Homework remains a staple of many students’ educational experiences. But what do we know about the rationale for why teachers and schools assign it?
The results of a recent survey by the EdWeek Research Center reveal a wide range of motivations—some focused on building students’ academic skills, some not.
The results are based on a nationally representative, online survey conducted by the EdWeek Research Center in December and January of 279 teachers.
The educators surveyed were asked what they see as the major reasons for assigning homework and were given a list of options. They were allowed to select any that applied.
When asked for the major reasons they believe students should be given those assignments, the largest portion of those surveyed, 51%, said homework raises the chances that students will master concepts by forcing them to practice.
Harris Cooper, a professor emeritus at Duke University’s department of psychology and neuroscience, said it’s natural that educators would see out-of-school assignments as an opportunity for a check-in on subject-matter knowledge.
“Homework allows teachers to monitor students’ skill acquisition on a regular basis and adjust instruction accordingly,” he said, “not just when they give tests, which may be too late.”
Another major reason for assigning homework, picked by 50% of respondents, was strikingly different: That it teaches students discipline or responsibility.
Fewer of those surveyed, 31%, said that they assign out-of-school lessons because they shape instruction by helping the teacher pinpoint areas of student understanding and misunderstanding.
And the same percentage of respondents said a big reason they assign homework is to prepare students for tests.
Using homework to measure skills and teach responsibility can be tricky
Denise Pope, a senior lecturer at Stanford University’s graduate school of education, said measuring outcomes like mastery of concepts through the completion of homework, or using those assignments to teach students responsibility, is tricky under the best of circumstances.
She added that the process of giving out take-home assignments, on its own, means very little.
“We have no idea who is making sure the kid is doing the homework, making sure the homework is in the backpack,” she said.
Pope added that there is no guarantee that the student is the one completing the homework.
“AI can do your homework if you are privileged enough to have AI available. Your mom could do your homework, your teacher could do your homework, you could copy your homework from your friends,” said Pope.
Other factors when considering homework assignments
The survey question was one of several that the EdWeek Research Center has put before teachers about homework over the past year. An earlier EdWeek story looked at whether the amount of homework teachers are assigning has risen or fallen over the past two years.
It found that more educators say the amount of homework being assigned has declined during that time period.
Another homework decision schools and educators need to weigh is whether assignments should factor into students’ final grades.
One reason schools may be assigning less homework is that researchers say it serves more as a proxy for privilege rather than how much students know or how motivated they are, according to EdWeek reporting.
Students who have less access to at-home resources, such as help from a parent or time if they have to work an after-school job, can be at a disadvantage.
What effective homework can look like
Pope suggests homework should be differentiated according to what students know and can do, without creating assignments that make students overly reliant on schools or parents.
If homework asks students to extend and apply knowledge—and it is engaging—then “it’s developmentally appropriate,” she said.
One potential benefit from homework—which is not listed as an option on the EdWeek survey—is that those lessons can provide an avenue for teachers to stay in touch with parents, said Harris.
Homework can show parents “what is being taught, and let them see how their child is progressing academically,” said Harris.
Data analysis for this article was provided by the EdWeek Research Center. Learn more about the center’s work.
