The relationship between homework time and academic performance among K-12: A systematic review

IF 4 Q1 SOCIAL SCIENCES, INTERDISCIPLINARY

Campbell Systematic Reviews Pub Date : 2024-09-18 DOI:10.1002/cl2.1431

Liping Guo, Jieyun Li, Zheng Xu, Xiaoling Hu, Chunyan Liu, Xin Xing, Xiuxia Li, Howard White, Kehu Yang

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To lessen their load and make homework more effective, it is important to establish the connection between homework duration and academic achievement.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Objectives</h3>\n \n <p>To evaluate the relationship between homework time and academic performance among K-12 students.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Search Methods</h3>\n \n <p>On November 5, 2021, we retrieved articles from a variety sources. Firstly, we searched 10 electronic databases for related publications, including Academic Search Premier, APA PsycArticles, APA PsycInfo, Business Source Premier, Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), Journal Storage (JSTOR), Learning and Technology Library (LearnTechLib), OCLC FirstSearch, Social Sciences Citation Index (Web of Science), and Teacher Reference Center. We also searched two publisher platforms: ScienceDirect and Taylor & Francis Online Database. Secondly, we consulted five educational organization website such as, American Educational Research Association, Best Evidence Encyclopedia, Education Endowment Foundation, European Educational Research Association, What Works Clearinghouse, and the Open Grey database for unpublished studies. We then searched Open Dissertations and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global databases to locate the relevant dissertations and theses. Additionally, we hand-searched seven educational journals to identify unpublished documents, reports, and potential studies not indexed in the databases. Lastly, we searched Campbell Library to identify relevant reviews and primary (and nearly eligible studies) in these reviews. We also searched Google Scholar for related studies and checked the citations of eligible studies as well as their bibliographies.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Selection Criteria</h3>\n \n <div>Studies with the following criteria were included:\n\n <ul>\n \n <li><span>− </span>\n \n <p><i>Population:</i> K-12 school students with no disabilities or not attending special education schools;</p>\n </li>\n \n <li><span>− </span>\n \n <p><i>Intervention:</i> Homework assigned regularly by schoolteachers to students to complete during non-school hours;</p>\n </li>\n \n <li><span>− </span>\n \n <p><i>Comparison:</i> Different time spent on the homework;</p>\n </li>\n \n <li><span>− </span>\n \n <p><i>Outcomes:</i> Academic performance was the primary outcome. The secondary outcomes were academic motivation and the quality of homework;</p>\n </li>\n \n <li><span>− </span>\n \n <p><i>Study design:</i> Treatment-control group design or comparison group design studies.</p>\n </li>\n </ul>\n </div>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Data Collection and Analysis</h3>\n \n <p>We reviewed the titles, abstracts, and full texts of the retrieved records. Our team extracted and coded all relevant information from the studies that met our inclusion criteria. To evaluate the risk of bias, we used the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool for randomized controlled trials and ROBINS-I for non-randomized controlled trials. A random-effect meta-analysis was conducted to determine the effect of homework on academic achievement as compared to no homework. A funnel plot, trim-and-fill method and Egger's test were used to test for any publication bias. Due to the insufficient data on homework duration and academic achievement, we analyzed these data using qualitative synthesis.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Main Results</h3>\n \n <p>Eleven publications were identified that examined the relationship between homework duration and academic outcomes using an experimental design. Based on their focus, we categorized them into two groups: comparisons of homework with no homework and comparison of homework with less homework. There were 10 articles with 14 independent reports that compared academic performance between students who did homework and those who did not. Overall, the meta-analysis revealed that the students who did homework had better academic performance than that those who did not (<i>n</i> = 14; <i>g</i> = 0.45, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.24–0.66; <i>Q</i> = 454.30, <i>I</i><sup>2</sup> = 71.30%, <i>τ</i><sup>2</sup> = 0.11), especially in arithmetic computation (<i>n</i> = 5; <i>g</i> = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.17–0.75; <i>Q</i> = 13.03, <i>I</i><sup>2</sup> = 69.29%, <i>τ</i><sup>2</sup> = 0.07) and arithmetic problems solving (<i>n</i> = 6; <i>g</i> = 0.17, 95% CI: 0.02–0.33; <i>Q</i> = 6.87, <i>I</i><sup>2</sup> = 27.17%, <i>τ</i><sup>2</sup> = 0.01), but not in arithmetic concepts (<i>n</i> = 3, <i>g</i> = −0.02, 95% CI: −0.22–0.18; <i>Q</i> = 1.46, <i>I</i><sup>2</sup> = 0.00%, <i>τ</i><sup>2</sup> = 0.00). Two experiments explored the effectiveness of homework moderated by homework time. In Koch (1965), the effects of long daily homework (20–30 min) and short daily homework (10–15 min) were compared. 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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Homework is a common educational task given to students around the world. It demands mental exertion, but staying focused can be challenging, especially for K-12 students. Too much homework can increase their cognitive load and mental fatigue, leading to decreased motivation and performance. This can cause boredom with homework and learning. To lessen their load and make homework more effective, it is important to establish the connection between homework duration and academic achievement.

