Adrian Lee
604 2901
Rob Hargan
Prof 110
November 14th 2009
Homework: A Step or Hindrance to Success
“The Homework Myth” describes the idea of homework as an unnecessary
hindrance that has been established by schools and society as a mandatory mechanism for
success. Kohn establishes that schooling systems have prescribed a certain amount of
time dedicated to work outside of the classroom before they have even come up with the
work for students to complete. (pg 4) The idea of homework, Kohn argues, is no longer
in the best interest of learning but has become a stereotype of our society that we feel we
must fulfill or else be judged. The five major impacts that Kohn identifies in response to
not only homework but also its ever-increasing amount are: A burden on the parents,
stress on the children, family conflict, less time for other activities and less interest in
learning. (pg 16) Although all of these issues are serious, I find the final impact to be
most interesting. The fact that homework seems to be reducing the willingness or desire
to learn is extremely troubling. It is understandable that students are not fully enthralled
by every subject but the fact that Kohn provides evidence that students are steadily
declining and that they view assignments as tedious as opposed to an opportunity to learn
is a cause for concern. (pg 18).
My own personal experiences with homework in relation to Kohn’s findings is
that homework has in fact become a social norm; that thought is no longer put into
homework assignments. Homework has become a tedious, unnecessary requirement that
is being forced upon students to create the image that kids are working harder than ever.
This requirement stems from a world with increasingly worried parents that believe in
today’s society, their children must work extra hard to succeed. This in turn has turned
into what I once thought to be a very interesting course into dull and tedious work, thus
adding additional evidence to Kohn’s theory that the increasing amount of homework has
lead to a decline in interest of learning. This particular subject was biology; entering this
subject I was warned that memory work was required. The problem is not whether a
student is willing to do or not do work, the problem is that students believe that much of
the homework that they must complete is redundant. I do not believe that the idea of
homework is necessarily bad, just that the process in which homework is being decided is
faulty. Areas such as math need practice to reinforce what is learned; however these
questions often tend to test the same concept repeatedly. With no or few challenges that
do not stimulate learning outside the classroom students quickly become disengaged.
Although repetition is needed to practice certain skills, homework should also include
opportunities to learn. In The Case Against Homework Bennett and Kalish argue that the
increase in homework load is to be blamed on the misconception of social scientists that
“more homework boosts test scores which in turn boosts business” (Bennett and Kalish
pg 37). The emergence of standardized testing has become an issue both with experts in
the educational field, like Bennett and Kalish, and with students in general who resent the
fact that on top of their homework they must also worry about additional testing. The
purpose of these tests appear to be the key to the increase of homework, when kids in a
particular school do poorly on a test that was formulated by “experts” who determine
what a certain grade level should or should not know then that schools funding could be
in jeopardy of cutbacks. In response to the need of higher test scores homework levels
have increased exponentially since the eighties.
Harris Cooper authored The Battle over Homework and argues, “increasing
amounts of homework for twelfth graders have positive effects only up to a certain point”
(Cooper pg 56). Personally, I found a dramatic increase in homework levels between
grades eleven and twelve, so much so that I was forced to drop many extracurricular
activities. This increase forced me to choose between creative activities that I enjoyed
such as the school musical, newspaper and yearbook. Those who chose to attempt it all, I
observed, were in constant states of fatigue and stress that was not conducive to an
optimal learning environment. Choosing academia over creative aspects of my life was
one of the most difficult choices I had to make while in high school; while I recognize
that academics are importance I believe that the current degree of homework is excessive
and that more time should be allotted for afterschool activities.
The argument that more homework develops a strong work ethic and better
attitudes proves to be inconsistent from studies demonstrated in The Battle over
Homework (Cooper 35). I can personally attest to the fact that homework, especially
tedious work, can actually dampen an individual’s perspective on a particular subject.
Cooper also argues that there is an optimum amount of homework but that this level
varies according to age and development level. However it has been recognized that
homework levels across the nation have increased for all ages thus hyper extending the
appropriate levels of work, for at least the junior levels. Thinking back to my former
years in junior school I can now justifiably claim that I had a large amount of homework,
which culminated into at least three hours every evening. Thus severely cutting into the
time that could have been spent on other activities/ hobbies that could have lead to future
consistent past-times. Children should be allowed to explore as much as they can, while
they have time, to establish their passions and what gives them the greatest joy. With
very little time on my hands, I never discovered a particular talent or hobby and as a
result I have ended up in different clubs every other week trying to find something that
captivates and holds a particular appeal.
The question of whether work done in class is more effective compared to
homework has always been a big issue. Cooper writes that the most effective method is
dependent on the type of student and the type of supervised work (21). Personally I am
able to understand concepts and work more productively individually as opposed to
group work that is sometimes associated with supervised study sessions. Therefore in
this case I am pro-homework, however all students are different in their learning styles
and may prefer a group environment. At times I find group work to be distracting and
absolutely unproductive, especially if the final result are disregarded by the teacher.
Therefore periods should be allotted in which students are able to choose between
working in groups on the assigned homework for that evening or individual reading,
which still allows for learning, but the homework must be completed at home on the
students’ own time. Understandably this ruling may not be applicable to high school
students as there is usually a rush at the end of the year to cram in the rest of the
curriculum. Therefore teachers may not have enough time to allot for “homework
periods.” However by this time students should have been able to learn what kind of
situation he/she works best in and able to organize groups outside of the classroom
independently.
Sources
Bennett, Sara. The case against homework: how homework is hurting our children
and what we can do about it. New York: Crown Publishers, 2006.
Cooper, Harris. The battle over homework: common grounds for administrators,
teachers and parents. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, 2007.
Kohn, Alfie. The homework myth: why our kids get too much of a bad thing.
Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Life Long, 2006.
Annotated Bibliography
The case against homework: how homework is hurting our children and what we can
do about it is an extremely opinionated book that clearly expresses the need for less
homework. This source was useful as it gave a historical perspective of the lull and
swing of homework. This recent upward swing of homework that we are currently
in originated in the 1980’s and has been ever increasing due to standardized testing.
Bennett argues that it is the low results from standardized testing, that teachers
have felt the pressure from school boards who in turn receive pressure from the
school governors. Empirical data complete with graphs and explanations help to
legitimize this source.
The homework myth: why our kids get too much of a bad thing is another source that
bluntly and vehemently argues against homework and all of the stresses that it
imposes on the youth of today’s society. This source further argues against
homework by claiming that in addition to a stress this work is completely
unnecessary and that there is a limit to how much homework helps improve test
scores. Kohn also describes the pattern that not only is homework increasing in
high schools but younger and younger grades in junior and primary schools are
receiving homework in unprecedented amounts. In addition to compelling
empirical evidence Kohn also includes useful case studies from both parents and
older students to describe how the increasing amount of homework is affecting
their lives.
The battle over homework: common grounds for administrators, teachers and parents.
This is the only source that looks at both sides of homework. Although Cooper
argues that repetition is important for learning and that homework can be useful he
like all the other sources fall under the consensus that the current level of work for
all grades is too high. Cooper also considers perspectives other than teachers such
as administration who are responsible for schools subscribing to standardized tests
in the first place. Although there is little empirical data used the 2 sides that this
source considers made it very useful.