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Definition of homework

Examples of homework in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'homework.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

1662, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Dictionary Entries Near homework

Cite this entry.

“Homework.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/homework. Accessed 27 Aug. 2024.

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Kids definition of homework, more from merriam-webster on homework.

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for homework

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about homework

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/ˌhoʊmˈwʌrk/.

Other forms: homeworks

Any assignment you're expected to complete after school and bring back to class the next day is called homework . Many students make up excuses for not having their homework done. The "My dog ate my homework " excuse doesn't work so well in the digital age.

High school students typically have a lot of homework most days, and often that's true for younger students as well. In college, an increasing amount of school work is done outside of class, as homework (even if you do it in the library, a cafe, or a dorm). Homework originally referred to any work done at home, including cooking and cleaning. The first example of the "school work" meaning dates from the late 1880s.

  • noun preparatory school work done outside school (especially at home) synonyms: prep , preparation see more see less type of: school assignment , schoolwork a school task performed by a student to satisfy the teacher

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Definition of homework noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

  • acquire/get/lack experience/training/(an) education
  • receive/provide somebody with training
  • develop/design/plan a curriculum/course/program/syllabus
  • give/go to/attend a class/lesson/lecture/seminar
  • hold/run/conduct a class/seminar/workshop
  • moderate/lead/facilitate a discussion
  • sign up for/take a course/classes/lessons
  • go to/start preschool/kindergarten/nursery school
  • be in the first, second, etc. grade (at school)
  • study/take/drop history/chemistry/German, etc.
  • finish/drop out of/quit school
  • graduate from high school/college
  • be the victim/target of bullying/teasing
  • skip/cut/ ( informal ) ditch class/school
  • cheat on an exam/a test
  • get/be given a detention (for doing something)
  • be expelled from/be suspended from school
  • do your homework/a project on something
  • work on/write/do/submit an essay/a dissertation/a thesis/an assignment/a paper
  • finish/complete your dissertation/thesis/studies
  • hand in/turn in your homework/essay/assignment/paper
  • study/prepare/review/ ( informal ) cram for a test/an exam
  • take/ ( formal ) sit for a test/an exam
  • grade homework/a test
  • do well on/ ( informal ) ace a test/an exam
  • pass/fail/ ( informal ) flunk a test/an exam/a class/a course/a subject
  • apply to/get into/go to/start college
  • leave/graduate from college (with a degree in computer science)/law school
  • study for/work towards a law degree/a degree in physics
  • major/minor in biology/philosophy
  • earn/receive/be awarded/get/have/hold a master's degree/a bachelor's degree/a Ph.D. in economics

Join our community to access the latest language learning and assessment tips from Oxford University Press!

  • 2 ( informal ) work that someone does to prepare for something You could tell that he had really done his homework (= found out all he needed to know) .

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home•work

An assignment is a task that someone is given to do, usually as part of their job.

An assignment is also a piece of academic work given to students.

In American English, an assignment is also a piece of work given to students to do at home.

Work given to schoolchildren to do at home is also called homework .

Be Careful! Homework is an uncountable noun. You do not talk about 'homeworks' or 'a homework'. Note that you do not say ' I have made my homework '. You say 'I have done my homework'.

Homework is work that school pupils are given to do at home. You say that pupils do homework. Don't say that they ' make homework '.

Housework is work such as cleaning or washing that is done in a house.

Be Careful! Both homework and housework are uncountable nouns. Don't talk about ' a homework ' or ' houseworks '.