Objectives

To evaluate the relationship between homework time and academic performance among K-12 students.

Search Methods

On November 5, 2021, we retrieved articles from a variety sources. Firstly, we searched 10 electronic databases for related publications, including Academic Search Premier, APA PsycArticles, APA PsycInfo, Business Source Premier, Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), Journal Storage (JSTOR), Learning and Technology Library (LearnTechLib), OCLC FirstSearch, Social Sciences Citation Index (Web of Science), and Teacher Reference Center. We also searched two publisher platforms: ScienceDirect and Taylor & Francis Online Database. Secondly, we consulted five educational organization website such as, American Educational Research Association, Best Evidence Encyclopedia, Education Endowment Foundation, European Educational Research Association, What Works Clearinghouse, and the Open Grey database for unpublished studies. We then searched Open Dissertations and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global databases to locate the relevant dissertations and theses. Additionally, we hand-searched seven educational journals to identify unpublished documents, reports, and potential studies not indexed in the databases. Lastly, we searched Campbell Library to identify relevant reviews and primary (and nearly eligible studies) in these reviews. We also searched Google Scholar for related studies and checked the citations of eligible studies as well as their bibliographies.

Selection Criteria

Studies with the following criteria were included:

−
Population: K-12 school students with no disabilities or not attending special education schools;
−
Intervention: Homework assigned regularly by schoolteachers to students to complete during non-school hours;
−
Comparison: Different time spent on the homework;
−
Outcomes: Academic performance was the primary outcome. The secondary outcomes were academic motivation and the quality of homework;
−
Study design: Treatment-control group design or comparison group design studies.

Data Collection and Analysis

We reviewed the titles, abstracts, and full texts of the retrieved records. Our team extracted and coded all relevant information from the studies that met our inclusion criteria. To evaluate the risk of bias, we used the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool for randomized controlled trials and ROBINS-I for non-randomized controlled trials. A random-effect meta-analysis was conducted to determine the effect of homework on academic achievement as compared to no homework. A funnel plot, trim-and-fill method and Egger's test were used to test for any publication bias. Due to the insufficient data on homework duration and academic achievement, we analyzed these data using qualitative synthesis.

Main Results

Eleven publications were identified that examined the relationship between homework duration and academic outcomes using an experimental design. Based on their focus, we categorized them into two groups: comparisons of homework with no homework and comparison of homework with less homework. There were 10 articles with 14 independent reports that compared academic performance between students who did homework and those who did not. Overall, the meta-analysis revealed that the students who did homework had better academic performance than that those who did not (n = 14; g = 0.45, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.24–0.66; Q = 454.30, I² = 71.30%, τ² = 0.11), especially in arithmetic computation (n = 5; g = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.17–0.75; Q = 13.03, I² = 69.29%, τ² = 0.07) and arithmetic problems solving (n = 6; g = 0.17, 95% CI: 0.02–0.33; Q = 6.87, I² = 27.17%, τ² = 0.01), but not in arithmetic concepts (n = 3, g = −0.02, 95% CI: −0.22–0.18; Q = 1.46, I² = 0.00%, τ² = 0.00). Two experiments explored the effectiveness of homework moderated by homework time. In Koch (1965), the effects of long daily homework (20–30 min) and short daily homework (10–15 min) were compared. The authors found that achievement in arithmetic concepts was higher with long homework assignments every day. Recently, Dolean and Lervag (2021) confirmed the effect of homework on writing skills, and their findings were consistent with those of Koch (1965), who found that increasing time spent on homework was associated with greater writing achievement (average 20 min each time).

