The Case

FOR and AGAINST

Homework
March 2007/Volume 64/ Number 6
Responding to Changing
Demographics Robert J. Marzano
Pages 74-79 Debra J. Pickering

Summarized by:
Angela Orlikowski
 Attitudes Toward Homework
TIMELINE
 1910-1920: POSITIVE ATTITUDE “Homework helped create
disciplined minds” (p.1)

 1940: NEGATIVE ATTITUDE

“Homework interfered with other home activities” (p.1)

 1950: POSITIVE ATTITUDE

Launch of Sputnik led to concern that “U.S. education lacked rigor…
more rigorous homework” (p.1)

 1980: NEGATIVE ATTITUDE

“Homework could be detrimental to students’ mental health” (p.1)

 Today: We are at an interesting intersection between positive and

negative attitudes toward homework!
 The Case FOR Homework
 Homework is defined as “any task assigned to students
by school teachers that are meant to be carried out
during nonschool hours” (Cooper, 1989, p.7)

 Many studies have been conducted between the years

1983-2006

 The relationship between the amount of homework

students do and their achievement outcomes was
positive (See chart on page 2 of article)

 DOING HOMEWORK CAUSES IMPROVED

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT!
 The Case AGAINST Homework

 The End of Homework: How Homework Disrupts

Families, Overburdens Children, and Limits
Learning By: Kralovec and Buell (2000)

– MAIN POINTS:
 “Asserted that homework contributes to a corporate
style, competitive U.S. culture that overvalues work to
the detriment of personal and familial well-being” (p.3)

 Disadvantaged children whose environments make it

impossible for them to complete their assignments are
penalized unintentionally
 The Case AGAINST Homework

 The Case Against Homework: How Homework is

Hurting Our Children and What We Can Do About It
By: Bennett and Kalish (2006)

– MAIN POINTS:
Quantity: Giving students too much homework
effects their family time and health
Quality: Teachers are not trained well enough in
how to assign homework
“Reduce the amount of homework, design more
valuable assignments, and avoid homework
altogether over breaks and holidays” (p.3)
 The Case AGAINST Homework

 The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of

a Bad Thing By: Kohn (2006)

– MAIN POINTS:
 “Teachers should only assign homework when they can
justify that the assignments are ‘beneficial’” (p.4)
– Beneficial: experiments at home, cooking, crossword
puzzles with the family, watching TV shows, or reading

 Teachersshould involve students in decision making of what

and how much homework should be assigned

 Kohn’s research sends the wrong message that research

does not support homework.
 Dangers of
Ignoring the Research
 Homework that is inappropriate has little or no benefit
and may even decrease achievement

 If a district gets rid of homework completely, “they are

throwing away a powerful instructional tool” (p.4)

 Homework increases student achievement because

students are continuing to learn beyond the school day

 It would be difficult to get rid of homework because then

teachers would have to practice a similar task during the
already crammed school day!
 Issues for
EFFECTIVE Homework

1. Grade Level

3. Time Spent on Homework

5. Parent Involvement
 Grade Level
 According
to Cooper in The Battle Over
Homework (2007), at different grade levels
homework has different purposes:

– Early Grades: “It should foster positive attitudes, habits, and

character traits; permit appropriate parent involvement; and
reinforce learning of simple skills introduced in class” (p.5)

– Upper Elementary Grades: “It should play a more direct role

in fostering improved school achievement” (p.5)

– 6th Grade and Beyond: “It should play an important role in

improving standardized test scores and grades” (p.5)
Time Spent on Homework
 According to Good and Brophy (2003), “Homework must be realistic in
length and difficulty given the students’ abilities to work independently.
Thus, 5-10 minutes might be appropriate for 4th graders, whereas 30-60
minutes might be appropriate for college-bound high school students”
(p.5)

 According to Cooper, Robinson, and Patall (2006), “Even for these

oldest students, too much homework may diminish its effectiveness or
even become counterproductive” (p.5)

 The “10 Minute Rule”: All students homework assignments in one day
combined together should take about as long to complete as the
students grade level multiplied by 10 minutes (Cooper, 2007).
– Example:
– 1st grade: 10x1= 10 minute
– 6th grade: 10x6=60 minutes
– 10th grade: 10x10=100 minutes (1 hour and 40 minutes)
 Parent
Involvement
 Studies show that parents feel like they are not prepared to help their
children with homework and stress occurs when they make an effort

 Interactive Homework (Epstein, 2001)

– Clear guidelines are given to parents explaining their role
– Parents are not expected to be experts or teach the content
– Parents ask questions to children asking them to summarize or clarify their
learning

 Recommendations for homework from Good and Brophy (2003)

– Students show and explain work completed at school to their parents and get their
reactions
– Students “interview their parents to develop information about parental
experiences or opinions related to topics studied in social studies” (p.6)
 Effects:
– Engagement in conversation
– Extending student learning
– Enjoyable rather than threatening experiences!
 Going BEYOND the
research
 “The answer is certainly not to wait until research
‘proves’ that a practice is effective. Instead, educators
should combine research-based generalizations,
research from related areas, and their own professional
judgment based on firsthand experience to develop
specific practices and make adjustments as necessary”
(p.7)

 “Educators can develop the most effective practices by

observing changes in the achievement of the students
with whom they work every day” (p.7)
 Homework
Guidelines
 Assign homework that is purposeful

 Design homework so that students will be more

likely to complete it

 Involve parents in homework in appropriate

ways

 Monitor the amount of homework assigned

 Reference

Marzano, R.J. & Pickering, D.J. (2007). Special

topic/ The case for and against homework.
Educational Leadership, 64 (6), 74-79.