- preparatory school work done outside school (especially at home) , , - a school task performed by a student to satisfy the teacher , , , , , - the activities of educating or instructing; activities that impart knowledge or skill; "he received no formal education"; "our instruction was carefully programmed"; "good classroom teaching is seldom rewarded"
  • assignability
  • best of all
  • brain-teaser
  • change magnitude
  • concentrate
  • homeshoring
  • homesickness
  • Home-speaking
  • Homestead Act
  • homestead exemption
  • homestead law
  • homesteader
  • homesteading
  • homestretch
  • Homeward bound
  • homeward(s)
  • homeward-bound
  • homework problem
  • homeworking
  • homewrecker
  • homichlophobia
  • homicide bomber
  • Homicide by misadventure
  • homicidomania
  • homiletical
  • homing adaptor
  • homing device
  • homing guidance
  • hometraining
  • Hometronic Internet Module
  • HomeVestors of America, Inc.
  • Homeward Bound
  • Homeward Bound (disambiguation)
  • Homeward Bound Animal Rescue Inc.
  • Homeward Bound Greyhound Association
  • Homeward Bound Theatre Company
  • Homeward Trail Bible Camp
  • homeward-boundly
  • Homewood City Schools
  • Homewood Institutional Review Board
  • Homewood Maitland Safety Association
  • Homewood Musical Instrument Co.
  • Homewood-Flossmoor Swim Club, Inc.
  • Homework Access Line
  • Homework assignment
  • Homework Assistance Hotline
  • Homework Center
  • Homework Diary
  • Homework help
  • Homework hotline
  • Homeworkers
  • Homeworkers Organized for More Employment
  • Homeworkers' Union and Small Business Association
  • Homeworking
  • Homeworld 2
  • Homewrecker
  • Homewrecker (MTV series)
  • Facebook Share

7 minute read

Purpose, Public Attitudes toward Homework, The Positive and Negative Effects of Homework, Extensiveness of Homework

Homework is defined as tasks assigned to students by school teachers that are intended to be carried out during nonschool hours. This definition excludes in-school guided study (although homework is often worked on during school), home-study courses, and extracurricular activities such as sports teams and clubs.

The most common purpose of homework is to have students practice material already presented in class so as to reinforce learning and facilitate mastery of specific skills. Preparation assignments introduce the material that will be presented in future lessons. These assignments aim to help students obtain the maximum benefit when the new material is covered in class. Extension homework involves the transfer of previously learned skills to new situations. For example, students might learn in class about factors that led to the French Revolution and then be asked as homework to apply them to the American Revolution. Finally, integration homework requires the student to apply separately learned skills to produce a single product, such as book reports, science projects, or creative writing.

Homework also can serve purposes that do not relate directly to instruction. Homework can be used to (1) establish communication between parents and children; (2) fulfill directives from school administrators; (3) punish students; and (4) inform parents about what is going on in school. Most homework assignments have elements of several different purposes.

Public Attitudes toward Homework

Homework has been a part of student's lives since the beginning of formal schooling in the United States. However, the practice has been alternately accepted and rejected by educators and parents.

When the twentieth century began, the mind was viewed as a muscle that could be strengthened through mental exercise. Since this exercise could be done at home, homework was viewed favorably. During the 1940s, the emphasis in education shifted from drill to problem solving. Homework fell out of favor because it was closely associated with the repetition of material. The launch of the satellite Sputnik by the Soviet Union in the mid-1950s reversed this thinking. The American public worried that education lacked rigor and left children unprepared for complex technologies. Homework, it was believed, could accelerate knowledge acquisition.

The late 1960s witnessed yet another reversal. Educators and parents became concerned that homework was crowding out social experience, outdoor recreation, and creative activities. In the 1980s, homework once again leapt back into favor when A Nation at Risk (1983), the report by the National Commission on Excellence in Education, cited homework as a defense against the rising tide of mediocrity in American education. The push for more homework continued into the 1990s, fueled by increasingly rigorous state-mandated academic standards. As the century ended, a backlash against homework set in, led by parents concerned about too much stress on their children.

The Positive and Negative Effects of Homework

The most direct positive effect of homework is that it can improve retention and understanding. More indirectly, homework can improve students' study skills and attitudes toward school, and teach students that learning can take place anywhere, not just in school buildings. The nonacademic benefits of homework include fostering independence and responsibility. Finally, homework can involve parents in the school process, enhancing their appreciation of education, and allowing them to express positive attitudes toward the value of school success.

Conversely, educators and parents worry that students will grow bored if they are required to spend too much time on academic material. Homework can deny access to leisure time and community activities that also teach important life skills. Parent involvement in homework can turn into parent interference. For example, parents can confuse children if the instructional techniques they use differ from those used by teachers. Homework can actually lead to the acquisition of undesirable character traits if it promotes cheating, either through the copying of assignments or help with homework that goes beyond tutoring. Finally, homework could accentuate existing social inequities. Children from disadvantaged homes may have more difficulty completing assignments than their middle-class counterparts.

