EdWeek’s unscientific poll on homework asked a seemingly simple “yes” or “no” question about the practice’s effect on learning. But the comments hinted at a much more complicated scenario facing today’s teachers in their effort to balance good pedagogy with outside pressures.
The following comment captured the struggle that teachers confront when deciding if, when, and how much homework to assign:
I think it is essential for students to practice concepts on their own, whether that be in the classroom or at home or during a study hall period. Many times we do not have time in the class period. The standards we need to cover, the rigor level we need to achieve, the other skills beyond content that we are teaching, time taken out for other school initiatives. It does not allow for students to have much independent work time. So for my students, yes, homework is necessary for student learning. And while they’re valuable, these skills don’t necessarily need to take place at home.
