A set way of giving homework did not help children manage homework time

The study

1. 01

   Who took part

   1,170 children aged about 11 at 20 city schools in Galicia, Spain. 431 kept their usual homework, 533 used the new method on paper and 206 used it online.

2. 02

   What they did

   For 12 weeks, teachers gave weekly homework with clearly described tasks, a stated reason for doing them, and weekly feedback. Children planned their own homework times each week, on paper or with an online template. The other classes kept their usual homework.

3. 03

   What happened

   Children's ratings of how well they managed homework time ended up no different between the groups. Children in the new method said they did more homework and spent more time on it, but the gaps were small. Classes were not assigned at random, the groups differed at the start, and one number in the paper doesn't add up.

What the study found

1. No differenceTime management

   Children who planned their own homework times each week, with clear tasks and feedback, didn't say they managed time better.

   • Action: Plan your weektested
   • Rule: Make it concrete and specifictested
   • Rule: Get feedback on your progresstested

   Large trial, groups not picked at random of 1,170 children aged 10 to 11 in Spain · vs classes that kept their usual homework · they rated themselves · ⚠ numbers unreliable; many people dropped out

2. HelpedGoals

   Children given the same homework method said they did more homework and spent more time on it.

   • Action: Plan your weektested
   • Rule: Make it concrete and specifictested
   • Rule: Get feedback on your progresstested

   Large trial, groups not picked at random of 1,170 children aged 10 to 11 in Spain · vs classes that kept their usual homework · they rated themselves · ⚠ numbers unreliable; many people dropped out

Source