Extensiveness of Homework

In contrast to the shifts in public attitudes, surveys suggest that the amount of time students spend on homework has been relatively stable. Data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress suggests that in both 1984 and 1994, about one-third of nine-year-olds and one-quarter of thirteen-and seventeen-year-olds reported being assigned no homework at all, with an additional 5 percent to 10 percent admitting they did not do homework that was assigned. About one-half of nine-year-olds, one-third of thirteen-year-olds, and one-quarter of seventeen-year-olds said they did less than an hour of homework each night. In 1994 about 12 percent of nine-year-olds, 28 percent of thirteen-year-olds, and 26 percent of seventeen-year-olds said they did one to two hours of homework each night. These percentages were all within one point of the 1984 survey results.

A national survey of parents conducted by the polling agency Public Agenda, in October, 2000, revealed that 64 percent of parents felt their child was getting "about the right amount" of homework, 25 percent felt their child was getting "too little" homework, and only 10 percent felt "too much homework" was being assigned.

International comparisons often suggest that U.S. students spend less time on homework than students in other industrialized nations. However, direct comparisons across countries are difficult to interpret because of different definitions of homework and differences in the length of the school day and year.

Appropriate Amounts of Homework

Experts agree that the amount and type of homework should depend on the developmental level of the student. The National PTA and the National Education Association suggest that homework for children in grades K–2 is most effective when it does not exceed ten to twenty minutes each day. In grades three through six, children can benefit from thirty to sixty minutes daily. Junior high and high school students can benefit from more time on homework and the amount might vary from night to night. These recommendations are consistent with the conclusions reached by studies into the effectiveness of homework.

Research on Homework's Overall Effectiveness

Three types of studies have been used to examine the relationship between homework and academic achievement. One type compares students who receive homework with students who receive none. Generally, these studies reveal homework to be a positive influence on achievement. However, they also reveal a relationship between homework and achievement for high school students that is about twice as strong as for junior high students. The relationship at the elementary school level is only one-quarter that of the high school level.

Another type of study compares homework to in-class supervised study. Overall, the positive relationship is about half as strong as in the first type of study. These studies again reveal a strong grade-level effect. When homework and in-class study were compared in elementary schools, in-class study proved superior.

The third type of study correlates the amount of homework students say they complete with their achievement test scores. Again, these surveys show the relationship is influenced by the grade level of students. For students in primary grades, the correlation between time spent on homework and achievement is near zero. For students in middle and junior high school, the correlation suggests a positive but weak relationship. For high school students, the correlation suggests a moderate relationship between achievement and time spend on homework.

Research on Effective Homework Assignments

The subject matter shows no consistent relationship to the value of homework. It appears that shorter and more frequent assignments may be more effective than longer but fewer assignments. Assignments that involve review and preparation are more effective than homework that focuses only on material covered in class on the day of the assignments. It can be beneficial to involve parents in homework when young children are experiencing problems in school. Older students and students doing well in school have more to gain from homework when it promotes independent learning.

Homework can be an effective instructional device. However, the relationship between homework and achievement is influenced greatly by the students' developmental level. Expectations for home work's effects, especially in the short term and in earlier grades, must be modest. Further, homework can have both positive and negative effects. Educators and parents should not be concerned with which list of homework effects is correct. Rather, homework policies and practices should give individual schools and teachers flexibility to take into account the unique needs and circumstances of their students so as to maximize positive effects and minimize negative ones.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

C AMPBELL , J AY R. ; R EESE , C LYDE M. ; O'S ULLIVAN, C HRISTINE; and D OSSEY , J OHN A. 1996. NAEP 1994 Trends in Academic Progress. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.

C OOPER , H ARRIS. 2001. The Battle Over Homework: Common Ground for Administrators, Teachers, and Parents, 2nd edition. Newbury Park, CA: Corwin Press.

C OOPER , H ARRIS, and V ALENTINE , J. C., eds. 2001. "Homework: A Special Issue." Educational Psychologist 36 (3).

INTERNET RESOURCES

H ENDERSON , M. 1996. "Helping Your Student Get the Most Out of Homework." Chicago: National PTA and the National Education Association. < www.pta.org/Programs/edulibr/homework. htm >.

