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Primary school children get little academic benefit from homework

Lecturer and Researcher in Education, University of Hull

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Homework: a word that can cause despair not just in children, but also in parents and even teachers. And for primary school children at least, it may be that schools setting homework is more trouble than it’s worth.

There is evidence that homework can be useful at secondary school . It can be used to consolidate material learnt in class or to prepare for exams.

However, it is less clear that homework is useful for children at primary school (ages 5 to 11) or in early years education (ages 3 to 5).

What is homework for?

There are no current guidelines on how much homework primary school children in England should be set. In 2018 then education secretary Damien Hinds stated that “We trust individual school head teachers to decide what their policy on homework will be, and what happens if pupils don’t do what’s set”.

While there is not much data available on how much homework primary school pupils do, a 2018 survey of around 1,000 parents found that primary pupils were spending an average of 2.2 hours per week on homework.

The homework done by primary school children can include reading, practising spellings, or revising for tests. Charity the Education Endowment Foundation suggests that the uses for homework at primary school include reinforcing the skills that pupils learn in school, helping them get ready for tests and preparing them for future school lessons.

Homework can also act as a point of communication between home and school, helping parents feel part of their child’s schooling.

However, the 2018 Ofsted Parents’ Panel – which surveyed the views of around 1,000 parents in England on educational issues – found that 36% of parents thought that homework was not helpful at all to their primary school children. The panel report found that, for many parents, homework was a significant source of stress and negatively affected family life.

Little academic benefit

Not much academic research has been carried out on the impact of homework for children in primary school. The available meta-studies – research that combines and analyses the findings of a number of studies – suggest that homework has little or no positive benefit for the academic achievement of children of primary school age . A central reason for this seems to be the inability of children to complete this homework without the support provided by teachers and the school.

Some research has suggested that primary pupils lack the independent study skills to do homework, and that they are not able to stay focused on the work.

What’s more, homework may actually have a negative effect if parents set unrealistic expectations, apply pressure or use methods that go counter to those used at school.

Homework may also increase inequalities between pupils. High achievers from economically privileged backgrounds may have greater parental support for homework, including more educated assistance, higher expectations and better settings and resources.

However, it is possible that setting homework for primary school children has benefits that cannot be easily measured, such as developing responsibility and independent problem-solving skills. It could also help children develop habits that will be useful in later school life.

A common task set for homework in primary schools is for children to read with their parents. There is some evidence that this has a positive impact as well as providing enjoyment, but the quality of interaction may be more important than the quantity.

If the purpose of homework is to develop the relationship between home and school and give parents more stake in the schooling of their children then this may well be a positive thing. If this is its purpose, though, it should not be used as a means to improve test scores or school performance metrics. For the youngest children, anything that takes time away from developmental play is a bad thing.

Rather, any homework should develop confidence and engagement in the process of schooling for both children and parents.

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The Early Career Framework states that teachers should learn that homework can improve pupil outcomes, particularly for older pupils, but it is likely that the quality of homework and its relevance to main class teaching is more important than the amount set.

Homework can be defined as any task assigned by schoolteachers intended for students to carry out during non-school hours (Cooper, 1989). This definition explicitly excludes (a) in-school guided study; (b) home study courses delivered through any means; and (c) extracurricular activities such as sports and participation in clubs. The phrase “intended for students to carry out during non-school hours” is used because students may complete homework assignments during study club, library time, or even during subsequent classes.

Homework activities vary significantly, particularly between younger and older pupils, including but not limited to home reading activities, longer projects or essays and more directed and focused work such as revision for tests.

Research by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) found that The average impact of homework is positive across both primary and secondary school. There is, however variation behind this average with homework set in primary school having a smaller impact on average.

The quality of the task set appears to be more important than the quantity of work required from the pupil. There is some evidence that the impact of homework diminishes as the amount of time pupils spend on it increases. The studies reviewed with the highest impacts set homework twice a week in a particular subject.

Evidence also suggests that how homework relates to learning during normal school time is important. In the most effective examples homework was an integral part of learning, rather than an add-on. To maximise impact, it also appears to be important that students are provided with high quality feedback on their work.

