The idea of homework has very controversial thoughts depending on who you ask. Most teachers would say that homework can be beneficial for students because it keeps them engaged in their academics even when at home. Students, however, have different views on homework and it can be very stressful to undertake work at home, sports, and regular routines.
The National Institute of Mental Health stated “about 32% of teens are already diagnosed with some form of an anxiety disorder.” The added stress of school work can amplify that anxiety and make it much more severe and it can be the cause of some type of anxiety too.
Freshman Bailey Bergstrom stated “homework is very time consuming and it stresses me out when I know I have to get it done and I also have other things I need to do.” Being overstimulated with school work and other responsibilities can overall affect how students perform in their academics and extracurriculars. If homework is what is holding students back from doing their best, why would teachers continue to assign it?
The American Psychological Association (APA) explained another issue with homework is the fact that not all students’ families are wealthy which can affect their ability to do homework “kids from wealthier homes are more likely to have resources such as computers, internet connections, dedicated areas to do schoolwork.” Some parents that live more frugally, may not be educated enough to help with tough questions or problems to solve. Many students who are more fortunate are usually participating in sports or other recreational activities. Other students that aren’t as privileged may have to work after school to earn an extra income for their family, or they have to watch their siblings because their parents are working.
Students will also argue that there is already enough work we are doing at school that there is really no purpose to do extra work when it isn’t needed. “we shouldn’t be assigned homework because we already do enough in school and it’s stressful,” freshman Addison Fiore stated. Putting a lot of information into someone’s brain and expecting them to remember and learn something can be overwhelming for people. Dumping information on students is not an effective way to teach.
An article by Thinkific said that the “lecturer” teaching style can be good for teaching a big group of students, but it is not the quality learning that many students need.
“The cons of a Lecturer teaching style is that there is limited student engagement and interaction, and students won’t be able to retain information properly because they’re not actively engaging with the lecturer,” the article stated. When students are learning in quantitative measures instead of qualitative it can be difficult to understand what they are learning in the lesson, but then telling them to go home and finish an assignment that they aren’t sure what to do on it can be extremely stressful.
Homework holds back students in more ways than one. It produces stress, some students don’t have access to certain things at home and it doesn’t leave time for students to enjoy other things they like doing.
Fiore furthermore stated, “I’m not able to do the things I want to do because I have to do homework.”