P UBLIC A GENDA. 2000. "Survey Finds Little Sign of Backlash Against Academic Standards or Standardized Tests." < www.publicagenda.org/aboutpa/aboutpa3ee.htm >

H ARRIS C OOPER

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  • Honor Societies - Alpha Mu Gamma, Alpha Omega Alpha, Association For Women In Communications, Association Of College Honor Societies - ALPHA CHI
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homework noun

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What does the noun homework mean?

There are three meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun homework . See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

How common is the noun homework ?

How is the noun homework pronounced?

British english, u.s. english, where does the noun homework come from.

Earliest known use

The earliest known use of the noun homework is in the mid 1600s.

OED's earliest evidence for homework is from 1653, in the writing of Edmund Chillenden, parliamentarian army officer and General Baptist leader.

homework is formed within English, by compounding.

Etymons: home n. 1 , work n.

Nearby entries

  • homeward-bounder, n. 1837–
  • homeward-bound pennant, n. 1853–
  • homewardly, adv. 1797–
  • homewards, adv. & adj. Old English–
  • homeware, n. 1782–
  • home waters, n. 1838–
  • home wear, n. 1836–
  • home-whining, n. a1657
  • home wind, n. 1732–
  • home-woe, n. 1838–
  • homework, n. 1653–
  • homework club, n. 1900–
  • homework diary, n. 1973–
  • homeworker, n. 1843–
  • homeworking, n. 1844–
  • home-working, adj. 1850–
  • home worship, n. 1849–
  • homewort, n. Old English–
  • home-wreck, n. 1845–
  • home-wrecker, n. 1878–
  • home-wrecking, n. 1878–

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Meaning & use

Pronunciation, compounds & derived words, entry history for homework, n..

homework, n. was revised in September 2011.

homework, n. was last modified in July 2023.

oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:

  • further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
  • new senses, phrases, and quotations.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into homework, n. in July 2023.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

A Supplement to the New English Dictionary (1933)

  • Find out more

OED Second Edition (1989)

  • View homework in OED Second Edition

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Citation details

Factsheet for homework, n., browse entry.

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Definitions.net

  Vocabulary      

What does homework mean?

Definitions for homework ˈhoʊmˌwɜrk home·work, this dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word homework ., princeton's wordnet rate this definition: 3.8 / 4 votes.

homework, prep, preparation noun

preparatory school work done outside school (especially at home)

GCIDE Rate this definition: 1.0 / 1 vote

  • homework noun

Paid work done at home, especially piecework.

Wiktionary Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes

Work that is done at home, especially school exercises set by a teacher.

You must do your homework before you can watch television.

Preliminary or preparatory work, such as research.

The speaker had certainly done his homework before delivering the lecture.

Wikipedia Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes

Homework is a set of tasks assigned to students by their teachers to be completed outside the classroom. Common homework assignments may include required reading, a writing or typing project, mathematical exercises to be completed, information to be reviewed before a test, or other skills to be practiced. The effects of homework are debated. Generally speaking, homework does not improve academic performance among young children. Homework may improve academic skills among older students, especially lower-achieving students. However, homework also creates stress for students and parents, and reduces the amount of time that students can spend in other activities.

ChatGPT Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes

Homework refers to tasks or assignments given to students by their teachers that are expected to be completed outside of regular school hours. These assignments are usually related to the topics being taught in class and serve to reinforce learning, practice new skills, and prepare students for upcoming lessons or assessments. Homework can take various forms such as reading, writing, problem-solving, researching, or completing exercises. It is designed to encourage independent study, time management, and responsibility in students.

Wikidata Rate this definition: 4.8 / 4 votes

Homework, or homework assignment, refers to tasks assigned to students by their teachers to be completed outside of class. Common homework assignments may include a quantity or period of reading to be performed, writing or typing to be completed, problems to be solved, a school project to be built, or other skills to be practiced.

