Currently, a common belief exists that homework is not beneficial to students. One aspect of this mindset focuses on the effect homework has on students. Studies have observed that homework causes stress which can lead to depression and anxiety. Another position considers that homework demotivates students and lessens their desire to learn. In spite of the advantageous features of homework, many believe its disadvantages outweigh the benefits - it creates stress and demotivation - inadequately promoting student achievement.
Homework is a cause of stress for countless students as it leads to both mental and physical symptoms of depression and anxiety. These specific illnesses directly affect a student’s productivity and academic growth. Panahi
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As the long list of homework assignments grows throughout each school day, students become more and more overwhelmed with the task to complete them. Attending approximately seven to nine classes each day, teachers can assign up to a total of 5 hours of homework assignments each night. A study was done to examine the amount of students who felt stressed by homework and, “Less than 1 percent said homework was not a stressor, and 56 percent indicated homework is a primary cause of stress” (Strauss, 2014, pg. 2). After spending a long 8 hours at school, students are forced to continue by completing multiple hours of homework. Parents believe this is why such a large amount of students become depressed or have anxiety -- they spend nearly three fourths of their waking hours on schoolwork every day. The amount of time that should be spent simply being a kid, is taken up by the elongated hours needed to finish homework. Students become stressed because they have such little time to finish such large amounts of work, while still attempting to make time for extracurricular activities. Panahi (2014) explains, “Stress is a child’s worst enemy. It releases chemicals their brains are not mature enough to cope with” (pg. 3). With little time to generate work of high
"I didn’t feel [stressed] until I was in my 30’s. It hurts my feelings that my daughter feels that way at eleven" (Ratnesar 313). This statement describes the intense issue facing the American Education System today. More and more students are spending a lot of out of school time on enormous amounts of homework. The overabundance of homework is putting pressure on the students, along with their parents. Our nation has steadily focused on after school studying to the point of possible exhaustion. In this paper, I will attempt to explain how educators are relying on homework as the major form of education, and how the amounts are too demanding on the students.
Did you know that the average high school student in today’s society has the same levels of anxiety as a psychiatric patient in the 1950s? According to psychologist Robert Leahy, school these days can get a little tough– especially when most students’ first response to a heavy backpack full of homework is to worry over whether or not it can be done. In the past decade, Leahy and other psychologists have noticed a steady nationwide increase in the amount of stress caused by schoolwork among high school students (Slate Magazine). What does this mean for tomorrow’s leaders and future generations of dignitaries? Scientists have concluded that sleep deprivation, long-term health problems, and declining overall academic achievement are lasting effects of homework-related stress on the average student, and they should not be ignored.
When you think about school one of the first things that pops into people’s mind is homework. Basically if you have asked your parents or your grandparents they would say that they remember the homework load. Now we all know that homework can be beneficial but also can be very unhealthy with all of the stress that it causes. Over the years the homework load has increased because of the fact that schools think that they need to try to keep up with other countries in academics. And will doing all of this homework now be all for nothing later? The homework load has increased these past couple of years and it is causing a lot of stress on kids and overall is not helping their academics in the long run.
Khristina Janer, a mother from Illinois, says, “I don’t feel like a parent. I feel like a drill sergeant!” when making her kids finish their homework after an extended period of time (Wallace). Many studies show the effectiveness of homework and all of the benefits it can do for us; the problem is: teachers are making kids do too much homework when they get home from school. The teachers don’t take in the environmental factors that could be harming any student 's ability to get a task done. Teachers automatically believe that kids are irresponsible or unmotivated when they don’t succeed in finishing their homework. When kids are given this much, or this difficult of, homework, sleep is being sacrificed. Even when they are doing all of their
A study in 2002 shows that homework causes kids moods to increased anxiety, depression, anger, and other mood disturbances among students. (Coulson)Kids have a seven hour day of school and then on top of that teachers are piling up a minimum of one thirty minutes worth of homework in each class. Kids get stressed out when they realize that they can't do anything fun in the evening which is suppose to be there fre. Homework causes kids to increases in stress and sleep deprivation.In time because they have to stay at home and finish their homework April, a researcher at Stanford University found that too much homework negatively affects kids by increasing stress and sleep deprivation and generally leaving less time for family, friends, and activities. (Graham)Kids don’t get enough sleep and get even more stressed out which causes them to do worse in school.Homework increases family and there conflict.Homework increases family conflict. And the more parents help with children’s homework, the more tension children experience.(Coulson)Homework causes more family conflict which tears families
One of the reasons homework should be banned is because of the unnecessary stress and strain it creates for students. Many students are left pulling their hair out at homework time. Students struggle with homework for different reasons. Some of which are because they do not understand the assigned homework, or they are not being challenged, and quite possibly because they have hit their daily threshold for learning and have no more to give. Furthermore, students who struggle academically will likely require extra assistance to do their homework. Students are therefore tasked with finding a qualified person to assist them with homework. Students are not only under the stress of homework, but now they are under additional stress to find a qualified person that can assist them. Unfortunately, some students may not be able to obtain the help they need with their homework. Consequently and to no fault of their own their grades may be affected inaccurat...
