Students learn when they get homework often but little

Homework improve learning best when they are done frequently. But it is enough that there is relatively little homework at a time.

The recipe applies at least to the study of mathematics and natural sciences, according to a recent study that investigated the effect of homework on the learning of junior high school students.

A study conducted in Ireland was published by Learning and instruction – science journal.

In mathematics the best results came when the students did their homework every day. In the natural sciences, on the other hand, it was ideal to do them three to four times a week.

In both mathematics and natural sciences, it is enough to do homework for 15 minutes at a time. More doesn’t help to improve grades.

“Our research provides strong evidence that regular homework improves student performance, especially if it is given little and often,” says in the bulletin lead author of the study Nathan McJames from Maynooth University in Ireland.

The news is also good for the rest of the schoolchildren’s social life. When homework doesn’t take too long, there is enough time for extracurricular activities.

Score agree with previous studies. It has been noticed in them that the best things stick in the memorywhen you divide the study into several small chunks.

The benefit of periodicity follows from the fact that every time you start again, you have to recall what you have read before.

Irish researchers also stated that pupils from all kinds of backgrounds benefited equally from homework.

The observation may be limited only to the studied age group of around 14 years old.

In previous studies conducted on younger and older schoolchildren, children from highly educated families have benefited the most from homework. In these age groups, the help of parents may be more significant.