Doing homework. The concept seems simple enough. However, students have a lot to deal with: school, sports, jobs, homework, chores, applying for college, and so much more. The majority of students do extracurricular activities or work part-time jobs. Many students are up late at night trying to complete homework after a hard day’s work. For some, it’s simply too much.
Jacob Johnson says, “We pay to go to school. Not to go to school and bring some of it home. It’s not a takeaway restaurant.”
91% of students say that they dislike homework, with 54% saying that it does nothing to help them learn. Makayla Sergent says, “Homework really doesn’t help most the time. Some homework and assignments are good to take home and do when it isn’t “busy” work. Some teachers even give 2 or 3 assignments and with 7 classes… that adds up fast”
In a survey, the New Castle students said that their average daily stress level is an 8/10. Candice Allen says, “Sometimes it gets really stressful, then we put more time into our homework and getting grades up to pass classes, than we do our mental health. I think homework could be less stressful, by making assignments a little shorter.”
Homework can also put underprivileged students at a disadvantage. 41% of students in America hail from low-income families. Many of these students don’t have access to homework materials, such as computers, pens, and papers. Sergeant says, “Although grades are important, if you are choosing between busy work or money to live most students will obviously chose the money so they can have a roof and food and a life.”
Even though the work load is taxing on students, studies show a positive correlation between homework and academic achievement. According to Duke University, in 35 studies, about 77% show there is a positive relation between homework and academic achievement. Duke found that average Junior and Senior high schoolers’ study time is at least 2 ½ hours each night.
Research by the High School Journal points to students who spent between 31 and 90 minutes each day on homework “scored about 40 points higher on the SAT-Mathematics subtest than their peers, who reported spending no time on homework each day, on average.”
However, not all students dread the workload. Some students say that homework can be useful when learning in class. Melody Warner comments, “Homework is not necessary for all lessons but for some lessons, it is a valuable tool.
What would students like done about the homework amount? Grayson Mcgee says, “I would like to have physical diagrams. It can teach us life skills and different things that we might need in the real world.” Ryleigh Foreghsburh says, “Less questions and more in-class practice for balance.” Sophomore Patience Antrim also says, “It would be less stressful if we had less and more resources for help”. Freshman Mallory Lacey suggusts, “I think that homework should not be due necessarily the next day, maybe giving students more time to get it done and ask questions could help. “
Senior Jamie Kernal offers her advice, “I think a more balanced amount would help, less questions on certain assignments that would allow the time needed to be shortened. Being able to finish my homework quicker would definitely eliminate some of the stress that comes along with it.”
Many students would like to see a completely homework-free approach to learning. Jacob Lanzer says, “Just eliminate homework all together because it is just annoying for the student, and most likely, the teach as well.”
Even though homework can be a stressor, New Castle teachers only have the best interest of their students at heart. Homework will definitely be here to stay. Even though it doesn’t always seem so, homework can have it’s hidden benefits.
