Why is homework bad or good

Why is homework bad: The cons of doing take-homes

Most students would agree that homework can be a pain. To explore this side of the argument, this part will explain the cons of homework.

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In better understanding the notion, "Why is homework bad?" it is important to acknowledge the facts about homework being bad and the suppositions surrounding it. While most studies would vouch for the maintenance of assignments as a staple part of the teaching-learning process, some researchers raise their skepticism on its significance, now that there is an increase in burnout and academic stress cases attributed to these take-home activities.

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Using these facts, we likewise support the objective idea that although homework has long been part of the educative process, we can still agree to disagree on some of its aspects, especially if it affects the students.

Why is homework bad for students: The ugly truth

“Should students have homework in the first place?” More than anything, things miserable might have happened to ultimately make you ask this question. In a day’s work as a student, one is confronted with different activities from various learning areas– discussions, reports, demonstrations, quizzes, fieldwork, and extracurricular activities, among others.

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Amidst being a student, an individual still battles with the different aspects of his/her life– becoming a friend, a child, and a growing person. It seems like these mentioned could easily fill up your plate, but here comes another one to finally nail the coffin: take-home tasks and assignments.

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While no one is at fault since your teacher is obliged to give you one because of its irreplaceable value on the teaching-learning process, no one could likewise take away the feeling of burden that lies within the fact that you already had enough in a single day– what more if you will endure a 10-week supply of homework? This blurs the significance of homework and consequently leads to its disadvantages. Although there might be a lot of factors that could play into the existence of these disadvantages, one thing is for sure: homework culture scares students invariably across academic stages.

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Is homework bad for students when you are able to identify the reasons why it became the case? In getting through the perspectives of students, it can be valid. However, the rationale behind the enumeration of these reasons will enable us to solve existing problems to preserve the significance of these activities:

• Stress and Anxiety Triggers. Knowing that students already have everything on their plates, anticipating homework, especially in an excessive amount and complex nature, can lead to high levels of stress and anxiety.
• Inequity in Resources. For an educational system that advocates equitable access to quality education, homework that requires certain resources and effort may affect students who have no access to a quiet study space, parental guidance, or access to Internet resources.
• Questioned Effectivity in Lower Grades. Although homework has been a staple for many educational institutions, recent studies have proven that assigned tasks outside the classroom may not be the ideal way to reinforce learning. Rumor has it that these tasks are often finished solely by their parents, nullifying the purpose of these tasks in the holistic learning of their children.
• Health-Related Concerns. In one way or another, we cannot help but see students invariably make an effort with their homework, often sacrificing their health just to finish these tasks on time. Consequently, health issues such as sleep deprivation and sedentary behavior could potentially lead to more serious problems if done repeatedly.

Should kids have homework: The unquestionable drawbacks

Homework culture has been an indispensable part of the teaching-learning process. If we look into tradition, it aims to reinforce learning outside the confines of the classroom and recognize the supportive role of parents and other supervising adults in the learning achievement of students. Ultimately, it fosters independent life skills, such as time management and the development of a refined study habit that they can use later in their academic lives.

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While it can have a myriad of benefits, especially for students in the higher years, numerous disadvantages have been seen to be challenging to address for school-aged students, prompting parents to say that kids should not have homework. The recent changes in the educational landscape have seen the call for systemic changes and curricular reform, especially in the primary grades, which saw poor implementation of homework in the classroom. Thus, the clamor of why kids should not have homework has been intensified. To guide you through this problem, we have listed specific reasons why is homework bad for kids:

• Mental health issues. Aside from the fact that school-aged children are susceptible to anxiety and stress due to uncoordinated homework, pressure can come into play as some children can sometimes be particular in finishing their homework beyond satisfaction. They wanted to impress their teachers with a good grade and a reward, often pressuring themselves to do well in these tasks.
• Limited free time. At their age, children must maximize their after-school time which should be spent on their family and the development of their hobbies and interests. Homework, when given inadvertently, can take up a significant portion of a school-aged child’s free time. What is worse is that children, when accustomed to accomplishing these tasks on a regular basis, might think that it is okay for these tasks to encroach on their time after school.
• Stifled creativity. Often, poorly-coordinated homework is in the form of rote learning and repetitive tasks. These kinds of take-home activities affect higher-order thinking skills such as creativity and critical thinking. Self-directed learning, which enables students to think creatively, is likewise affected when students are accustomed to these restrictive forms of homework.
• Diminished learning interest. Restrictive homework, coupled with its uninteresting characteristics, can ultimately dull children’s interest in the teaching-learning process. As school-aged children are known to have short attention spans, their overall enthusiasm for education may drastically diminish once these tasks are given frequently.
• Minimal effect on learning attainment. While homework is said to affect learners at a higher level, it is recommended by several researchers that homework should be limited and carefully crafted. Otherwise, it will not bring any significant improvement in children’s level of learning achievement and does not reinforce classroom learning.