When we look at the Education Endowment Foundation’s (EEF) Teaching and Learning Toolkit evidence summary for secondary homework then we will find that homework is much more effective with older children. It states: “The evidence shows that the impact of homework, on average, is five months’ additional progress.

MacBeath and Turner (1990) suggest a number of sensible and reasonable ideas:

Homework should be clearly related to on-going classroom work.

There should be a clear pattern to class work and homework.

Homework should be varied.

Homework should be manageable.

Homework should be challenging but not too difficult.

Homework should allow for individual initiative and creativity.

Homework should promote self-confidence and understanding.

There should be recognition or reward for work done.

There should be guidance and support.

Vatterott has also identified five fundamental characteristics of good homework: purpose, efficiency, ownership, competence, and aesthetic appeal (Vatterott, 2010).

Purpose: All homework assignments are meaningful and students must also understand the purpose of the assignment and why it is important in the context of their academic experience.

Efficiency: Homework should not take a disproportionate amount of time and needs to involve some hard thinking.

Ownership: Students who feel connected to the content learn more and are more motivated. Providing students with choice in their assignments is one way to create ownership.

Competence: Students should feel competent in completing homework and so we need to abandon the one-size-fits-all model. Homework that students cannot do without help is not good homework.

Inspiring: A well-considered and clearly designed resource and task impacts positively upon student motivation.

Homework can promote academic learning by

increasing the amount of time students spend studying

providing opportunities for practice, preparation, and extension work

assisting in the development of a range of intellectual skills

Homework can assist in the development of generic skills by

providing opportunities for individualised work

fostering initiative and independence

developing skills in using libraries and other learning resources

training pupils in planning and organising time

developing good habits and self-discipline

encouraging ownership and responsibility for learning

Homework can be beneficial to schools through

easing time constraints on the curriculum and allowing examination demands to be met

allowing assessment of pupils’ progress and mastery of work

exploiting resources not available in school

fulfilling the expectations of parents, pupils, politicians and the public

enabling accountability to external inspection agencies

Homework can promote home-school liaison by

encouraging the involvement of parents

developing links and opportunities for dialogue between parents and the school

encourages parents and children to work together

Derived from Cowan and Hallam (1999)

Homework: its uses and abuses by Professor Susan Hallam, Institute of Education, University of London provides interesting reading on the topic

Further information & research

Homework: Its uses and abuses, Hallam, Institute of Education, UCL, 2006: http://bit.ly/31xXo0u

The End of Homework: How homework disrupts families, overburdens children, and limits learning, Kralovec & Buell, Beacon Press, 2000.

The Homework Myth: Why our kids get too much of a bad thing, Kohn, De Capo Books, 2006: www.alfiekohn.org/homework-myth/

Homework Myths, Vatterott, The Homework Lady, February 2008: http://bit.ly/2H34wua

Homework (Secondary) Evidence Summary, Teaching and Learning Toolkit, Education Endowment Foundation: http://bit.ly/2YGEGa5

“Homework in primary school has an effect of zero”, John Hattie interview, BBC Radio 4, August 2014: https://bbc.in/2yWgcdK

Visible Learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses on achievement, Professor John Hattie, 2009: https://visible-learning.org

Why teaching will never be a research based profession, Dylan Wiliam presentation, ResearchEd, 2017: http://bit.ly/2MdFeO1

How to shift a school towards better homework, Kelleher, The Learning Scientists, June 2017: http://bit.ly/3016QJA

The case for and against homework, Marzano & Pickering, Educational Leadership, March 2007: http://bit.ly/2KK3unz

Speaking with: John Hattie on how to improve the quality of education in Australian schools, The Conversation, May 2016: http://bit.ly/2H3SzUG

Rethinking Homework: Best practices that support diverse needs, Vatterott, ASCD, 2018.

Five hallmarks of good homework, Vatterott, Educational Leadership, September 2010: http://bit.ly/2MfnodE

Unhomework: How to get the most out of homework, without really setting it, Mark Creasy, Independent Thinking Press, 2014.

Why students should set and mark their own homework, Mark Creasy, Guardian, April 2014: http://bit.ly/2KwP5MM

Takeaway Homework, Tarr’s Toolbox, Tarr, 2015: www.classtools.net/blog/takeaway-homework

Effective primary teaching practice, Teaching Schools Council, 2016: http://bit.ly/2TrXOCC

The Early Career Framework Further Reading

[Further reading recommendations are indicated with an asterisk.]

