Is homework a good thing or a bad thing? Most teachers would argue that homework is beneficial, as it allows students to review what they have learned in class and apply the material. But what if a student receives too much homework? Is too much homework beneficial, or can it actually hinder a student’s ability to learn?

            Teachers often say that they don’t give too much homework and that the homework they assigned can be completed in one hour. However, many students have five other teachers repeating the same phrase. That’s six hours of homework in one night. There have been days where I attended school for nearly seven hours, came home straight away, and did homework for eight more hours (only stopping for bathroom breaks and dinner). On those days I spent roughly fifteen hours doing schoolwork. This much work on top of sports, clubs, jobs, and other activities can lead to sleepless nights and stress. Surely, too much homework does more harm than good. 

            According to an Australian study, too much homework can, in fact, be detrimental to one’s ability to learn. Australian researchers found that a student’s amount of homework has a strong, negative relationship with the student’s academic performance. In other words, the more homework the student had, the lower scores the student received. Another study conducted by Harris Cooper, a professor of psychology and director of the program in Education at Duke University, revealed that more than two hours of homework a night could prove counter-productive to academic success.

            Excessive amounts of homework can also affect a student’s sleep schedule. Students who have several hours of homework often sacrifice sleep in order to complete their homework. This is especially true when students have other afterschool activities and aren’t able to get home until later on in the evening. Harvard Medical School’s Division of Sleep Medicine found that sleep-deprived students couldn’t focus attention optimally, which prevented them from learning efficiently. Sleep-deprivation can negatively impact mood, which affects one’s ability to learn new information and remember that information.

            Now, I’m not saying that homework should be banned, but rather limited. Since excessive homework has been proven to hinder one’s ability to learn, perhaps students should be limited to two hours of homework per day. This can be achieved if teachers only assign homework when they feel it is necessary to help the progression of learning, not just for the sake of assigning homework because they feel like they are required to. With less homework, students will be more likely to get the proper amount of sleep, and they will have more success with learning. 

Works Cited

Ellenbogen, Jeffrey M., MD, Jessica D. Payne, PhD, and Robert Stickgold, PhD. "Sleep, Learning, and Memory." Healthy Sleep. WGBH Educational Foundation, 7 Nov. 2006. Web. 13 Dec. 2013.

Wolchover, Natalie. "Too Much Homework Is Bad for Kids." LiveScience.com. TechMedia Network, 30 Mar. 2012. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.

Gilmer, Kelly. "Duke Today." Duke Today. Office of News & Communications, 7 Mar. 2006. Web. 13 Dec. 2013.