HOMEWORK
W H AT R E S E A R C H T E L L S U S
DEAN PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL
HOMEWORK SURVEY 2014
DO YOU BELIEVE CHILDREN SHOULD BE GIVEN HOMEWORK? Only in some case 11% No 25% Yes 64% DEAN PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL
HOMEWORK SURVEY 2014
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE AMOUNT OF HOMEWORK YOUR CHILD GETS? Too much 15% Just right 59% Too li8le 26% DEAN PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL
HOMEWORK SURVEY 2014
WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE MOST SUITABLE DAYS FOR HOMEWORK TO BE COMPLETED? Friday 9% Monday 25% Thursday 24% Tuesday 21% Wednesday 21% DEAN PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL
HOMEWORK SURVEY 2014
WHAT TYPES OF HOMEWORK DO YOU VALUE? Other topics 5% personal projects 10% Reading 24% Science 9% Maths 24% WriCng 28% DEAN PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL
HOMEWORK SURVEY 2014
ARE YOU GIVEN ENOUGH INFORMATION TO ALLOW YOU TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILD AT HOME? Some of the Cme 38% Yes 47% No 15% DEAN PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL
HOMEWORK SURVEY 2014
DO YOU BELIEVE HOMEWORK IS HAVING A POSITIVE IMPACT ON YOUR CHILD'S LEARNING? Some of the Cme 29% No 10% Yes 61% JOHN HATTIE
HATTIE’S SYNTHESIS OF OVER
500000 STUDIES INVOLVING 200000000 CHILDREN
•  Almost everything we do in the name of education
has a positive effect on achievement
•  While teachers have power, few do damage
•  We need to identify those factors that have a marked
and meaningful effect
LOW INFLUENCES
Influence
School finances
Individualised instruction
Reducing class size
Extra-curricicular programs
Home-school programs
Ability grouping/tracking
Male/female achivement differences
Student control over learning
Open vs traditional learning spaces
Effect Size
0.23
0.22
0.21
0.19
0.16
0.12
0.12
0.04
0.01
Rank
107
109
113
116
127
131
133
144
145
MEDIUM INFLUENCES
Influence
Peer influences on achievement
Influence of home environment
How to develop high expectations
for each teacher
Integrated curricular programs
Computer-assisted instruction
Decreasing disruptive behaviour
Enquiry-based teaching
Homework
Teaching test-taking & coaching
Effect Size
0.53
0.52
0.43
Rank
41
44
62
0.39
0.37
0.34
0.31
0.29
0.27
71
77
84
91
94
98
HIGH
Influence
How to develop high expectations
for each student
Providing formative evaluation to
teachers
How to provide better feedback
Teacher-student relationships
How to better teach meta-cognitive
Strategies
How to accelerate learning
Teaching study skills
Teaching learning strategies
Ways to stop labelling students
Effect Size
1.44
Rank
1
0.90
4
0.75
0.72
0.69
10
12
14
0.68
0.63
0.62
0.61
15
20
22
25
HATTIE’S CONCLUSIONS
•  the general message from the overall d=0.29 is that the
effects of homework are small, and even smaller (near to
zero) in elementary schools.
•  the finding should be an invitation to change how we do
homework in elementary schools, because homework as it
has traditionally been done has not been very effective in
elementary schools.
•  what a wonderful opportunity for schools to try something
different …
HATTIE’S SYNTHESIS OF OVER
500000 STUDIES INVOLVING 200000000 CHILDREN
HATTIE’S CONCLUSIONS
•  many New Zealand schools did exactly this: thet did not
abandon homework (because too many parents judge the
quality of a school by the mere presence of homework and
get upset if there is none), but they tried different approaches.
•  one school worked with students and parents to create a
website of various “home challenges” and evaluated the
effects of the new policy on student motivation,
achievement, and parent involvement with their children’s
learning.
HATTIE’S CONCLUSIONS
•  while all parents want to find ways in which to help to coeducate their children, not all parents know how to do this. A
major barrier for these latter parents is that they are often not
familiar with the language of learning and schools.
•  parents who co-understand the importance of deliberate
practice, concentration, the difference between surface and
deep knowing, and the nature of learning intentions and
success criteria are more able to have dialogue with their
children.
•  teaching parents the language of learning led to enhanced
engagement by students in their schooling experiences
HATTIE’S CONCLUSIONS
•  when this co-learning occurs, then more evidence about the
impact on learning can be understood and potentially acted
upon by all.
•  the involvement in homework, in esteeming and promoting
schools based on evidence of impact on progress of their
children, and in providing support and opportunities to
engage in worthwhile challenges in the home can all assist in
progressing students to become critical evaluators and
learned citizens.
THE EDUCATIONAL ENDOWMENT
FOUNDATION
It is certainly the case that schools whose pupils do homework
tend to be successful schools. However it is less clear that
homework is the reason why they are successful.
There is some evidence that when homework is used as a short
and focused intervention it can be effective in improving
student’s attainment (with some studies showing up to eight
months positive impact on attainment).
Overall the general benefits are likely to be modest if homework
is more routinely set.
There research strongly suggests that it is more valuable at
secondary school level and much less effective for children of
primary school age.
ALFIE KOHN
•  The negative effects of homework are well known – frustration,
exhaustion, lack of time, possible loss of interest in learning
•  Many parents lament the impact of homework on their
relationship with children
•  The positive effects are largely mythical, and no study has
ever substantiated the belief that homework builds character
or teacher good study habits
•  The burden of homework is increasing
ALFIE KOHN
1.  Educate yourself – whatever decisions are made should be
based on fact rather than folk wisdom
2.  Rethink standardised homework policies – requiring x number
of minutes a day suggests homework isn’t justified by a
specific need at a specific time
3.  Reduce the amount so that families not schools decide how
children spend their evenings
4.  Change the default, so that students are aske to take
schoolwork home only when it is necessary and beneficial
5.  Ask the children for their views
6.  Teachers should avoid dishing out worksheets or using
textbooks, and should avoid a one size fits all approach
7.  Involve the children in the decision making process about
homework
PROFESSOR HARRIS COOPER’S
METASTUDY
Kids burn out," Cooper said. "The bottom line really is all kids
should be doing homework, but the amount and type should
vary according to their developmental level and home
circumstances. Homework for young students should be short,
lead to success without much struggle, occasionally involve
parents and, when possible, use out-of-school activities that kids
enjoy, such as their sports teams or high-interest reading."
CURRENT HOMEWORK GUIDELINES
Recommendations for Different Stages
Benefits of Homework
CURRENT HOMEWORK GUIDELINES
Your thoughts & next steps