Alexander R.J. (2020) A Dialogic Teaching Companion, London: Routledge.

*Coe, R., Aloisi, C., Higgins, S., & Major, L. E. (2014) What makes great teaching. Review of the underpinning research. Durham University: UK. Available at: http://bit.ly/2OvmvKO

Donker, A. S., de Boer, H., Kostons, D., Dignath van Ewijk, C. C., & van der Werf, M. P. C. (2014) Effectiveness of learning strategy instruction on academic performance: A meta-analysis. Educational Research Review, 11, 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2013.11.002 .

Donovan, M. S., & Bransford, J. D. (2005) How students learn: Mathematics in the classroom. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013) Improving students’ learning with effective learning techniques: Promising directions from cognitive and educational psychology. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, Supplement, 14(1), 4–58. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100612453266 .

Education Endowment Foundation (2016) Improving Literacy in Key Stage One Guidance Report. [Online] Accessible from: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/tools/guidance-reports/ [retrieved 10 October 2018].

Education Endowment Foundation (2017) Improving Mathematics in Key Stages Two and Three Guidance Report. [Online] Accessible from: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/tools/guidance-reports/ [retrieved 10 October 2018].

Education Endowment Foundation (2017) Metacognition and Self-regulated learning Guidance Report. [Online] Accessible from: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/tools/guidance-reports/ [retrieved 10 October 2018].

Education Endowment Foundation (2018) Improving Secondary Science Guidance Report. [Online] Accessible from: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/tools/guidance-reports/ [retrieved 10 October 2018].

*Education Endowment Foundation (2018) Sutton Trust-Education Endowment Foundation Teaching and Learning Toolkit: Accessible from: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/evidence-summaries/teaching-learning-toolkit/ [retrieved 10 October 2018].

Elleman, A. M., Lindo, E. J., Morphy, P., & Compton, D. L. (2009) The Impact of Vocabulary Instruction on Passage-Level Comprehension of School-Age Children: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 2(1), 1–44. https://doi.org/10.1080/19345740802539200 .

Hodgen, J., Foster, C., Marks, R. & Brown, M. (2018) Improving Mathematics in Key Stages Two and Three: Evidence Review. [Online] Accessible from https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/evidence-summaries/evidence-reviews/improvingmathematics-in-key-stages-two-and-three/ [retrieved 22 October 2018], 149-157.

Institute of Education Sciences. (2009) Assisting Students Struggling with Mathematics: Response to Intervention for Elementary and Middle Schools. Accessible from: https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Docs/PracticeGuide/rti_math_pg_042109.pdf .

Jay, T., Willis, B., Thomas, P., Taylor, R., Moore, N., Burnett, C., Merchant, G., Stevens, A. (2017) Dialogic Teaching: Evaluation Report. [Online] Accessible from: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/projects-and evaluation/projects/dialogicteaching [retrieved 10 October 2018].

Kalyuga, S. (2007) Expertise reversal effect and its implications for learner-tailored instruction. Educational Psychology Review, 19(4), 509-539.

Kirschner, P., Sweller, J., Kirschner, F. & Zambrano, J. (2018) From cognitive load theory to collaborative cognitive load theory. In International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, 13(2), 213-233.

Leung, K. C. (2015) Pre liminary Empirical Model of Crucial Determinants of Best Practice for Peer Tutoring on Academic Achievement Preliminary Empirical Model of Crucial Determinants of Best Practice for Peer Tutoring on Academic Achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 107(2), 558–579. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0037698 .

Muijs, D., & Reynolds, D. (2017) Effective teaching: Evidence and practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Pan, S. C., & Rickard, T. C. (2018) Transfer of test-enhanced learning: Meta-analytic review and synthesis. Psychological Bulletin, 144(7), 710–756. http://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fbul0000151 .

*Rosenshine, B. (2012) Principles of Instruction: Research-based strategies that all teachers should know. American Educator, 12–20. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8535.2005.00507.x

Sweller, J. (2016). Working Memory, Long-term Memory, and Instructional Design. Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 5(4), 360–367. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jarmac.2015.12.002 .