Matched Categories

  • School Assignment

British National Corpus

Written Corpus Frequency

Rank popularity for the word 'homework' in Written Corpus Frequency: #2123

Usage in printed sources From:  

[["1688","1"],["1706","9"],["1757","1"],["1766","1"],["1804","1"],["1811","5"],["1816","1"],["1820","1"],["1834","3"],["1847","1"],["1850","2"],["1851","4"],["1852","3"],["1853","2"],["1854","9"],["1857","2"],["1859","1"],["1860","1"],["1861","1"],["1865","2"],["1866","1"],["1868","2"],["1869","9"],["1870","14"],["1872","1"],["1873","1"],["1874","6"],["1875","2"],["1876","1"],["1877","2"],["1878","2"],["1879","9"],["1880","11"],["1881","6"],["1882","3"],["1883","8"],["1884","2"],["1885","3"],["1886","2"],["1887","7"],["1888","3"],["1890","7"],["1891","7"],["1892","10"],["1893","7"],["1894","13"],["1895","8"],["1896","16"],["1897","13"],["1898","19"],["1899","4"],["1900","76"],["1901","46"],["1902","32"],["1903","18"],["1904","32"],["1905","40"],["1906","39"],["1907","149"],["1908","125"],["1909","38"],["1910","50"],["1911","50"],["1912","52"],["1913","91"],["1914","213"],["1915","263"],["1916","278"],["1917","153"],["1918","51"],["1919","96"],["1920","203"],["1921","140"],["1922","318"],["1923","208"],["1924","96"],["1925","213"],["1926","84"],["1927","140"],["1928","241"],["1929","196"],["1930","218"],["1931","268"],["1932","467"],["1933","257"],["1934","312"],["1935","643"],["1936","543"],["1937","1463"],["1938","659"],["1939","2203"],["1940","939"],["1941","798"],["1942","954"],["1943","582"],["1944","651"],["1945","820"],["1946","1091"],["1947","1033"],["1948","1266"],["1949","1486"],["1950","1786"],["1951","1758"],["1952","1615"],["1953","2212"],["1954","1921"],["1955","2283"],["1956","2409"],["1957","3050"],["1958","3253"],["1959","2910"],["1960","3901"],["1961","4482"],["1962","4355"],["1963","4876"],["1964","4665"],["1965","6198"],["1966","5526"],["1967","6626"],["1968","6704"],["1969","7408"],["1970","8156"],["1971","8207"],["1972","8850"],["1973","8290"],["1974","8741"],["1975","9163"],["1976","9897"],["1977","10931"],["1978","10072"],["1979","11249"],["1980","12832"],["1981","13471"],["1982","16363"],["1983","15690"],["1984","18497"],["1985","21057"],["1986","21607"],["1987","25314"],["1988","26924"],["1989","33434"],["1990","34297"],["1991","31469"],["1992","33233"],["1993","37301"],["1994","45107"],["1995","46265"],["1996","47438"],["1997","53559"],["1998","57833"],["1999","61185"],["2000","73547"],["2001","75337"],["2002","78382"],["2003","84116"],["2004","95867"],["2005","98679"],["2006","108042"],["2007","103408"],["2008","92646"]]

How to pronounce homework?

Alex US English David US English Mark US English Daniel British Libby British Mia British Karen Australian Hayley Australian Natasha Australian Veena Indian Priya Indian Neerja Indian Zira US English Oliver British Wendy British Fred US English Tessa South African

How to say homework in sign language?

Chaldean Numerology

The numerical value of homework in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

Pythagorean Numerology

The numerical value of homework in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9

Examples of homework in a Sentence

Erin Haney :

She highlights, she hand writes most things, although she does do some stuff on the computer obviously, but she is really, really invested in not just sort of checking off boxes to get through the homework but in really understanding the concept, one of the things that's been really impressive about Kim is that she consistently connects it to real life and real people, and I think that that's been both helpful in keeping her engaged but also really helpful in her understanding of the law itself.

Bryan Edwards :

You can do as much homework as you want and ahead of time. You can know the person as well as you. You can live with them, until they put the fragrance on their bodies and they actually have a sense for wearing it and using it throughout their lives and throughout their days, then you really do n’t know if you actually have a winner on your hand.

Tulsi Gabbard :

On the issue of impeachment, I am doing my homework , i am studying more about the impeachment process. I will just say I understand the calls for impeachment, but what I am being cautious about and what I give you food for thought about is that if President Trump is impeached, the problems don't go away, because then you have a Vice President Pence who becomes President Pence.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez :

I think the president was unprepared. I don't think he did his homework . ... There was no plan, is this a campaign stop or a State of the Union?

