homework research uk

Quick links

Our courses

Sorry, we couldn't find any courses that match your search. Try searching for something else.

Our research

Search our website

Popular searches

Your search term has returned 0 results

NEWS • 13 May 2022

Primary school children get little academic benefit from homework

Paul Hopkins , Lecturer and Researcher in Education, on the usefulness of homework for primary school pupils.

Homework: a word that can cause despair not just in children, but also in parents and even teachers. And for primary school children at least, it may be that schools setting homework is more trouble than it’s worth.

There is evidence that homework can be useful at secondary school. It can be used to consolidate material learnt in class or to prepare for exams.

However, it is less clear that homework is useful for children at primary school (ages 5 to 11) or in early years education (ages 3 to 5).

What is homework for?

There are no current guidelines on how much homework primary school children in England should be set. In 2018 then education secretary Damien Hinds stated that “We trust individual school head teachers to decide what their policy on homework will be, and what happens if pupils don’t do what’s set”.

While there is not much data available on how much homework primary school pupils do, a 2018 survey of around 1,000 parents found that primary pupils were spending an average of 2.2 hours per week on homework.

The homework done by primary school children can include reading, practising spellings, or revising for tests. Charity the Education Endowment Foundation suggests that the uses for homework at primary school include reinforcing the skills that pupils learn in school, helping them get ready for tests and preparing them for future school lessons.

Homework can also act as a point of communication between home and school, helping parents feel part of their child’s schooling.

However, the 2018 Ofsted Parents’ Panel – which surveyed the views of around 1,000 parents in England on educational issues – found that 36% of parents thought that homework was not helpful at all to their primary school children. The panel report found that, for many parents, homework was a significant source of stress and negatively affected family life.

Little academic benefit

Not much academic research has been carried out on the impact of homework for children in primary school. The available meta-studies – research that combines and analyses the findings of a number of studies – suggest that homework has little or no positive benefit for the academic achievement of children of primary school age. A central reason for this seems to be the inability of children to complete this homework without the support provided by teachers and the school.

Some research has suggested that primary pupils lack the independent study skills to do homework, and that they are not able to stay focused on the work.

What’s more, homework may actually have a negative effect if parents set unrealistic expectations, apply pressure or use methods that go counter to those used at school.

Homework may also increase inequalities between pupils. High achievers from economically privileged backgrounds may have greater parental support for homework, including more educated assistance, higher expectations and better settings and resources.

However, it is possible that setting homework for primary school children has benefits that cannot be easily measured, such as developing responsibility and independent problem-solving skills. It could also help children develop habits that will be useful in later school life.

A common task set for homework in primary schools is for children to read with their parents. There is some evidence that this has a positive impact as well as providing enjoyment, but the quality of interaction may be more important than the quantity.

If the purpose of homework is to develop the relationship between home and school and give parents more stake in the schooling of their children then this may well be a positive thing. If this is its purpose, though, it should not be used as a means to improve test scores or school performance metrics. For the youngest children, anything that takes time away from developmental play is a bad thing.

Rather, any homework should develop confidence and engagement in the process of schooling for both children and parents.

Last updated

Browser does not support script.

Would you like to explore a topic?

• LEARNING OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL

Or read some of our popular articles?

Free downloadable english gcse past papers with mark scheme.

• 19 May 2022

How Will GCSE Grade Boundaries Affect My Child’s Results?

• Akshat Biyani
• 13 December 2021

The Best Free Homeschooling Resources UK Parents Need to Start Using Today

• Joseph McCrossan
• 18 February 2022

STUDY MOTIVATION

Is Homework In Schools a Good Thing?

• October 12, 2021

• What are the pros of homework in school?
• What are the cons of homework in school?
• How much homework do UK students get?

For decades (and even centuries, according to some anthropological evidence ), homework has been considered an essential part of formal education . It’s believed that it provides you with the opportunity to ‘learn by doing’ and test and apply what you’ve been taught during school hours. 

However, some modern studies suggest that the practice of homework in schools might not be as helpful as we think it is. According to statistics on homework, homework over a certain level (the 10 minutes per grade standard) has been linked to excessive stress and disruption of personal and social habits in adolescents. It may surprise you to find out that the average amount of homework that kids from countries like the US, UK, France, and Germany currently get is above the standard limit . 😮

If you’re currently a student in the UK, you may be wondering whether homework actually does kids and teenagers any good. Keep reading to find out more about the pros and cons of homework.

What are the pros and cons of homework in school?

Pros: , homework encourages practice.

The primary purpose of homework in schools is to reinforce the habit of practising what you’ve learned in school. Some subjects like maths and languages require daily practice even outside of school hours for you to strengthen the fundamentals you’re learning. 

Practising these subjects regularly from a relatively young age can help equip you for secondary school and college courses like economics and literature, which require a strong knowledge of the basics. Also, independent learning in your own time is a fantastic way for you to identify the subjects you’re most interested in – who knows, you may even find your preferred field of study at an early age through homework! 👍

It allows your parents to be actively involved in your 

A healthy learning environment requires your parents to take an active interest in your education. Your parent or guardian helping you with your homework can help you gain a better understanding of what you’re learning and working on, since you’ll benefit from having anything you’re unsure of explained to you by someone other than your teacher at school. 