Tereshchenko, A., Francis, B., Archer, L., Hodgen, J., Mazenod, A., Taylor, B., Travers, M. C. (2018) Learners’ attitudes to mixed-attainment grouping: examining the views of students of high, middle and low attainment. Research Papers in Education, 1522, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/02671522.2018.1452962 .

Van de Pol, J., Volman, M., Oort, F., & Beishuizen, J. (2015) The effects of scaffolding in the classroom: support contingency and student independent working time in relation to student achievement, task effort and appreciation of support. Instructional Science, 43(5), 615-641.

Wittwer, J., & Renkl, A. (2010) How Effective are Instructional Explanations in Example-Based Learning? A Meta-Analytic Review. Educational Psychology Review, 22(4), 393–409. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-010-91365 .

Zimmerman, B. J. (2002) Becoming a Self-Regulated Learner: An Overview, Theory Into Practice. Theory Into Practice, 41(2), 64–70. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1477457?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents .

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Insights on setting effective homework

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1. Design of the task

2. building routines, 3. resources and support, 4. time required, 5. responsiveness.

Homework seems to have a bad reputation. When you Google the word, images of children pulling their hair out and looking miserable dominate the results.

The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) has found that regular homework at secondary level can lead to an average of five additional months progress for students, compared to those who do not do their homework.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that students who engage in additional work outside of the classroom tend to perform better. Homework, therefore, is an important component of the learning process that reinforces and deepens understanding of concepts learned in the classroom, while also promoting skills such as time management , self-discipline , and independent learning .

Before setting homework, it is crucial to determine the reasons behind its implementation . Is it to build student confidence, enhance writing skills, foster mastery, or develop lifelong habits of independent learning and self-regulation? I would argue that all of these goals are essential.

If you set homework because you are told to do so, neither you nor your students will benefit from the process. Therefore, in order to determine your goals, carefully consider the benefits you want for your students.

Once you have an idea of why you set homework, the next step is to consider the following:

The task you plan to set needs to achieve your intended goals and is most powerful when it is intrinsically linked to classroom learning. If any aspect of the task you set is unnecessary, it can lead to students not seeing the value in it. If your goal is to get students to develop mastery and confidence, an extraneous component may distract from the learning, just as it would within lessons. Another consideration with the task design is the format used for the homework. If students are familiar with the style of the work, they are more likely to complete it due to recognition. It will also promote content-focused learning.

If setting, collecting, and giving feedback on homework are part of a routine, this starts to embed important habits and will become part of your classroom culture. As with any other routine, perseverance and consistency are key. The initial stages of a homework routine can be challenging, especially as you cannot control what happens once students are working independently away from the classroom. The routines you build and standardisation of all aspects of the homework task within lessons will reduce unfamiliarity and facilitate completion outside of them.

Consider what resources will be helpful or necessary for successful homework completion. For instance, practising retrieval in class can enhance students’ ability to recall knowledge without relying on external sources. It is also important to provide support to students who may be struggling with their homework. If students cannot access an online piece of work, then provide opportunities to do so in school or reconsider the task you are setting to ensure all students can equally access the work.

You also need to consider the amount of time required to complete the homework task. Setting manageable pieces of homework can encourage students to start building a homework routine. Once embedded, longer homework tasks may then be set to increase the challenge. However, bear in mind that setting homework that requires too much time can lead to burnout and stress for students, and can have the opposite effect on the long-term building of habits.

Effective homework and class learning are fundamentally linked. Use the homework to guide your teaching and use classroom learning to inform the homework you set. When you demonstrate that the homework being completed has an impact on learning in the classroom, students will start to see the immediate benefits of completing work independently. This will serve to increase their motivation and encourage them to continue completing homework well.

Homework is an essential component of the learning process that can enhance student progress and promote essential habits. Setting effective homework requires careful consideration of purpose , task design , routine , resources and support , time requirements , and responsiveness . By taking these factors into account, teachers can ensure that homework is an effective and valuable tool for enhancing student learning.

Dr Jo Castelino

Dr Jo Castelino is currently leading the Science team at an incredible school in Wakefield. Jo has been writing and speaking about how she applies cognitive science research to her classroom practice and has been thinking deeply about homework in recent years. She has previously led on homework school-wide, has written several articles on the benefits of homework and how we can get the most of it. She regularly blogs at drcastelino.wordpress.com .

