Homework Debate
When is Homework Worth the Time? Evaluating the Association Between
Homework and Achievement in High School Science and Math
Adam V. Maltese
Indiana University amaltese@indiana.edu Robert H. Tai
University of Virginia rht6h@virginia.edu Xitao Fan
University of Macau xtfan@umac.mo Even with the history of debate over the merits of homework, there are significant gaps in the research record regarding its benefit to students. The focus of this study is on the association between time spent on homework and academic performance in science and math by assessing survey and transcript data from two nationally representative samples of high school students collected in 1990 and 2002. Using multiple linear regressions and controlling for students’ background, motivation, and prior achievement, we investigated how much variance in science and math course grades and achievement test scores could be explained by time spent on homework in those classes. The results indicate that there is no consistent significant relationship between time spent on homework and grades, but a consistently positive significant relationship between homework and performance on standardized exams.
Introduction
Debate over the merits of homework has been a part of educational culture in the U.S. since the mid-1800s (Gill & Schlossman, 2004). Recently, the debate has centered more directly on the amount of time students are devoting to completing homework. Articles in major news sources (e.g., Hu, 2011; Keates, 2007; Mehta, 2009; Wallis, 2006) discuss how many schools have reduced the amount of homework done by students, often by limiting the number of days students can be assigned homework or the length of assignments they are expected to complete. These stories cited statistics that demonstrate a growth in the amount of homework reported by American students since the early 1980s. The authors often mentioned that nations traditionally ranking higher than the U.S. on
Homework and Achievement in High School Science and Math
Adam V. Maltese
Indiana University amaltese@indiana.edu Robert H. Tai
University of Virginia rht6h@virginia.edu Xitao Fan
University of Macau xtfan@umac.mo Even with the history of debate over the merits of homework, there are significant gaps in the research record regarding its benefit to students. The focus of this study is on the association between time spent on homework and academic performance in science and math by assessing survey and transcript data from two nationally representative samples of high school students collected in 1990 and 2002. Using multiple linear regressions and controlling for students’ background, motivation, and prior achievement, we investigated how much variance in science and math course grades and achievement test scores could be explained by time spent on homework in those classes. The results indicate that there is no consistent significant relationship between time spent on homework and grades, but a consistently positive significant relationship between homework and performance on standardized exams.
Introduction
Debate over the merits of homework has been a part of educational culture in the U.S. since the mid-1800s (Gill & Schlossman, 2004). Recently, the debate has centered more directly on the amount of time students are devoting to completing homework. Articles in major news sources (e.g., Hu, 2011; Keates, 2007; Mehta, 2009; Wallis, 2006) discuss how many schools have reduced the amount of homework done by students, often by limiting the number of days students can be assigned homework or the length of assignments they are expected to complete. These stories cited statistics that demonstrate a growth in the amount of homework reported by American students since the early 1980s. The authors often mentioned that nations traditionally ranking higher than the U.S. on