Helping you with your homework also makes it possible for your parents to stay involved and keep track of your progress in school in a non-intrusive manner. Additionally, it fosters good communication as you’ll talk to your parents more about the classes you’re attending and other school-related activities that they should know about. ✔️

It’s a great lesson in time management 

Homework in secondary school can be a great way for you to learn how to manage your time better. Older students are often actively involved in academics, sports , and several other extra-curricular activities that facilitate their all-round development. 

Therefore, completing homework outside of school from an early age can help you learn beyond the classroom and gradually get used to managing your time and responsibilities well. ⏰

Homework research encourages independent critical thinking 

Many schools are now opting for homework research as opposed to the traditional practice homework. In fact, it forms the very base of the flipped classroom structure where the students are given review materials before the class to grasp the concepts more quickly once they’re in school.

Homework research allows you to conduct your own research on a topic and form your own thoughts and opinions on what you’re learning. It encourages independent critical thinking from a young age, which is very beneficial for you. 💡

Not every child has a supportive enough home environment 

While most kids in school might have a supportive and peaceful home environment that allows them to study, some children and teenagers aren’t that lucky. Difficult domestic environments can be extremely stressful for kids, which can make independent learning outside of school challenging.

It might be difficult for kids without strong support at home to muster up the time and concentration needed to do the kind of homework that requires independent research and critical thinking. 

It adds to an already packed day 

Homework in schools, especially secondary school, often adds to your already busy days. While time management is an important virtue to learn, homework in secondary school can feel nearly impossible to manage with all the extra-curricular tasks you’re expected to juggle. 😰

Stress related to school can have a negative impact on young people’s mental health . If you find yourself struggling with your workload at school, you should speak to your parent or caretaker, or bring it up with your teacher so that you can get some extra support to help you through it. It’s not unusual for kids and teens to sometimes feel overwhelmed in their learning journey, so don’t be afraid to reach out if you need help!  

There’s no evidence that suggests the extra work produces better academic results for younger kids

A study conducted by the University of Michigan concluded that younger children (below 12 years of age) benefit more from activities such as reading for pleasure and not stipulated school homework. In fact, school homework might lessen the chances of a child reading or writing outside of school as a hobby. 

Research suggests that in many cases, kids having too much homework assigned to them stunts their overall personality development.  

How much homework do UK students get? 

Research on homework shows that the average British school student spends around 3.5 hours on their homework per week. Of these, primary students spend 2.2 hours; secondary students spend 4.3 hours; and sixth form students spend 5.3 hours on homework per week on average. While these numbers aren’t worrisome, they are still over the standard limit prescribed by most child health bodies. ☝️

It’s important for children and young people to communicate with their caretakers if they find that their workload is excessive. If you find yourself getting worried or stressed out over school , we would recommend speaking to your parents or bringing it up with a teacher. The most important thing is your wellbeing, and you need to be able to cope with your homework and make academic progress without increasing your stress levels. 

At GoStudent, we believe learning is a two-sided process that involves active participation from both students and tutors. We have thousands of top tutors available, so if you need any help with learning and homework, GoStudent may be just the ticket. Book a free trial lesson today to try us out! 

Popular posts

• By Guy Doza

• By Akshat Biyani

• By Joseph McCrossan
• In LEARNING TRENDS

4 Surprising Disadvantages of Homeschooling

• By Andrea Butler

What are the Hardest GCSEs? Should You Avoid or Embrace Them?

• By Clarissa Joshua

More great reads:

Coffee: Helpful Study Tool or Dangerously Addictive?

• By GoStudent UK
• January 5, 2022

How to Create the Perfect Study Space for Your Child

• December 8, 2021

Summer Learning: How Can You Keep Children Motivated?

• By Natalie Lever
• July 28, 2021

Book a free trial session

Sign up for your free tutoring lesson..

Is Homework Good for Kids? Here’s What the Research Says

A s kids return to school, debate is heating up once again over how they should spend their time after they leave the classroom for the day.

The no-homework policy of a second-grade teacher in Texas went viral last week , earning praise from parents across the country who lament the heavy workload often assigned to young students. Brandy Young told parents she would not formally assign any homework this year, asking students instead to eat dinner with their families, play outside and go to bed early.

But the question of how much work children should be doing outside of school remains controversial, and plenty of parents take issue with no-homework policies, worried their kids are losing a potential academic advantage. Here’s what you need to know:

For decades, the homework standard has been a “10-minute rule,” which recommends a daily maximum of 10 minutes of homework per grade level. Second graders, for example, should do about 20 minutes of homework each night. High school seniors should complete about two hours of homework each night. The National PTA and the National Education Association both support that guideline.

But some schools have begun to give their youngest students a break. A Massachusetts elementary school has announced a no-homework pilot program for the coming school year, lengthening the school day by two hours to provide more in-class instruction. “We really want kids to go home at 4 o’clock, tired. We want their brain to be tired,” Kelly Elementary School Principal Jackie Glasheen said in an interview with a local TV station . “We want them to enjoy their families. We want them to go to soccer practice or football practice, and we want them to go to bed. And that’s it.”

