Homework

Homework is ubiquitous at every level of schooling today because parents, teachers and students all believe that it increases academic achievement. Unfortunately, when teachers assign work for home, individual differences among students are all too often ignored, inappropriate reading assignments are included, there is little scope for creative thinking, and finished assignments are rarely corrected, graded and returned to students (Rickards, p. 831). These are inadequacies that stem from such traditional schooling techniques as rote learning and teacher domination.

These traditional techniques prevailed until relatively recently. In the synagogues of ancient Israel, for example, teachers required their students to memorize portions of the Old Testament (Deut. 6:7-9). In short, homework represented the main part of education. Teachers devoted the major portion of class time to checking up on the previous night’s assignments. At the end of class, teachers outlined the information that students next had to master and memorize at home. Students were expected to demonstrate their competence on return to class. The whole process lacked the variety of activities that characterize education today.

In many countries today the traditional style of education survives. Japanese students, for instance, devote more time to homework than they spend in school. Education’s purpose in Japan is to permit access to the best universities through success in rote examinations. Many North Americans also regard factual recall as the main purpose of education and hence support systems in which homework demands only memorization. There are, however, better ways of studying at home.

Successful Homework

It is well known that the ideal formula for academic achievement and maintenance of stable values is found when parent, teacher and child work voluntarily as a single team (Comer, p. 34). Research established the worth of this formula only recently. Good homework approximates the ideal because all key actors share a common task. Few homes, however, provide the cultural setting necessary for parental involvement. On the average in North America only one in six homes has the literary tradition and social stability for significant parental support. While a parent need not be competent in the subject matter, there must be an intelligent interest in what is going on if the trio is to function successfully.

As a result, the students who benefit most from homework come from homes in which parents are literate and in which social conditions ensure a quiet and supportive environment. It is just here that the opportunities are greatest for Christian parents to assist in the educational process. Emphases on honesty and excellence are values that they can bring (Ephes. 6:4). Their contributions will be greatest when homework is a logical extension of classroom studies, is geared to the needs of students and is assessed by teachers before further study is undertaken. Students from nonliterate homes experience very different problems with their homework.

Supervised Study

One writer notes that one-third of parents in North America are functionally illiterate, while another third are uncomfortable with literary pursuits and rarely read (Dixon, p. 215). The ability of these parents to support homework, let alone participate in students’ studies, is virtually nil. The only answer for these students is either supervised study after hours at school or private tutoring. A high degree of student interest is essential for success in these cases. Here again, volunteer Christian parents who can serve as role models are invaluable mentors for those who lack this kind of support at home.

The social pressures that militate against any infringement on after-school activities, however, make this kind of provision extremely unpopular. Young people value games, hanging out with friends, watching television, other leisure interests and part-time employment. These pursuits are also vital components of general education (Cremin, p. viii). Furthermore, children who come from culturally deprived homes place exceptional value on these social aspects of life.

» See also: Drivenness

» See also: Education

» See also: Reading

» See also: Work

References and Resources

J. P. Comer, “Is `Parenting’ Essential to Good Teaching?” NEA Today, January 6, 1988, 34-40; L. A. Cremin, Popular Education and Its Discontents (New York: Harper & Row, 1990); R. G. Des Dixon, Future Schools and How to Get There from Here: A Primer for Evolutionaries (Toronto: ECW Press, 1992); J. P. Rickards, “Homework,” in Encyclopedia of Educational Research, ed. H. E. Mitzel, 5th ed. (New York: Free Press, 1982) 2:831-34.

—Angus Gunn