Stephanie Donaldson-Pressman :

The cost is enormous, the data shows that homework over this level is not only not beneficial to children's grades or GPA, but there's really a plethora of evidence that it's detrimental to their attitude about school, their grades, their self-confidence, their social skills and their quality of life.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

  • ^  Princeton's WordNet http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=homework
  • ^  GCIDE https://gcide.gnu.org.ua/?q=homework
  • ^  Wiktionary https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Homework
  • ^  Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homework
  • ^  ChatGPT https://chat.openai.com
  • ^  Wikidata https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=homework
  • ^  Usage in printed sources https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=homework

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Homework hasn’t changed much in the past few decades. Most children are still sent home with about an hour’s worth of homework each day, mostly practising what they were taught in class.

If we look internationally, homework is assigned in every country that participated in the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2012.

Across the participating countries, 15-year-old students reported spending almost five hours per week doing homework in 2012. Australian students spent six hours per week on average on homework. Students in Singapore spent seven hours on homework, and in Shanghai, China they did homework for about 14 hours per week on average.

Read more: Aussie students are a year behind students 10 years ago in science, maths and reading

Shanghai and Singapore routinely score higher than Australia in the PISA maths, science and reading tests. But homework could just be one of the factors leading to higher results. In Finland, which also scores higher than Australia, students spent less than three hours on homework per week.

So, what’s the purpose of homework and what does the evidence say about whether it fulfils its purpose?

Why do teachers set homework?

Each school in Australia has its own homework policy developed in consultation with teachers and parents or caregivers, under the guiding principles of state or regional education departments.

For instance, according to the New South Wales homework policy “… tasks should be assigned by teachers with a specific, explicit learning purpose”.

Homework in NSW should also be “purposeful and designed to meet specific learning goals”, and “built on knowledge, skills and understanding developed in class”. But there is limited, if any, guidance on how often homework should be set.

Research based on teacher interviews shows they set homework for a range of reasons. These include to:

establish and improve communication between parents and children about learning

help children be more responsible, confident and disciplined

practise or review material from class

determine children’s understanding of the lesson and/or skills

introduce new material to be presented in class

provide students with opportunities to apply and integrate skills to new situations or interest areas

get students to use their own skills to create work.

So, does homework achieve what teachers intend it to?

Do we know if it ‘works’?

Studies on homework are frequently quite general, and don’t consider specific types of homework tasks. So it isn’t easy to measure how effective homework could be, or to compare studies.

But there are several things we can say.

First, it’s better if every student gets the kind of homework task that benefits them personally, such as one that helps them answer questions they had, or understand a problem they couldn’t quite grasp in class. This promotes students’ confidence and control of their own learning.

Read more: Learning from home is testing students' online search skills. Here are 3 ways to improve them

Giving students repetitive tasks may not have much value . For instance, calculating the answer to 120 similar algorithms, such as adding two different numbers 120 times may make the student think maths is irrelevant and boring. In this case, children are not being encouraged to find solutions but simply applying a formula they learnt in school.

In primary schools, homework that aims to improve children’s confidence and learning discipline can be beneficial. For example, children can be asked to practise giving a presentation on a topic of their interest. This could help build their competence in speaking in front of a class.

Young boy holding a microphone in the living room.

Homework can also highlight equity issues. It can be particularly burdensome for socioeconomically disadvantaged students who may not have a space, the resources or as much time due to family and work commitments. Their parents may also not feel capable of supporting them or have their own work commitments.

According to the PISA studies mentioned earlier, socioeconomically disadvantaged 15 year olds spend nearly three hours less on homework each week than their advantaged peers.

Read more: 'I was astonished at how quickly they made gains': online tutoring helps struggling students catch up

What kind of homework is best?

Homework can be engaging and contribute to learning if it is more than just a sheet of maths or list of spelling words not linked to class learning. From summarising various studies’ findings, “good” homework should be:

personalised to each child rather than the same for all students in the class. This is more likely to make a difference to a child’s learning and performance

achievable, so the child can complete it independently, building skills in managing their time and behaviour

aligned to the learning in the classroom.

If you aren’t happy with the homework your child is given then approach the school. If your child is having difficulty with doing the homework, the teacher needs to know. It shouldn’t be burdensome for you or your children.