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• Teaching & Learning

Home truths about homework

Teaching during lockdown has presented a vast range of challenges within education but, when we eventually move into the post-Covid world, there could be some opportunities, too. It is unlikely that many teachers are thinking about “building back better” just now, as they try to keep their heads above the water. But one area that could eventually present opportunities for recovery and improvement is homework.

One of the biggest challenges faced by teachers has been trying to provide coherent learning opportunities that support positive and productive engagement. Parents and carers have undoubtedly found this difficult, with the phrase “that’s not how I did it when I was at school” being heard at kitchen tables around the country. Of course, home learning is not new: in Scotland, official figures pre-pandemic suggested that only around 0.1 per cent of school-age pupils were home educated, although the reality may have been higher.

A far more commonplace example of out-of-school education is homework. Obviously, the lockdown experience has involved far more than typical homework activities, such as practising spelling and times tables, or completing a consolidation worksheet. As a result, parents and carers will be more acutely aware than ever of what it is like to be a teacher - and this might be a good thing.

Homework vs homeschooling

The evidence for the value of traditional homework is mixed. The Education Endowment Foundation research summary suggests minimal evidence for effectiveness of homework in primary and slightly stronger justification for use in the secondary sector.

There is a variety of factors relating to students, teachers, parents and the task itself, making homework a complex area of study. It has been suggested that homework can be used effectively, especially in older age groups, for consolidation of learning and for developing traits such as autonomy and self-regulation. At its worst, homework is allocated simply because of long-established expectations or tradition: “It is what we did in school, so you can do it, too.”

It can also affect the home environment, which is especially pertinent during Covid-19, with demands on students and parents exacerbated by financial pressures and a reported increase in mental health issues. These pressures will not end with the return of students to school buildings.

The evidence for the value of homework with young children isn’t great. In fact, a review of the homework literature shows little - if any - influence of homework on academic achievement at primary level. And it is not even clear, on balance, that homework is a positive influence on primary-age students. The challenges that parents, teachers and students face with homework have also been problems for home learning. Notably, many parents and carers - even those who are teachers - will have found it difficult to get the youngest learners to focus. This might not be an issue with the learners themselves but, with our perception of what homework has always been, there is a lack of shared understanding about the very purpose of the activity.

Self-regulation

Advocates of homework often stress its importance in developing self-regulatory skills. This may differ from the experience of many teachers who have to relentlessly chase homework or receive homework that is incomplete, rushed or copied.

The Sutton Trust reported that only 51 per cent of teachers in the most advantaged state schools were getting at least three-quarters of work back during home learning, with just 20 per cent in the most deprived schools.

Unfortunately, the reality is that homework does not necessarily teach learners to be independent; it often has the opposite effect, depending on the nature of the task. It may even kill a love of learning.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. During Covid-19, teachers have had to innovate and experiment with various techniques, tools and apps to keep learners engaged and focused on learning, and averted from the myriad distractions and lures of the internet.

In fact, home learning is a great opportunity to make links between what children learn in school and experience at home. Students can apply what they learn at home and report this back to their teacher, giving unique opportunities for teachers to assess student understanding.

Instead of focusing on independence as a self-regulatory skill, home learning could demonstrate the usefulness and benefits of what they learn in school, transforming homework from an oppressive task that must be completed to an empowering educational tool.

The role of technology

Covid-19 has put a spotlight on the inequalities that exist in society and in education. Learners from low-income backgrounds have suffered most, with many not having the full access needed for home learning. The impact of a learner’s background is not new or surprising, and homework research has long shown inequalities relating to a range of variables, including parental income and educational history. Although undoubtedly a challenge, homework could be used more effectively to close rather than extend educational gaps. Perhaps the holy grail here is to transform the way we view education as a society, into a process rather than the pursuit of an end product.

Homework can be used to extend learning beyond the classroom but, without the correct support, it may end up cementing misunderstandings or aggravating learner anxieties or frustrations towards learning. Battles with parents and carers over task completion can end up being counterproductive and kill the joy of learning.