Why homework is good: Its indispensable benefits

We have been talking about the disadvantages of homework for a while. Still, when one considers everything, these problems have only surfaced due to the poor implementation of these take-homes. What was once an indispensable aspect of the teaching-learning process became the most hated part of going to school for some. Suppose the school community, particularly the curriculum implementers, and the parents can work hand-in-hand in addressing these problems. In that case, we can maximize the pros of homework, making us say these words: "Does homework actually help?"

Is homework beneficial? Look into these details to make you convinced again.

Why should students have homework: The inherent good

The question of why is homework good for students lies in the belief that these take-home tasks are inherently advantageous: they are not included in any educational model and curriculum if they will not hold any significance in the entire educative process.

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So, if you came across the call for its abolishment, you should raise some eyebrows as it will not happen anytime soon. Focusing on how does homework affect students entails the identification of the following factors, with questions corresponding to each mentioned factor:

Frequency

How frequently/often do we give students homework? Should it be weekly? Bi-weekly? Or daily?

Quality

What are the types of tasks I should give to students that are constructively aligned with the lesson objectives?

Purpose

Why am I giving these tasks to students? Is it to reinforce learning? To practice mastery of skills? To explore other untapped skills or competencies?

Authenticity

Is my homework responsive to the needs of real-life experiences of students? Will the homework be meaningful to their lives?

Level of involvement

Why is homework good when parents and other supervising adults are involved to some extent?

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These aspects can be used as guides in crafting homework or judging one if you are not sure of its value. When at least most of these aspects are met, you can now say that your homework can maximize most, if not all, benefits which are listed below:

• Excellent Learning Reinforcer. Particularly targeting the aspect of quality, constructively aligned homework takes pride in its ability to retain and understand the concepts learned in class, as well as achieve mastery in certain subject areas that are conceptually enriched.
• Developer of Study Skills. Homework unconsciously targets skills that are important in dealing with more complex academic endeavors in the future, such as self-discipline, independent learning, and time management.
• Cognitive and Intellectual Drivers. Homework can introduce a deep exploration of topics, enabling students to apply various thinking order skills, such as creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving.
• Social and Behavioral Enhancers. More than the obvious benefits of homework for students, peer collaboration and parental involvement in its conduct may boost students’ motivation and confidence to finish the tasks at hand.
• A Prelude to Practical Skills. Certain literacies can be developed when finishing homework, such as research skills, technological literacy, and planning and organization. These practical skills are important for academic and technical tasks that vary in difficulty and demand.

A rundown behind the question, "Is homework necessary?"

The reasons why homework is good should never be debatable. Homework is indeed an indispensable part of the teaching-learning process. The argument of whether it is good or bad, as comprehensively discussed in this article, should come down with changing the system of creating and implementing one, often balancing the pros and cons of homework.

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To provide you with a quick rundown, here are the 10 reasons why students should and should not have homework:

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10 reasons why students should have homework:

1. Consolidates knowledge.
2. Helps retain concepts taught in the classroom.
3. Applies knowledge to real-life situations.
4. Fosters creativity.
5. Provides opportunities for extended learning.
6. Makes the student responsible for its learning.
7. Prepares students for more complex deadlines.
8. Encourages peer collaboration among students.
9. Develops practical skills.
10. Promotes lifelong learning.

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10 reasons why students should not have homework:

1. Causes stress and anxiety.
2. Unreasonably pressures students to do better.
3. Causes sleep deprivation.
4. Promotes a sedentary lifestyle.
5. Limits students’ free time.
6. Promotes educational inequity.
7. Disadvantages students with little to no parental involvement.
8. Decreases motivation.
9. Causes burnout.
10. Can be an ineffective learning tool for school-aged children.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Does homework actually help to begin with? Is there too much homework?

We might be asking who invented homework and why it was invented. To understand its history, homework traces back its origin to the 20th century when Roberto Nevilis, an Italian educator, introduced homework as both positive and negative reinforcement for students on the concepts that they learned in their classrooms.

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Elementary students, even to this day, as well as other younger students, complain of too much homework.

Should homework be banned despite its importance?

The question of why homework should be banned defeats its purpose. It is possible to limit homework when certain factors, such as academic overload, occur.

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Elementary school students and high school students find that too much homework, with already lots of classroom learning, can show up as stress. Even though teachers say homework improves student achievement, both elementary students as well as middle school students would sometimes have to disagree.

Why homework is good amid worries?

The quest of asking why is homework important is endless, as it is often regarded as one of the prime indicators of an outcome-based learning process.

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Completing homework, assigning homework, and, in the end, too much homework can trample student achievement and spirit. Excessive homework can be brought up at the next National Parent Teacher Association where it can be discussed about the pros and cons of completing homework.

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In any case, excessive homework is excessive in the sense that students typically retain key skills from school work and don't find the motivation for homework assignments - this is especially true for college students.

How can I stay motivated when doing my homework?

When you ask yourself how to motivate yourself to do homework, you can always think of the many benefits that you can use not just in that moment but also in the future.

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Homework students who are having trouble with a homework assignment and how much homework they have to do while they attend college, try to maintain their academic success, and academic performance, can often lose motivation due to burnout.

Can I get help on my homework? 

When in doubt and distress in your take-home tasks, think of this comforting thought: “I can always count on professional services to do my homework.”