Learning from home is testing students' online search skills. This promotes students’ confidence and control of their own learning. So it isn’t easy to measure how effective homework could be, or to compare studies.įirst, it’s better if every student gets the kind of homework task that benefits them personally, such as one that helps them answer questions they had, or understand a problem they couldn’t quite grasp in class. Studies on homework are frequently quite general, and don’t consider specific types of homework tasks. So, does homework achieve what teachers intend it to? Do we know if it ‘works’? Get students to use their own skills to create work. Provide students with opportunities to apply and integrate skills to new situations or interest areas Introduce new material to be presented in class Help children be more responsible, confident and disciplinedĭetermine children’s understanding of the lesson and/or skills Research based on teacher interviews shows they set homework for a range of reasons.Įstablish and improve communication between parents and children about learning But there is limited, if any, guidance on how often homework should be set. Homework in NSW should also be “purposeful and designed to meet specific learning goals”, and “built on knowledge, skills and understanding developed in class”. So, what’s the purpose of homework and what does the evidence say about whether it fulfils its purpose? Why do teachers set homework?Įach school in Australia has its own homework policy developed in consultation with teachers and parents or caregivers, under the guiding principles of state or regional education departments.įor instance, according to the New South Wales homework policy “… tasks should be assigned by teachers with a specific, explicit learning purpose”.

In Finland, which also scores higher than Australia, students spent less than three hours on homework per week. But homework could just be one of the factors leading to higher results.

Shanghai and Singapore routinely score higher than Australia in the PISA maths, science and reading tests.

Homework for science