Dr.

Marie Sutton 1
Literature Review:
Examining the Value of and Policy Approach to Time Spent on Homework
In focusing on the time students spend on homework, it is important to consider the
definition of homework, its reported benefits and downsides, and the amount of time that should
be committed to it by students. In addition, in deciding to research the impact of school policy on
student time spent on homework, it is important to investigate what is considered as best policy
approaches. This literature review focuses primarily on peer-reviewed articles and research-
supported recommendations of best practice. However, since homework is an emotive,
contentious issue that attracts not only academic but also much public attention, this literature
review also took the pulse of the public media coverage related to homework load and its
impacts.
Key search terms that yielded the most valuable peer-reviewed articles, particularly when
used in combination, include homework, homework duration, student achievement, self-
regulation, student perception, time input, effort, high school, and family involvement.
The Current Debate Regarding Homework
Homework has been described as opportunities for students to learn or review content
and skills outside of the regular school day (Dean, Hubbell, Pitler, & Stone, 2012). Homework
can also be designed for connecting background knowledge to upcoming learning, while practice
strategies enable students to review what they have learned in ways that promote it becoming
immediately accessible for cognitive use (Dean et al., 2012). The assignment of homework
continues to be a prevalent practice and a common validating reason for this is that it extends
learning beyond the school day, and concerns over the shorter amount of student time spent in
classroom instruction per year in schools in the United States versus countries with higher
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academic achievement (Mullis, Martin, Foy, & Arora, 2012; OECD, 2010) can drive an
emphasis on the value of significant time spent on homework outside of the school day.
However, the link between homework and increased student achievement has been
shown to be variable (see Cooper, Robinson, & Patall, 2006, for a review; Mullis, Martin, Foy,
& Arora, 2012). Clearly, the effectiveness of homework involves many more elements than
simply the time spent on task, such as purposeful design and differentiation according to a
particular learners needs. All too often, high school homework is experienced as busy work
(Letterman, 2013). Also, if the cumulative amount of homework per night becomes
overwhelming, students may disengage and not complete the work, rush through the work, or
copy the work off their friends (Fisher, Lapp, & Frey, 2011). The most committed students may
sacrifice their sleep, become over-stressed, and suffer mentally and emotionally. In addition,
homework overload can exert a stress not only on the student but also on family life and parent
relationships (Cameron & Bartel, 2009; Simplicio, 2005; Van Voorhis, 2011).
There is evidence for a curvilinear relationship between time spent on homework and
academic achievement. This suggests that homework may have a greater impact on student
achievement when teachers assign moderate amounts of homework, rather than very little or a
great deal of homework (Cooper, Robinson, & Patall, 2006), though the impact of any
homework on elementary student achievement at the lower grades has not been demonstrated
convincingly. Protagonists of homework cite additional areas of benefit to students from
homework, such as taking responsibility for learning and self-regulation. There is a paucity of
research in this regard, though a recent study (Ramdass & Zimmerman, 2011) did indicate a
positive relationship between math homework and a variety of self-regulation skills, though the
time spent on homework was not monitored or considered.
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When students were asked about the purpose of homework, middle and high school
students reported doing homework for more intrinsic rather than extrinsic reasons in comparison
with younger students, with older students recognizing the inherent value of the task, though
middle and high school boys benefited from family involvement with their homework (Xu,
2005b). Students intrinsic reasons for doing homework are the best predictor of the use of
homework-related emotional management strategies (Xu, 2005a).
The Amount and Impact of Homework
The next areas of consideration are aimed at establishing the optimal amount of
homework for children and what can be done to ensure that homework overload does not occur.
