Thaindian News

Washington, Aug 21 (ANI): Schools have often been criticized for drowning students under the load of homework, however, parents see it in a much more positive light, according to a new study.

It showed that while students are spending considerable time completing homework, parents are generally supportive of homework practices.

According to Ken Kiewra, UNL professor of educational psychology and an expert on learning strategies, homework, and study methods, they’re also involved in homework — usually in minimal but supportive ways.

“Our findings should squelch the sentiments that homework is robbing children of free time and that parents are opposed to homework practices,” she said.

“Parents generally report that children spend ample time playing and socializing and report that homework workloads are reasonable,” she added.

While most middle schoolers spend 60 to 90 minutes a day with homework -slightly higher than what previous research in the area had shown - parents in the study did not believe it interfered with their children’s recreational or social activities.

Most parents said they thought their kids’ amount of daily homework was appropriate and did not encroach upon family activities.

In fact, most parents surveyed were either indifferent about or thankful for homework.

Kiewra said the study unearths three main issues that merit further attention and repair.

“First, although findings cast a softer light on the homework battle that has raged between families and schools, it does not extinguish it,” he said.

“Twenty-five percent of parents still contend that excessive homework practices infringe on family life,” he added.

Second, although most parents help children with homework in positive ways, about one-quarter sometimes completes assignments for their children who are sometimes overburdened, he said.

Third, “homework communication between schools and parents is a dead-end street. With better communication, homework loads are more likely to be manageable and parental assistance more likely positive.”

The study is published in journal ScholarlyPartnershipsEdu. (ANI)