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Redesign makes homework much more effective
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The concept of setting work for students to do after class or at home is well established and has undergone very little change over time, even though many have tried to measure the impact with varying degrees of success. Evaluating whether the time spent on homework and the impact it has on a child’s learning is difficult.
Homework is an issue that parents, students and teachers all feel passionate about and it is also one that can divide opinion. Teachers are continually exploring the learning activities we set for our students and are always seeking improvements, relevance and efficiency of time vs effort.
What does the research say?
In over 160 studies of homework, the research says that traditional approaches only begin to have a significant positive impact on students’ learning around the age group of Upper and Senior School students (Years 9-13, age 13-18). Almost all the data shows that the impact on younger students is minimal and can often be negative. The meta-analysis study by Professor John Hattie, which takes thousands of studies and analyzes them, found that the impact of homework overall is “low” for student learning. However, when you dissect the averaged results you find that it is actually showing “very low” impact for younger students and “medium” impact for older students.
All research demonstrates the value of reading on students’ learning at all ages. Encouraging students to read in all forms and especially to read for pleasure is one of the most effective activities students can undertake at home, on the bus, in the car — it’s also the one thing you can do on the go.
High performance learning
At The British International School, we’ve taken the research seriously and re-designed our homework provision, now referred to as “My Learning.”
Under that concept, students of all ages are encouraged to create Learning Logs. We set only homework that develops children as high performing learners. We are able to personalize this and allow our students more choice as to how to complete it. Clear guidance on the topic, the heading and suggested outcomes are given by the teacher but the main aim of the log is for the student to take the lead and to delve further into the topic area.
All My Learning is linked to the students’ learning in the class and not a separate worksheet or task set just for the sake of setting it. Students have elements of choice in how they approach the work and achieve the outcomes of the learning. As they move through to external examinations, the curriculum is less flexible for us but there are still plenty of ways that we can design the learning for students so that it excites them and engages them in reaching high levels in IGCSE and IB courses.
My Learning activities are also designed to develop students’ advanced cognitive performance characteristics and values, attitudes and attributes, which are the foundation of our High Performance Learning model. High Performance Learning is based on a principle that all students can achieve high levels if given the right level of opportunity and support and if students have the required motivation to succeed.
“The research element of home learning has improved dramatically, with students identifying topics beyond the topics we initially start with, increasing cognitive ability, creative and analytical thinking, All core values of our High Performance Learning approach,” said Year 4 teacher Miss Kelly.
We believe we can make learning activities at home more effective for our students than the traditional homework approaches analyzed in the research. The children are encouraged to understand the steps others take when approaching learning and get a chance to initiate their critical thinking in a peer review held in class once a week. The peer review is constructive and the children are engaged in each other’s work, keen to know more about the research and why their peer chose a certain style or topic area.
All students, parents and teachers who have explored using Learning Logs report extremely positive changes in the students’ enthusiasm, confidence and achievement. Also, special online mathematics programs let students work at their own pace at home as well as in the classroom.
Parents play a crucial role in supporting students in My Learning. The school has set more activities for students to do with their parents, especially in the Infant and Junior Schools. Regular information evenings are held to provide additional support for parents on how to help their children.
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