A rule of thumb in determining the limit on the amount of nightly homework is arrived at
by multiplying the grade level by 10 minutes, and this has been endorsed by both the National
Education Association (2014) and the Parent Teacher Association (Vatterott, 2009). For
example, for a third grader the homework should be no more than about 3 times 10 which is 30
minutes, while for a twelfth grader the amount would be about 12 times 10 which is 120 minutes
or 2 hours. However, if student achievement is the focus, the situation is not as simple as this
calculation might imply when one considers the effect sizes for homework and student
achievement arrived at from meta-analysis. For example, McRELs meta-analysis (Beesley &
Apthorp, 2010) found an insignificant effect size for elementary level homework and a very
small effect size for the middle school grades. The correlation between high school homework
and student achievement appears to be stronger, but even here the effect size was found to be
0.13 for assigning homework and 0.42 for providing practice. Furthermore, a low amount of time
spent of homework does not preclude top academic achievement, as demonstrated by Finland a
consistently top-performing nation for student achievement where homework load is relatively
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low (Kuehn & Landeras, 2012). Indeed, studies have found no significant relationship between
grades and test scores based on the amount of homework given or completed. Even recent
research has failed to find a consistently significant relationship between time spent on
homework and grades; rather, the correlation is strongest between homework and standardized
test results (Maltese, Tai, & Fan, 2012). However, homework has been shown to have the
potential for negative impacts.
The impact of excessive homework load on student health and wellbeing as well as on
the quality of family life should not be minimized. One only has to watch such documentaries as
The Race to Nowhere (Abeles, 2010) to appreciate the impact of such chronic stress on the
whole family. The tension between the benefits of homework and its potential negative impacts
is reflected in the literature which can become highly contentious. At times, authors accuse each
other of false analyses and biased interpretations of research data (Kohn, 2006a), and these can
be followed by published abuttals and further justifications (Marzano & Pickering, 2007a). The
emotive element is evident is such book titles as The Case Against Homework: How Homework
Is Hurting Our Children and What We Can Do About It (Bennett & Kalish, 2006), The Battle
Over Homework (Cooper, 2007), The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad
Thing (Kohn, 2006b), and The End of Homework: How Homework Disrupts Families,
Overburdens Children, and Limits Learning (Kralovec & Buell, 2000). Furthermore, concerns
over the impact of homework feature not only in the academic literature (Van Voorhis, 2011) but
also spill over into the press (Abeles, 2012; Hu, 2011; Keates, 2007; Mehta, 2009) and weekly
magazines (Wallis, 2006).
The students who were more likely to feel stressed about homework were found to
include secondary school students, White or Hispanic (relative to Black) students, students who
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earned Cs or below, students who rated their school quality as poor or fair (as opposed to
excellent or good), students who said they did not have an adult at their school they could turn to
for help, and students who reported not getting enough sleep (Metropolitan Life Insurance
Company, 2007).
Policy as Part of the Solution
Given concerns about homework on the part of teachers, students, and parents, some
school boards are responding by mandating reviews of homework policy and practice (Cameron
& Bartel, 2009). Homework policies are generally not regarded as the most effective approach
for driving effective homework practice, but where there is wide variability in practice that has
not managed to be controlled by other means, policy implementation is an option. Homework
policies need to address a variety of aspects, including the purposes of homework; amount and
frequency; school and teacher responsibilities; student responsibilities; and, the role of parents or
others who assist students with homework (National Education Association, 2014). In addition,
teachers should be provided with professional development opportunities to enhance their
instructional practice; for example, Marzano and Pickering (2007b) have developed homework
guidelines for teachers, and Pitler and Stone (2012) guide teachers through reflecting on their
current practice, obtaining student perspective, and developing a professional growth plan. They
also recommend and provide a sample of a homework policy that addresses the responsibilities
of the district/school, parents, and students (pp. 212-213). Pitler and Stone (2012) contend that a
clearly articulated homework policy cam decrease tensions about homework and that
following explicit homework policies can enhance student achievement (p. 211).
In conclusion, the implementation of effective district/school and classroom policies on
homework founded on research-based best practices has the potential to contribute positively to
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student achievement, in line with the three recommendations of Dean, Hubbell, Pitler, and Stone
(2012, p. 103):
Develop and communicate a district or school homework policy.
Design homework assignments that support academic learning and communicate their
purpose.
Provide feedback on assigned homework.
Summary
The educational and lay literature and media reviewed above provide the basis for
involving all key stakeholders in a schools approach to homework: the students, their parents,
and the school faculty and administrators (policy makers). While the strongest correlation has
been identified between time spent on homework and student achievement at the high school
level, this benefit tapers off at about the two-hour time point, and excessive time spent on
homework can lead to significant stress on the child that spills over into family life. The
implementation of effective school homework policies may clarify expectations and norms for
all stakeholders, including setting limits on student time to be spent on homework.


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References
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Keates, N. (2007, January 19). Schools turn down the heat on homework. The Wall Street
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