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Original post by GuppyFox

Being stuck on a work sheet at home isn't learning in my opinion.


Yes it is. Your brain learns through struggle. If you give up on the work sheet, it is not learning. But if you stubbornly persist in trying to find an answer, then you will get better at answering questions, even if you are not successful in the end. Your brain is exploring all the possibilities to the maths solution, and will form new connections in doing so, even if they aren't the answer to the problem.

It's like lifting weights, if your biceps are strong enough to lift let's say, 30 pound weights, but you just do 10 curls on the four pound weights, then tehy aren't going to be growing. You got to have a sufficiently difficult work sheet.
There should be a better homework system for the younger years (year 3 - year 7) but not necessarily a larger quantity. I don't remember getting regular homework in primary school and I think it would have helped me with my maths skills far earlier on - the act of attempting something on my own and having to seek out help/getting feedback from a teacher has been a massive help for me throughout GCSE and the beginning of my A levels. If I had developed some independent learning skills earlier on it would have helped me now.
I honestly think having a regular, small amount of homework which is given out and returned on the same day of the week would be the best. Having too much discourages people more.
i fell very ill during my 1st year in year 12 and now retaking and i fell so behind it was such a heavy year i wish i passed everything
My secondary school, and subsequently sixth form, kept telling us that we should be doing 40hrs of homework a week. So just under 6 hours a day I believe? And after 7 or so hours of schools day it wasn't particularly motivating and most people tended to cut corners or just not bother doing it properly. So if I'm right in thinking my school was just a special case, I don't think there should be more homework. It wasn't helpful at all and honestly just caused more stress around exams times when we had to revise and do coursework on top of that.

As you could imagine the detentions ar my school were regularly full.
Original post by Magnus Taylor
Independent learning process needs to start earlier; too many people failing to adapt in year 12


true
If anything I think there should be less.

A lot of teachers at the schools I've attended in the past have set homework to match quotas on how much should be set, rather than setting homework because it would actually benefit the students. Getting four hours a night does nothing for a student if only an hour of that time is actually there because it need to be. Plus, being forced to work that hard and guided so rigidly probably makes it harder to work alone when you get older and need to decide what to do yourself.

The best I've done at school has been in a sixth form college environment, where I might get on average 2-4 pieces of work a month and tests every subject. This is because homework wasn't forced when unnecessary for them most part, and it allowed me to actively work towards doing well in my subjects, rather than slugging through boring worksheets. On top of my homework, I could go see my teachers to go through certain topics, find past papers to do, or ask for extra work if I needed it.
I don't think its a question of quantity but of quality.

There's been so many times where I've done homework where I've felt like I've just wasted my time and taken absolutely nothing from it. I think it should only really be set when it's something that'll enhance what you've done in class already, or will let you learn something new about it. I liked it when we'd start a new topic in class and we'd be told to research particular facts about it; that way you could get on with the subject having already covered and gained an interest in it yourself. Past paper homework is always good for exam times too.

In my opinion, homework should be something that helps students both in learning about the subject and independent learning skills. But it should also be given regularly; there were a lot of time where I felt like I was drowning in homework, whereas some weeks I'd come home with nothing at all.

It's probably quite hard to find such a balance though. More homework isn't the way to go though, I reckon; everyone's already too stressed as they are and it'll put a lot of pressure on students and their families. :moon:
Original post by guppyfox
as a kid i hated homework as much as anyone, and never really wanted to stop watching bodger and badger for work when i had already spent a whole day at school.

However, there are definitely valuable skills and lessons that can be taught at home, especially with independent learning, or with school/home interaction that allows kids to do better at school. I value the times now when my mum would sit down and read with me.

On the flip side, many people claim kids already do too much school activity in their youth and we should be allowing them more free time to 'live' as opposed to getting them learning even more.

Thoughts? More or less homework?


school not drugs
school not drugs
Original post by rhiannonsweeney
I used to be the worse for never doing/forgetting to do homework especially with PE


Homework for PE? Never heard of such a thing before.
Original post by The Epicurean
Homework for PE? Never heard of such a thing before.


Exactly why I kept forgetting, I picked PE as a class though like in my school when you get to a certain year PE doesn't become compulsory.
You actually have to learn quite a lot.
Original post by rhiannonsweeney
Exactly why I kept forgetting, I picked PE as a class though like in my school when you get to a certain year PE doesn't become compulsory.
You actually have to learn quite a lot.


I thought PE was always compulsory. At my school, there were two compulsory PE lessons a week for every single year.
Reply 31
Original post by Mathlover123
Completely agree, I failed my first attempt at Year 12 I stayed back a year and managed to actually pull myself together. Truth is that before Year 12 I felt like I could do nothing and get acceptable (not good really but good enough for me at the time) grades.


This was nearly me, pulled my **** together at Christmas. Truth is, GCSEs need to be harder

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yes, i want more homework. I only get 2 tests, 7 homework sheets and an essay per week which is total bull**** if i want to compete with teenagers in china.
Original post by The Epicurean
I thought PE was always compulsory. At my school, there were two compulsory PE lessons a week for every single year.


Sadly, not in my school. I'm from Scotland so in secondary school we have 6 years. By 5th year PE is no long compulsory and we also had PE 2 times per week. But, when I picked PE as a class I almost got it everyday back in 3rd and 4th year. Then, I got it as a higher in 6th year and got it everyday both practical and theory.
Reply 34
No, I feel that independent study is much more important as it means the students can plan accordingly to their own goals and do what is best for them. I don't know much about other schools, but I find that at mine the homework was useless and just a filler for the teacher to say they'd set us it...also I didn't gain too much from it as it was often rushed or dismissed as I thought it was pointless for me anyway.
Original post by GuppyFox
As a kid I hated homework as much as anyone, and never really wanted to stop watching Bodger and Badger for work when I had already spent a whole day at school.
However, there are definitely valuable skills and lessons that can be taught at home, especially with independent learning, or with school/home interaction that allows kids to do better at school. I value the times now when my mum would sit down and read with me.
On the flip side, many people claim kids already do too much school activity in their youth and we should be allowing them more free time to 'live' as opposed to getting them learning even more.
Thoughts? More or less homework?


No need for less homework. People that actually do it and that it will help (they learn from and grow) can cope with it. As for more homework? Also not needed. People who care, do extra stuff anyway. And people who don't, will only be getting help from places like http://goo.gl/Vz7unT or ask their parents.
Original post by GuppyFox
As a kid I hated homework as much as anyone, and never really wanted to stop watching Bodger and Badger for work when I had already spent a whole day at school.

However, there are definitely valuable skills and lessons that can be taught at home, especially with independent learning, or with school/home interaction that allows kids to do better at school. I value the times now when my mum would sit down and read with me.

On the flip side, many people claim kids already do too much school activity in their youth and we should be allowing them more free time to 'live' as opposed to getting them learning even more.

Thoughts? More or less homework?


nope no homework at all
(edited 3 years ago)

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