Alfie Kohn Loves Research!
Alfie Kohn (@alfiekohn) has a gift for analyzing research and pulling out practical applications for educators and parents. I’ve been impressed with every book of his I’ve read, so I came to The Homework Myth: Why our kids get too much of a bad thing with high expectations. It didn’t disappoint.
Kohn tackles the big homework questions head-on. In my opinion, he settles the arguments with overwhelming evidence.
Does Homework Improve Learning?
Kohn convinced me that homework does not improve learning outcomes. He revealed the flaws in the few studies that claim homework improves test scores. The tests in question were over the homework given, so of course, the kids who didn’t get the homework weren’t prepared for the test. Having homework did not produce higher standardized test scores. He also discussed what outcomes we want to see — test scores? grades? lifelong curiosity? college acceptance? Only grades correlate with homework and that’s because homework gets graded, so if it’s turned in, the grade goes up. Bottom line— kids who do homework fare no better academically than kids who don’t.
Do Better Teachers Give More Homework?
No, the best teachers do not give more homework. That’s another homework myth. In fact, a sample of star teachers from across the country found most don’t give any homework. If they do, it’s an exploration or quest and it’s not graded. Great teachers engage and inspire during the class.
Does Homework Build Character and Responsibility?
No. Homework, especially if graded, encourages copying, workarounds, parent assistance, and complaining.
As a tutor, I can speak to the fact that helping with homework occupies much of the time I spend with students. Even though other pursuits would be more valuable for the student, we have to do the homework first so the student can quit stressing about it and the parent can relax. I try to use the homework to teach what the student actually needs to learn, but it can be difficult. Here’s my post on homework support for tutors. I am keenly aware that students I work with get better grades on their homework than students whose parents don’t hire a tutor. How can this possibly encourage independence and responsibility?
Parent-child relationships often suffer due to homework. That’s one reason parents hire tutors! Kohn points out that when student study habits were compared between schools that have homework and schools that don’t, there was no difference.
Does More Homework Indicate Academic Rigor?
Once again, the answer is no. As it turns out, academic rigor, as measured by student ability to do well on standardized tests or attain higher education is not affected by homework.
So why to so many schools and even parents think homework is important? Part II of the book goes into depth on “Six Reasons Homework Persists Despite What the Data Say.” Evidently loud voices rather than research rule the roost in much of education. Kohn blames “fundamental misconceptions about the nature of learning.”
Alfie Kohn Did His Homework
Kohn provides extensive citations. About one third of the book is taken up with footnotes and references, and these are a rich resource for those who want to check his work or go deeper. I didn’t link to dozens of his sources because this is just a short review, but the research trail is in the book.
My recommendation — read The Homework Myth. It’s your homework!
