Through a futuristic lens, what are the effects of excessive amounts of homework on American students and how much is beneficial?

Introduction

How many times have you heard someone from an older generation, such as the Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, or Generation X, stereotype and complain about the work ethic and personal traits of Millennials and Gen Z, most often using the words like “lazy,” “entitled,” and “unproductive.” Yet, when you witness students struggling daily with insurmountable amounts of homework assigned in their classes, with primary schoolers receiving an average of 2.9 hours weekly, middle schoolers receiving an average of 3.2 hours per teacher weekly, and high schoolers receiving an average of 3.5 hours per teacher weekly, you begin to wonder if a line must be drawn before homework reveals diminishing positive outcomes and becomes detrimental to students’ health and well-being. To add on to assigned homework from school classes, a U.S. Census Bureau report released in December 2014 showed nearly 6 out of 10 students also participate in extracurricular activities and jobs, as well as home and family responsibilities. Lo and behold, the issue of excessive amounts of homework assigned to students of various ages and levels, and suggestions for its continuation of positive results in students’ academic and personal lives in the future has been discussed by scholars. While educators must assign homework to push students to meet and exceed their potential through building a strong work ethic and gaining an understanding of the concepts learnt in class, we must also be mindful of students’ time and balance the other facets of students’ busy lives such as sports and extracurricular activities, work and family responsibilities, and free time for play and passions. A plethora of peer-reviewed articles have proven the pros and cons of homework, but little has been done to establish constraints on the amount and type of homework assigned, varying based on students’ level of education. Homework’s ability to improve students’ academic achievement, especially for students in grades 7 through 12, appears to be universally accepted, and was proven by Harris Cooper, a professor of psychology at Duke University, who analyzed more than 60 research studies on homework between 1987 and 2003. Homework also helps reinforce concepts taught in class as students only retain about 50% of material taught in class, and in the process, helps students develop necessary life-skills to achieve success such as discipline, self-responsibility, critical thinking, time management. Homework also promotes the involvement of parents in students’ learning, and allows parents to diagnose any learning disability or challenge their child may face early on. Research from Johns Hopkins University found that students in an interactive homework process known as TIPS (Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork), earned significantly higher report card grades and 18 weeks than did students who did not participate in the TIPS program. To avoid counterproductive effects of homework on children, which a Stanford study mentions include greater stress, reductions in health, and less time for family, friends, and extracurricular activities, a contemporary, futuristic lens must be considered to enforce solutions that fit the busy lives of 21st century students. Educators should be assigning homework to students that comply with the 10-minute rule, prioritization of quality over quantity, and application of hands-on, life skills learning which aligns with students’ interests and passions.

The 10-Minute Rule

Although previously stated research conducted by Dr. Cooper from Duke University has proven the benefits of homework for secondary students, it is important to note that there is a lack of evidence showing a positive correlation of homework and academic performance for elementary students. In the meta-analysis it was found that “homework had no association with achievement gains” as measured by standardized tests and grades, for elementary students. The study suggests the 10-minute rule, a method of calculating the number of minutes of homework students should receive daily by multiplying 10 times the grade level, as a rule of thumb when assigning homework to students’ in grades K — 12. Using the 10-minute rule, a third grader should get thirty minutes of homework daily, and a ninth grader should get ninety minutes daily. A study using survey data from 4,317 students from ten high-performing countries nationwide indicated that students had an average of three hours of homework daily which led to greater behavioral engagement in school, but more academic stress, physical health problems, and lack of work-life balance. The mental and physical health implications of increased time spent in homework and class, which a University of Michigan study asserts is roughly 7.5 hours more than children aged 6–17 spent on academics in the 1980s, can lead to suicide and other self-harm caused by teenagers, especially at the college level, where a report from the American College Health Association found that the suicide rate among young adults, ages 15–24, has tripled since the 1950s and is now the second leading cause of death among people aged 10–34, according to the American Psychological Association. Students even claim that the time spent on homework prevents time for physical activity which increases students’ risk for obesity and type II diabetes in extreme cases, and can cause a domino effect to create a multitude of other negative health and self-esteem related consequences for school-aged children. Establishing the 10-minute rule in K — 12 schools nationwide would allow students to progressively spend more time on academics as they mature, while also permitting enough time to pursue work and home commitments, extra curricular activities, and time spent with friends and family.

