«Homework is a waste of time»
Mr Himmelrath, you don't like homework. Why is that?
There are school regulations that are over 500 years old that deal with the subject of private work, because that's what homework was called back then. They assume that additional learning is beneficial. So I took a look at the science that has dealt with the subject over the past 130 years. I realised something astonishing: There is not a single study that proves the effectiveness of homework.
Not a single one? Hard to believe.
I thought so too. So I did some more research, also internationally. And found out: There are really only very, very tenuous connections between homework and learning success that are sometimes established. But these are by no means to be interpreted as meaning that homework per se has an educational value or increases pupils' knowledge.
Back in the 1960s, educational scientist Bernhard Wittmann proved that after a four-month trial in which third-graders were given no homework, they were no worse at spelling than those who had been given homework. The same was true for maths.
Nevertheless, homework is standard at school. Why is that?
Well, it has been drummed into parents for centuries - and most of them have experienced it themselves - that learning at home in the afternoons and evenings somehow serves the maturation and education of children. We have all been socialised with homework. It is also believed that homework somehow has an educational effect. The only thing missing is proof.
Parents often hear how important homework is as a revision of the subject matter or to develop independence.
Yes, but the evidence is missing. On closer inspection, you realise how vague these formulations ultimately are. They conjure up nothing other than the consolidation of what has been learnt, without there being any evidence for this. Nevertheless, for many of us, homework is simply part of our lives. It is so ingrained in people's collective memory that everyone thinks it has to be that way. And parents also used to go to school, and then say that their own homework time didn't harm anyone.
Studies show: There are no differences in learning. Children without homework are even more motivated.
That is then something of a killer argument. To put it even more drastically: a physician or physicist who proudly says that he still uses the methods of 50 or 100 years ago, would have immediately disqualified himself. In education, however, when it comes to homework, this is a completely normal argument.
How did you come up with the topic in the first place?
At some point during my time as an education journalist, I realised that additional learning time in the form of homework does not lead to additional learning success. And if you take a closer look and look at studies in which children who have not had any homework for several years are compared with children who have had to do homework for several years, you realise that there are no differences in learning. The only difference is that the children without homework were more motivated.
Homework is often a source of conflict in the family.
Absolutely. Homework causes more problems than solutions, as even teachers and student teachers say on internet forums. As early as 1982, a German teacher from Flensburg said that homework was just «a huge amount of pointless wrist exercises for children». Many, many parents complain about the burden of homework and describe the conflict that is brought into family life.
Parents are also annoyed by the disciplinary measures they feel forced to take to ensure that their children complete their homework. The only positive thing they can take away from homework is that it gives them the impression that they are still somewhat aware of what their child is learning at school.
What was it like for you? You have three children between the ages of 17 and 21, so you have plenty of homework experience.
At first I was totally uncritical. I thought homework was simply part of school performance. And initially, the children really enjoy doing their homework and look forward to it. Having homework also makes them a bit proud. But children are very different. My eldest son is very goal-orientated and there was never much stress about homework with him.
Can we give 25 children in a class the same homework, the same exam questions, the same learning objectives? Educators need to think about this.
My second son was completely different: the logical chain of reasoning didn't work for him at all. He is the type who likes to learn what interests him, so he is intrinsically motivated. Anything else is difficult, and pressure only creates the opposite in him. I spent years with my children sitting reluctantly at the kitchen table, driving me to despair with their listlessness. At some point, I began to doubt whether it was necessary. So I started to do some research.
We are reading more and more about schools that want to strike or completely abolish homework. Is this the turning point?
We are undergoing a multifaceted transformation process. It's good that debates are taking place about this. The society we live in is individualistic, the world of work favours diversity and individualised learning has long since found its way into schools. But in these individualistic times with heterogeneous classes, can we really give 25 children the same homework, set the same exam questions and set the same learning objectives? Educators need to think about this.
Not politics?
I consider this to be hopeless, at least in Germany, because here school policy is state policy and a last field for autonomy, and the federal government does not interfere. But I am convinced that it is possible to infiltrate this system and start a small revolt without politics getting involved.
Are you calling for teachers to oppose the homework doctrine?
Yes, many teachers are aware that their own homework practice does not contradict the words, but it does contradict the meaning of the legal requirements. This is often the reason to think about small changes in everyday school life.
What could such changes look like?
As a first step, check with the teaching staff who gives how much homework and when. Or discuss with the pupils how they feel about homework. In a second step, reduce the amount of homework. This could be to only set homework on one or two days.
In a third step, teachers could turn homework into schoolwork. In other words, they could schedule individual learning times during school hours. Some also call these training or work lessons. In these lessons, pupils are given individual tasks according to their performance level, which they complete in class - independently, but under the professional supervision of the teachers present.
The lessons and the whole school have to be completely reorganised.
What could such lessons look like?
There could be a pool of tasks from which the pupils can choose. They can then solve these tasks in the classroom in a way that suits their learning structure: some work alone in silence, others in a team with other children, others perhaps get help from the teacher. The second important point is good feedback - and this has to be personalised, i.e. really tailored to each individual pupil. As you can see, it takes a lot of time, and the lessons and the whole school have to be completely reorganised.
This requires a radical rethink.
Yes, but it's also a great opportunity. It's never too late for a better school. The end of homework could be a start. The end of homework would not only lead to happier pupils, it would also mean less stress for teachers and parents.
