The Battle Over Homework: An Administrator's Guide to Setting Sound and Effective Policies (Roadmaps to Success) [Paperback]

Harris M. Cooper (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0803961634 | ISBN-13: 978-0803961630 | Publication Date: September 7, 1994 | Edition: 2nd

Opinion continues to be divided over the subject of homework, particularly with regard to the amount and type of work set and the benefits of this method of assignment. The result is an inconsistent homework policy. This volume remedies the problem by providing valuable, practical guidelines on homework policy for teachers. The author pays particular attention to the structure of assignments, the role of home and community factors and the value of classroom follow-up.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Harris M. Cooper is professor in the Department of Psychology & Neuroscience at Duke University. He earned his doctorate degree in social psychology from the University of Connecticut. His research interests include research synthesis, applications of social and developmental psychology to educational policy issues, homework, school calendars, and afterschool programs.

Product Details

• Paperback: 72 pages
• Publisher: Corwin Press; 2nd edition (September 7, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803961634
• ISBN-13: 978-0803961630
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,278,660 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book!, January 30, 2001

By 

Meredith Boylan "merejane" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Battle Over Homework: An Administrator's Guide to Setting Sound and Effective Policies (Roadmaps to Success) (Paperback)

I recommend this book highly to any parent, teacher or school administrator involved in the process of formulating a homework policy for their school. The recommendations in the book are based not on one person's opinion or one study. Rather, Harris Cooper, the author, attempted to collect and review all the research done in the past fifty years on homework. He does not have a bias either in favor of or against homework. Instead, his recommendations are based on his analysis of the research. The conclusion that I found to be most interesting -- in this time of increasingly heavy homework loads for even the youngest children -- is that "the effect of homework on the achievement of young children appears to be small, even bordering on trivial," and "[t]here is no evidence that any amount of homework noticeably improves the academic performance of elementary students." (Cooper does find that "for high school students the effect of homework can be impressive.") Cooper acknowledges that there may be reasons to assign homework other than to improve achievement (for example, to promote good study habits), and he recommends, based on his research, that such assignments be "short and simple" for elementary school students. I gave this book to the principal of my sons' school, with the hope that she will read it and be guided by it. A new edition is coming out this spring; I look forward to reading it.