Prioritizing Quality Over Quantity

One way for educators to implement the 10-minute rule is by reflecting on the most valuable homework for students, and cutting out the busy work. An article written by Kelly Wallace for CNN features parents complaining about the effectiveness of the work their children are assigned as they see little value in it. If students are mindlessly completing a worksheet or textbook assignment that is little to no help in reinforcing a challenging concept, it is better to not assign it at all, or give the students the choice to complete it, as one study’s regression analyses completed by experts from Ben Gurion University illustrated the importance for teachers to understand the meaning and relevance of assigned work and communicate that to students as these behaviours help students understand the relevance of schoolwork for their personal interests and goals in order to amplify interest, enthusiasm, and engagement in schoolwork. The Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) emphasizes that increased student engagement in schoolwork has been shown to make students more academically successful, have passing grades, and graduate high school on time. The first principle of the “Five Hallmarks of Good Homework” developed by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development is purpose, where students should have a clear end goal for each and every assignment. Co-authors Adam Maltese, assistant professor of science education at Indiana University, Robert H. Tai, associate professor of science education at the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education, and Xitao Fan, dean of education at the University of Macau observed 18,000 tenth grade students’ survey and transcript data collected from 1990 to 2002 by the National Center for Education Statistics suggests that instead assigning students a designated amount of homework, educators should assign work that keeps students engaged for a short period of time while allowing a greater chance of retaining information. In effect, this would allow for time to be allocated towards extracurricular activities which teach young people other valuable lessons apart from academics. The ultimate goal of homework should be to keep students engaged with the material studied in class and to review concepts in a constructive manner, and this mindset should be taken into consideration when deciding future implementations of results-driven homework.

Providing Homework Options According to Individual Interests and Passions

Not only should educators limit the amount of homework students are given on a daily basis and only include quality assignments that engage students, but there should be options for students to choose from based on their personal interests and passions. One research study conducted by three researchers from the University of A Coruña found that homework should be adapted to the needs and potentials of the students because if not, homework progressively undermines students’ motivation and interest. If students’ interests and motivation to be academically successful gradually diminishes, they will be less likely to work hard and may be more inclined to drop out, according to a Forbes article written by James Marshall Crotty, who has taught and directed education development in American secondary schools and Columbia University for over three decades, authored several business and education novels, and received a Master’s in Liberal Arts from St. John’s College. Interest and passion in schoolwork matters as students who perceive value in course topics develop greater interest, work harder, perform better, persist longer, take additional courses, and complete their degree programs. Graduate students of game design at New York University routinely play video games in the Game Center at the Tisch School of the Arts in order to experience first-hand the style and craft of historic games to gain inspiration for their own inventions. In addition, students who see the value of a field of study experience greater involvement, more positive task attitudes, and greater identification with the domain according to research by Judith M. Harackiewicz of University of Wisconsin-Madison, Jessi L. Smith of Montana State University, and Stacy J. Priniski of University of Wisconsin-Madison. One case study in the science classroom showed how daily and cumulative interest predicted behavioral engagement (working hard, participating, and paying attention), cognitive engagement, and agentic engagement and students’ interest also predicted perceptions that teachers engaged in the motivationally supportive practice of emphasizing student choice during the same and the following class day. Many argue that educators may not have the bandwidth to create multiple options of assignments for students to choose from that encourage them to explore their interests and passions, but there should be a flexible element integrated into curriculums that gives students the ability to think outside of the box to create their own assignment or project from scratch, thus forming a new manifestation of the assignment altogether which can promote students’ creativity, interests, and motivation to perform well. If students feel no personal connection or passion with their schoolwork and only work because they feel compelled by their teachers and parents, as a duty or avoidance of punishment it is very likely that the student will exhibit poor persistence and little significant learning. A choice given to students to do homework that piques their interests, which can be as simple as summer reading book options, can go far with motivating students’ to be more engaged and work hard in school.

Conclusion

In order for any of the futuristic solutions mentioned above to come into play, we must work collectively as parents, educators, students, counselors, and administrators to promote homework as it has many benefits, but not lose sight on the holistic image of students’ lives. While academic and post-secondary success is hugely important for students, we must reflect on the amount and type of homework that keeps students’ best interests in mind, mentally and physically. Kids should be kids and have time for play and to experience life’s greatest joys and blessings rather than be piled with homework daily which begins to have diminishing positive returns. Instilling a work-life balance in America’s culture begins with youth and by limiting the amount of time students spend on homework, prioritizing quality over quantity, and providing options of assignments for students to discover their true calling, we are taking baby steps towards a future of successful students in academics and beyond, who work smarter, not harder. So the next time you or a Millennial or Gen Z member is labeled as lazy, entitled, and unproductive, shamelessly say, “Ok, Boomer.”