High school is another vast world where one can explore the depths of the teenage experience: the hell that lies in the dark, bottomless abyss and the ominous heaven with everlasting light and everything else in between. On top of this perpetual rollercoaster of emotions, there’s this other dark force that looms over the head of every student, the beast that devours all happiness in life: homework. Assignments can be tedious and are stacked on top of a student’s busy lifestyle, leading to sleepless nights and weariness. Homework causes an epidemic of stress and sleep deprivation resulting in overwhelming fatigue and ultimately deemed unneccessary for success.
They also say that homework allows parents to see what their children are learning and that homework helps them get better grades. It is true that homework is a self-evaluation for students to make sure they understand what they are learning. However, that is not the case. According to Discovery News, “Studies show that 99% of teens said that homework causes stress.” How is something stressful beneficial? How can homework have a positive impact when it is only making student’s lives worse? Equally important, Discovery News also stated: “56% of students said that homework was their primary stresser more than tests or getting good grades.” As you could see from this, the majority of students feel homework is more stressful than things like big tests. Along with homework being stressful, Discovery News states “Students reported sleep deprivation because of homework.” Meaning that students lacked the requirement of the basic necessity of sleep, meaning at least eight hours. Just because of the extent of homework, students entre next day is halted because students are exhausted and incapable of functioning. But, if the amount of homework was reduced, I believe students would not be as stressed and it would be more practical and
Harris Cooper, a researcher on homework from Duke University, claims that too much homework causes stress. In this I paper will talk about the damaging effects homework has on a child, how homework causes students to dropout of school, and some ideas for an alternative to homework.
The stressful school year has begun and the homework immediately starts to pile up. Some people might think hours of homework every night is necessary in helping students continue to learn and progress in that specific subject. “...homework can ensure that they are learning well morning, noon and night”, understanding that some adults want students to learn every night to ensure they know the material, however in most cases the overloading of homework tends to do the opposite. The rising problem starts to surface a lot during the years of fifth grade to high school. Complaining of homework starts to be the regular topic of interest in every conversation. Understanding that this can also be seen as students being lazy and not wanting to work, but the excessive amount every night in every subject
Kids everywhere around the world have homework. Homework is part of a child’s school life, it is normal for them. What is bad is that hours and hours of homework per night is casual for a student. Over the years homework has grown to be a tremendous expectation for any student across the world. A past experience of mine is that every night I have at least an hour or 2 of homework.
Although homework may seem like drudgery, the hard work that is put into homework may pay off in the long run. In the article, “Does homework really work for students?” Jacqueline Carey, the mother of seventh grade student Micah Carey, stated that “homework gives [students] a good foundation for when they move on further in school” (Johnson). Not only that but according to Donyall Dickey, principle at Murray Hill Middle School, “if students do not acquire things in class, they will acquire them through homework” (Johnson). As we can see homework helps and prepares us for higher grade levels while in primary school that can possibly prepare us for college. It also helps us to remember the materials that were taught in class. Another reason homework can be beneficial is the fact that it can prepare us for tests and the dreadful pop-quiz that a teacher may randomly give us. This fact was proven, according to a 2006 study by Harris Cooper, director of Duke University’s Program in education, in the article “Homework or Not? That is the (Research) Question”. The studies instituted that “students who had homework performed better on class tests compared to those who did not” (DeNisco). Another compelling thing about homework, are the qualities a skills th...
Today, many students report more anxiety due to stress than child psychiatric patients did in the 1950’s. In a 2006 survey of 1,300 students at a public high school in Needham, Massachusetts found that 58% of the students surveyed reported between a great deal of stress and extreme stress due to homework (Bennett and Kalish). Many students in today’s time, have so many things to do that it is difficult for them to come home, only to have to finish five to six hours of homework. This, with the added effects of after school activities and technology, only adds to the stress that is put on students.
Homework offers multiple benefits for real life. One benefit of homework is that it helps the student develop essential skills. While homework may seem like a tedious task, it can help a student comprehend the material. Homework is necessary for more than just a grade; it is an assignment that teaches you valuable life skills. According to “Do students have too much homework?”, homework should lead students to be better at taking what they know and applying it to a certain task. Students tend to portray homework as something that they have to get done without knowing the value that lies behind it. Homework enables the student to recall a certain problem and apply it to another distinctive situation. According to “Do students have too much homework?”, applying knowledge is the most important. Learning is definitely important but what students do with the facts that they learned is essential as well. Applying knowledge allows the students to take a simple fact and relate it to a grander scheme of things. Relating what they know will enhance their creativity and let them see behind the lines of how everything connects.
We all know the downfall of homework: the frustration and exhaustion, family conflict, time loss, and decreasing interest in learning. No study has ever demonstrated any academic achievement linked to assigning homework. There is also no support to the fact that homework provides nonacademic benefits at any age. Here are a few examples: building character, promoting self-discipline, or teaching good work habits. All teachers who assign homework want to believe that the gain outweighs the pain. Although, there is no evidence of that and they must rely on faith (“Homework: No Proven Benefits”, pg. 1). Michellea, a mother of a middle school student, says that some work can reinforce certain skills, but hours of homework are unhealthy and unproductive. Mominseattle agrees. She contemplates that such a heavy load can result in potential drawbacks to the students. Hours of homework a night plus a full day of school can be just as much work as an adult at a full-time job. She believes students should enjoy their childhood, as short as it already is. MagnetMom complains about how her daughter’s homework takes away her beneficial sleep. With busy families, like hers, they have many after school activities, so when they get home, they do not have time for too much homework. She says ...