Authors' Conclusions

Homework could be used as a supplement to enhance the academic performance of primary school students. However, the optimal amount of time they should dedicate each day to homework to achieve the best results remains uncertain. More high-quality experiments are needed to determine the ideal homework duration for these students. Furthermore, additional research is required to understand the impact of homework on secondary school students.

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家庭作业时间与 K-12 年级学生学习成绩的关系：系统综述

背景家庭作业是全世界学生的一项常见教育任务。家庭作业需要耗费脑力，但保持注意力集中却很有挑战性，尤其是对 K-12 年级的学生而言。过多的家庭作业会增加他们的认知负担和精神疲劳，导致学习动力和学习成绩下降。这会导致学生对家庭作业和学习产生厌烦情绪。为了减轻他们的负担，使家庭作业更有效，必须建立家庭作业时间与学习成绩之间的联系。目标评估 K-12 学生的家庭作业时间与学习成绩之间的关系。检索方法 2021 年 11 月 5 日，我们从各种来源检索了文章。首先，我们在10个电子数据库中检索了相关出版物，包括Academic Search Premier、APA PsycArticles、APA PsycInfo、Business Source Premier、教育资源信息中心（ERIC）、期刊存储（JSTOR）、学习与技术图书馆（LearnTechLib）、OCLC FirstSearch、社会科学引文索引（Web of Science）和教师参考资料中心。我们还搜索了两个出版商平台：ScienceDirect 和 Taylor & Francis 在线数据库。其次，我们查阅了五个教育组织的网站，如美国教育研究协会、最佳证据百科全书、教育捐赠基金会、欧洲教育研究协会、What Works Clearinghouse 和 Open Grey 数据库，以查找未发表的研究。然后，我们搜索了 Open Dissertations 和 ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global 数据库，以查找相关学位论文和论文。此外，我们还手工搜索了七种教育期刊，以确定未发表的文件、报告和数据库未收录的潜在研究。最后，我们搜索了坎贝尔图书馆，以确定这些综述中的相关综述和主要研究（以及几乎符合条件的研究）。我们还在谷歌学术（Google Scholar）中搜索了相关研究，并检查了符合条件的研究的引文及其参考书目。筛选标准我们纳入了符合以下标准的研究： - 研究对象干预措施：学校教师定期布置的家庭作业：干预措施：由学校教师定期布置给学生在非上课时间完成的家庭作业； - 对比：结果：结果：学习成绩是主要结果。研究设计：治疗-对照组设计或对比组设计研究。数据收集与分析我们审查了检索到的记录的标题、摘要和全文。我们的团队从符合纳入标准的研究中提取了所有相关信息并进行了编码。为了评估偏倚风险，我们对随机对照试验使用了 Cochrane 偏倚风险工具，对非随机对照试验使用了 ROBINS-I。我们进行了随机效应荟萃分析，以确定与没有家庭作业相比，家庭作业对学业成绩的影响。采用漏斗图、修剪填充法和 Egger 检验来检测是否存在发表偏差。由于有关家庭作业持续时间和学业成绩的数据不足，我们采用定性综合法对这些数据进行了分析。主要结果我们发现有 11 篇出版物采用实验设计研究了家庭作业持续时间与学习成绩之间的关系。根据这些文章的侧重点，我们将其分为两类：家庭作业与无家庭作业的比较，以及家庭作业与少家庭作业的比较。有 10 篇文章和 14 篇独立报告比较了做家庭作业和不做家庭作业的学生的学习成绩。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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