Technology may be able to help: adaptive learning software, such as that used within the Khan Academy, is a promising way of supporting learners at their level and could be used to revolutionise homework, although all students would need access.

The big tech firms, including the ubiquitous Microsoft and Google, meanwhile, have the resources and expertise to develop user-focused solutions: with the right educational and pedagogical input, they could create fantastic resources to bridge school and home learning. The possibilities to enhance additional support needs provision, especially relating to accessibility, are also an exciting prospect.

We could, too, look at what was already working well before lockdown. Some schools had developed approaches such as “takeaway homework” - whereby pupils choose from a “menu” of different homework options - that proved popular with teachers and learners alike.

At classroom level, some teachers have successfully involved learners in the development of weekly homework planning, co-constructing activities that consolidate the previous week’s learning. This has been well received, with high engagement, but it requires considerable dedicated teaching time and so lends itself more to the primary sector.

As teachers, we are constantly looking for ways to best support our learners. By pushing back against the status quo and reassessing how homework is used, we can transform the value of homework for teachers, learners and parents alike.

Reinventing home learning

Many teachers are sceptical about traditional approaches to homework, whereas others have simply gone along with it because “’twas ever thus”. We need to move away from homework being a tick-box burden and reinvent home learning with activities that nurture students’ interests and reduce learning disparities, rather than the contrary.

Technology has changed the way we live, learn and experience the world, yet homework practices often reflect more traditional methods, such as rote learning or pen-and-paper activities.

So, where do we start? Research from New Zealand during Covid-19 suggests that there are three pedagogical characteristics that influence learners’ experiences of online learning: personalisation, authenticity and collaboration. These could be the guiding principles to transform homework practice.

Starting with personalisation - and building on our new post-Covid understanding of technology - provides a unique opportunity to link learning to students’ life experiences, making it more personalised and authentic.

Homework is rarely collaborative, yet numerous apps, software and platforms give learners the opportunity to share and give each other feedback. Such collaboration helps to develop social-emotional skills, which have suffered during lockdown; it’s also relevant in the modern-day working environments that learners may experience once they leave education. We also, of course, need to provide teachers and learners with the resources to access this effectively.

When learning at home, an adult is not always around to help to engage or motivate the learner, and we cannot expect them to always do this themselves. But by redesigning home-learning activities, making the task more meaningful and engaging, students can get more out of homework.

Likewise, teachers can find homework more rewarding when it is informative and eases rather than adds to their workload. With the advancement of education software, teachers can assess understanding, collect data and give feedback. Such software can also help promote the home-school link and inform parents how to support their child. Where parental support is not available - a problem sometimes overlooked when setting homework - education software can help to scaffold students while they are working independently.

Home learning during the pandemic has provided us with many challenges but, more importantly, it has given us the experience with which to reinvent homework and transform learning in the future. Crucial to this are the relationships between learners, parents or carers, and the teachers, because - as we have found last year - they may not always be on the same educational page.

What should we do next?

Post-lockdown, it is likely that many learners and their parents or carers will, understandably, want a break from home learning. In contrast, some school leaders and politicians may be keen to ramp up homework in a desperate scramble to close attainment gaps.

Perhaps, though, there is another way. Given the skills teachers have learned, especially using technology, and the experiences of parents and carers during home learning, there may now be a better understanding of each other than ever before. Teachers and school leaders could build on this by using the post-lockdown period to pause homework and develop something new, from the ground up. Aims and objectives could be agreed between schools and families, limitations with technology could be considered, and parents and carers could be given support from teachers to help young people learn better and more independently.

To do this, school leaders and teachers might want to go back to the drawing board. Existing homework policies should be abandoned with learners, teachers, parents and carers collaborating to find a better way forward that suits everyone. The label “homework” could even be replaced by something less task focused.

Once implemented, policies and practices should be reviewed on a regular basis by everyone involved. If they aren’t working, then further refinement should be welcomed.

The experiences of home learning have undoubtedly been challenging, but they present an opportunity to reinforce the idea that learning is a lifelong process, something that goes well beyond the confines of school and classroom - whether or not we refer to it as “homework” anymore.