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noun as in assignment

Strongest matches

  • appointment

Strong matches

noun as in drill

  • conditioning
  • preparation
  • constitutional
  • instruction
  • run through

Weak matches

  • daily dozen
  • learning by doing

noun as in lesson

noun as in practice

noun as in preparation

  • arrangement
  • construction
  • establishment
  • preparedness
  • qualification
  • anticipation
  • expectation
  • manufacture
  • substructure
  • getting ready
  • making ready
  • putting in order

noun as in revision

  • improvement
  • modification
  • reconsideration
  • reexamination
  • rectification
  • retrospection
  • overhauling

Example Sentences

Now, they log on to Zoom from their bedrooms, surrounded by unfinished homework assignments and tattered stuffed animals, waiting to be assigned calls, texts and emails by the trained therapists who oversee the program.

Yow started her homework and saw Frese had gone 35-22 with two winning seasons at Ball State, which hadn’t had a winning record in its previous nine seasons.

Do some homework before investing in a diamond, and that lifelong commitment.

Another poster included an image of their losses over what appeared to be online math homework.

As we countdown to Inauguration Day, I've been doing my homework—and looking to the past for inspiration.

“I can help my children with their homework and sometimes we text in English at my job,” Santos says.

Scheunemann, meanwhile, had no idea who Spencer was, and did some homework.

She jumped at the chance to watch RT, or jumped at the chance to skip calculus homework.

And we encourage parent-student “contracts,” for class attendance, homework submission and even extra-curriculum activities.

Adicéam did his homework, spending 50 days collecting pieces, many with unexpected stories behind them.

Much of this homework is done by a very bad light and the boy's eyes suffer much.

For homework we have prepared alphabets where the letters are printed in type-writing order.

His parents were always getting angry with him for losing his clothes, or his toys, or his homework.

Only at the time when he was going to Beauregard School, with his homework.

And once a week or twice a week she was sending her homework or something to him.

Related Words

Words related to homework are not direct synonyms, but are associated with the word homework . Browse related words to learn more about word associations.

noun as in responsibility, task

noun as in practice, exercise

noun as in information taught

noun as in exercise, application

Viewing 5 / 7 related words

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.

Cambridge Dictionary

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Definition of homework – Learner’s Dictionary

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  • Go upstairs and do your homework.
  • For your homework, please do exercise 3 on page 24.
  • When I finish my homework, can I watch TV?
  • Get on with your homework.
  • She was trying to duck out of doing her homework.

(Definition of homework from the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Translations of homework

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get away from it all

to go somewhere, usually on holiday, where you can completely relax and forget your responsibilities or problems

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What is Homework?

The homework definition refers to the work given to students after class. It is intended to make students capable of doing things on their own and to recollect what they have learned in class. It is based on the teaching provided to them in class. This can be in written form or they might be asked to memorize a lesson.

Homework is part of a traditional classroom teaching technique where the teacher moderates the information provided to the students in class and checks their retention rate based on their performance. The method of teaching is usually lecture-based and does not involve dialogue between teacher and students. 

Homework has to be done separately from the regular classwork. It also enables the student to revise what they learned in class. This is necessary as it allows the students to properly understand the work being done in schools. 

It also helps develop the study skills and good work habits while also helping them learn to work under deadlines, usually without a teacher’s help. It also allows the parents to be in the loop of what is going on in the school.

In order to maintain the effectiveness of the same, teachers can ensure that the work is purposeful and does not take a lot of time. This will ensure that the students do not feel burdened by the homework.

Types of Homework

Now that you know what does homework mean, let’s understand the different types of homework that a teacher can give to students.

Worksheets: These are printable or online homework in which students are required to answer questions or complete activities related to the topic that is being taught. This type of homework can include multiple-choice questions, fill-in-the-blank exercises, short answer questions, or problem-solving tasks.

Projects or Experiments- Such types of homework are given in subjects like science in which there is knowledge to gain via experiments and practical work. For such homework, the students are required to conduct research, do analysis, collect data, and then finally based on all collected information a report is made. 

Group Assignments- As its name suggests group homework definition is that it is the type of homework that is given by the teachers to students to be done in groups. In such homework, students are divided into groups for n numbers of members who will conduct research, and bring ideas to create the final report.

Creative Assessments- These are types of homework that teachers assign to do creative work, such as drawing, model making, performances, and skits to teach students in a unique way.  Teachmint is a one-stop solution for educational institutions of all sizes. Our learning management system is a game changer in the field of education. To know more about our offerings like academic planner , visit our website.

