Limited experimental studies of the optimum time of homework among K-12
The available studies suggested large effects of homework on academic performance among primary school students, but few studies evaluate the optimum time spent on homework to improve academic achievement for K-12 students.
What is this review about?
Homework is a common activity among K-12 students, and numerous observational meta-analyses have confirmed the positive relationship between homework and academic performance. However, considering children’s limited energy and attention, several researchers have proposed an optimum time to spend on homework.
This Campbell review examines the effects of homework on academic performance among K-12 students with experimental studies and estimates the optimum time that should be spent on it.
What studies are included?
This review included eleven experimental studies, eight of them evaluated the effects of homework for K-12 students and two studies estimated the time effect of homework. Only one study was published online recently, in 2021, and the remaining studies spanned the period from 1939 to 1995.
What is the relationship between homework and academic performance?
Homework has a beneficial effect on primary school student’s academic achievement, especially in improving their arithmetic computational skill and arithmetic problem-solving skills. However, the optimum duration spent on homework is not clear.
What do the findings of this review mean?
Homework is recommended as a supplement to improve academic performance in primary school students. However, scarce and outdated empirical studies included in this review suggest an urgent need for high-quality experiments to explore the optimal duration to make full use of homework.
How up-to-date is this review?
The review authors searched for studies up to November 5, 2021.