Why I’m a convert to the power of homework

Senior leader John Stanier tried to ban what he saw as a huge waste of time, but a more thorough review of the research has turned him into a proselytiser for the cause

The story is the same in every school across the country, for the majority of teachers in the majority of lessons. The homework is set: a significant minority of the class fail to hand it in. The detentions are set: a significant minority of offenders fail to turn up. The detention with the senior leadership team is set: a significant minority of detainees fail to attend…and so the cycle continues.

As a teacher, I used to dwell on the futility of this. When I was fortunate enough to be promoted to senior leadership, I finally had the influence to put an end to it.

So, armed with recent ...

References

Hattie, J (2009) Visible Learning: a synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement (Routledge)
Marzano, R J, and Pickering, D J (2007) “The case for and against homework”, Educational Leadership, 64/6: 74-9 (bit.ly/ForAgainst)
Walberg, H J (1999) “Productive teaching” pp.75-104 in H C Waxman and H J Walberg, eds, New Directions for Teaching Practice and Research, (McCutchen)
Good, TL and Brophy, JE (2003) Looking in Classrooms (Allyn and Bacon)
Cooper, H, Robinson, JC and Patall, EA (2006) “Does homework improve academic achievement? A synthesis of research, 1987-2003”, Review of Educational Research, 76/1: 1-62
Creasy, M (2014) Unhomework: how to get the most out of homework without really setting it (Independent Thinking Press)

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