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COMMENTS

  1. Homework Definition & Meaning

    How to use homework in a sentence. piecework done at home for pay; an assignment given to a student to be completed outside the regular class period… See the full definition

  2. HOMEWORK Definition & Meaning

    Homework definition: schoolwork assigned to be done outside the classroom (distinguished from classwork).. See examples of HOMEWORK used in a sentence.

  3. HOMEWORK

    HOMEWORK meaning: 1. work that teachers give their students to do at home: 2. work that teachers give their students…. Learn more.

  4. HOMEWORK

    HOMEWORK definition: 1. work that teachers give their students to do at home: 2. work that teachers give their students…. Learn more.

  5. Homework

    Homework. Homework is a set of tasks assigned to students by their teachers to be completed at home. Common homework assignments may include required reading, a writing or typing project, mathematical exercises to be completed, information to be reviewed before a test, or other skills to be practiced. The benefits of homework are debated.

  6. Homework

    homework: 1 n preparatory school work done outside school (especially at home) Synonyms: prep , preparation Type of: school assignment , schoolwork a school task performed by a student to satisfy the teacher

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    HOMEWORK definition: 1. work that teachers give students to do at home: 2. to prepare carefully for a situation: . Learn more.

  8. homework noun

    The homework assignments are worth 10% of the final grade. I have some homework to do on the Civil War. I want you to hand in this homework on Friday. The science teacher always gives a lot of homework. They get a lot of homework in English. They get masses of homework at secondary school. We had to write out one of the exercises for homework.

  9. homework noun

    Definition of homework noun in Oxford Advanced American Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

  10. Homework Definition & Meaning

    1. : work that a student is given to do at home. Please do/finish your homework. She started her algebra homework. — compare classwork. 2. : research or reading done in order to prepare for something — used in the phrase do your homework. The candidate did his homework [=studied the issues] before the debate.

  11. HOMEWORK definition in American English

    homework in American English. (ˈhoumˌwɜːrk) noun. 1. schoolwork assigned to be done outside the classroom ( distinguished from classwork) 2. paid work done at home, as piecework. 3. thorough preparatory study of a subject.

  12. Homework Definition & Meaning

    Homework definition: Work, such as schoolwork or piecework, that is done at home.

  13. Homework

    Define homework. homework synonyms, homework pronunciation, homework translation, English dictionary definition of homework. n. 1. Work, such as schoolwork or piecework, that is done at home. 2. Preparatory or preliminary work: did their homework before coming to the meeting....

  14. Homework

    Homework is defined as tasks assigned to students by school teachers that are intended to be carried out during nonschool hours. This definition excludes in-school guided study (although homework is often worked on during school), home-study courses, and extracurricular activities such as sports teams and clubs.

  15. homework, n. meanings, etymology and more

    The earliest known use of the noun homework is in the mid 1600s. OED's earliest evidence for homework is from 1653, in the writing of Edmund Chillenden, parliamentarian army officer and General Baptist leader. homework is formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: home n.1, work n. See etymology.

  16. HOMEWORK Definition & Meaning

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  17. Definitions of Homework, Types of Homework, and Ratings of the

    To this end, several issues in the definition of homework and homework compliance are outlined, research on homework-outcome relations is critiqued, before an overview of classical and operant ...

  18. What does homework mean?

    Definition of homework in the Definitions.net dictionary. Meaning of homework. Information and translations of homework in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web.

  19. What's the point of homework?

    In primary schools, homework that aims to improve children's confidence and learning discipline can be beneficial. For example, children can be asked to practise giving a presentation on a topic ...

  20. 159 Synonyms & Antonyms for HOMEWORK

    Find 159 different ways to say HOMEWORK, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com.

  21. The Pros and Cons of Homework

    Pro 1: Homework Helps to Improve Student Achievement. Homework teaches students various beneficial skills that they will carry with them throughout their academic and professional life, from time management and organization to self-motivation and autonomous learning. Homework helps students of all ages build critical study abilities that help ...

  22. HOMEWORK

    HOMEWORK meaning: 1. work that teachers give students to do at home: 2. to prepare carefully for a situation: . Learn more.

  23. Homework

    For such homework, the students are required to conduct research, do analysis, collect data, and then finally based on all collected information a report is made. Group Assignments- As its name suggests group homework definition is that it is the type of homework that is given by the teachers to students to be done in groups. In such homework ...