Rick Grammatica is a primary school teacher in Bangkok. Richard Holme is a lecturer in education at the University of Dundee. He blogs at richardholme.wordpress.com and tweets @richardjholme

This article originally appeared in the 30 April 2021 issue

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Homework for a digital age: Using instructional technology to make homework more effective

• Teacher Reflection
• Published on: January 31, 2022

• Cognitive science |
• Curriculum |
• Education Technology

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• Costello J and Crane D (2013) Technologies for learner-centered feedback. Open Praxis 5(3): 217–225.
• Demir M and Souldatos I (2007) Exploring students’ online homework completion behaviors. International Journal for Technology in Mathematics Education 27(3): 167–178.
• Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) (2021) Homework: High impact for very low cost based on very limited evidence. Available at: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/teaching-learning-toolkit/homework (accessed 22 November 2021).
• Hew KF, Bai S, Huang W et al. (2021) On the use of flipped classroom across various disciplines: Insights from a second-order meta-analysis. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology 37(2): 132–151.
• Magalhães P, Ferreira D, Cunha J et al. (2020) Online vs traditional homework: A systematic review on the benefits to students’ performance. Computers & Education 152: 103869.
• Terada Y (2020) SAMR: A Powerful Model for Understanding Good Tech Integration. Edutopia, May 4, 2020. Available at: https://www.edutopia.org/article/powerful-model-understanding-good-tech-integration (accessed 30 November 2021).

From this issue

• Original Research

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• Perspective Article

Can a collaborative approach to curriculum development aid teacher retention?

Collaborative CPD as a means to improve teacher expertise and retention

Reframing ‘disadvantaged’ as ‘underserved’ in mathematics education professional development design

Promoting effective teacher reflection through collaboration

Could the development of teacher self-efficacy enhance teachers’ own mental health and wellbeing?

Effective professional development at scale

Subject communities: Grow, nurture, sustain

Building a strong foundation: A new head of department’s perspective on professional development for a diverse team of PSHE Educators

‘Being’ a teacher – the impact of teacher identity on self-efficacy and professional development across a career

Pears Pavillion Corum Campus 41 Brunswick Square London WC1N 1AZ

[email protected] 020 3433 7624

Part of the Ted Wragg Trust

Knowledge Organisers

Homework knowledge organiser.

At St Luke’s we’re passionate about homework as we know the benefits it can have for our students. Our homework is research informed and focuses on ensuring the most important knowledge is retained by students in their long term memory.

After extensive research the Education Endowment Foundation states that students who complete regular and purposeful homework can make more than 5 months additional progress during their time at school and consequently achieve significantly higher grades at GCSE.

At St Luke’s students complete one hour of homework each night following a homework timetable. This is either through completing cornell notes or on Sparx. Our homework is inextricably linked to our curriculum. The content that students learn at home is quizzed at the start of lessons in school.

Homework is set through sparx or their ‘knowledge organiser’. A knowledge organiser is a book of knowledge that students will be given at the start of each ‘learning cycle’. The content on the knowledge organiser is broken in to 10 weeks and contains the most important key facts, definitions and knowledge that students need to embed in to their long term memory.

For each subject, students will complete one page of Cornell notes on a page of their homework book which will look like the image below. They will do this by taking notes, summarising the most important content, writing 5 quiz questions and then covering their notes and self-quizzing.  

Corenll notes come from Cornell University and beyond helping our students retain knowledge, teach students key skills they’ll need throughout school, college, university if they choose to go and their working life.

The Cornell notes and their quiz questions they create are also crucial to help students revise for their assessments which take place every 10 weeks.

If you would like to see how to complete cornell notes please see the video to the left.

If your child would like support with their homework we offer daily support in our school library (3.10-4.10).

For general homework enquiries please contact Alex Evans (Assistant Headteacher for Teaching and Learning): [email protected]

For homework enquiries regarding SEND students please contact Tamar Busby (SENDCO): [email protected]

Having seen the amazing impact of our coaching programme, we're proud to have been selected as a Steplab Coaching Hub, supporting leaders to implement high quality professional development across their school. We love visitors and you're guaranteed lots of practical ideas and bottomless tea, coffee and biscuits! To find out more about our approach to instructional coaching, check out this  free downloadable beginner's'guide written by Peps McCrea , Director of Research at Steplab. To book a coaching hub visit to our school, just email the friendly team at  [email protected]