A New York City public elementary school implemented a similar policy last year, eliminating traditional homework assignments in favor of family time. The change was quickly met with outrage from some parents, though it earned support from other education leaders.

New solutions and approaches to homework differ by community, and these local debates are complicated by the fact that even education experts disagree about what’s best for kids.

The research

The most comprehensive research on homework to date comes from a 2006 meta-analysis by Duke University psychology professor Harris Cooper, who found evidence of a positive correlation between homework and student achievement, meaning students who did homework performed better in school. The correlation was stronger for older students—in seventh through 12th grade—than for those in younger grades, for whom there was a weak relationship between homework and performance.

Cooper’s analysis focused on how homework impacts academic achievement—test scores, for example. His report noted that homework is also thought to improve study habits, attitudes toward school, self-discipline, inquisitiveness and independent problem solving skills. On the other hand, some studies he examined showed that homework can cause physical and emotional fatigue, fuel negative attitudes about learning and limit leisure time for children. At the end of his analysis, Cooper recommended further study of such potential effects of homework.

Despite the weak correlation between homework and performance for young children, Cooper argues that a small amount of homework is useful for all students. Second-graders should not be doing two hours of homework each night, he said, but they also shouldn’t be doing no homework.

Not all education experts agree entirely with Cooper’s assessment.

Cathy Vatterott, an education professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, supports the “10-minute rule” as a maximum, but she thinks there is not sufficient proof that homework is helpful for students in elementary school.

“Correlation is not causation,” she said. “Does homework cause achievement, or do high achievers do more homework?”

Vatterott, the author of Rethinking Homework: Best Practices That Support Diverse Needs , thinks there should be more emphasis on improving the quality of homework tasks, and she supports efforts to eliminate homework for younger kids.

“I have no concerns about students not starting homework until fourth grade or fifth grade,” she said, noting that while the debate over homework will undoubtedly continue, she has noticed a trend toward limiting, if not eliminating, homework in elementary school.

The issue has been debated for decades. A TIME cover in 1999 read: “Too much homework! How it’s hurting our kids, and what parents should do about it.” The accompanying story noted that the launch of Sputnik in 1957 led to a push for better math and science education in the U.S. The ensuing pressure to be competitive on a global scale, plus the increasingly demanding college admissions process, fueled the practice of assigning homework.

“The complaints are cyclical, and we’re in the part of the cycle now where the concern is for too much,” Cooper said. “You can go back to the 1970s, when you’ll find there were concerns that there was too little, when we were concerned about our global competitiveness.”

Cooper acknowledged that some students really are bringing home too much homework, and their parents are right to be concerned.

“A good way to think about homework is the way you think about medications or dietary supplements,” he said. “If you take too little, they’ll have no effect. If you take too much, they can kill you. If you take the right amount, you’ll get better.”

More Must-Reads From TIME

• What Student Photojournalists Saw at the Campus Protests
• How Far Trump Would Go
• Why Maternity Care Is Underpaid
• Saving Seconds Is Better Than Hours
• Welcome to the Golden Age of Ryan Gosling
• Scientists Are Finding Out Just How Toxic Your Stuff Is
• The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
• Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time

Write to Katie Reilly at [email protected]

• Professional development
• Managing resources

The role of homework

Homework seems to be an accepted part of teachers’ and students’ routines, but there is little mention of it in ELT literature.

The role of homework is hardly mentioned in the majority of general ELT texts or training courses, suggesting that there is little question as to its value even if the resulting workload is time-consuming. However, there is clearly room for discussion of homework policies and practices particularly now that technology has made so many more resources available to learners outside the classroom.

Reasons for homework

• Attitudes to homework
• Effective homework
• Types of homework
• Homework is expected by students, teachers, parents and institutions.
• Homework reinforces and helps learners to retain information taught in the classroom as well as increasing their general understanding of the language.
• Homework develops study habits and independent learning. It also encourages learners to acquire resources such as dictionaries and grammar reference books. Research shows that homework also benefits factual knowledge, self-discipline, attitudes to learning and problem-solving skills.
• Homework offers opportunities for extensive activities in the receptive skills which there may not be time for in the classroom. It may also be an integral part of ongoing learning such as project work and the use of a graded reader.
• Homework provides continuity between lessons. It may be used to consolidate classwork, but also for preparation for the next lesson.
• Homework may be used to shift repetitive, mechanical, time-consuming tasks out of the classroom.
• Homework bridges the gap between school and home. Students, teachers and parents can monitor progress. The institution can involve parents in the learning process.
• Homework can be a useful assessment tool, as part of continual or portfolio assessment.

Attitudes to homework Teachers tend to have mixed feelings about homework. While recognising the advantages, they observe negative attitudes and poor performance from students. Marking and giving useful feedback on homework can take up a large proportion of a teacher’s time, often after school hours.

• Students themselves complain that the homework they are given is boring or pointless, referring to homework tasks that consist of studying for tests, doing workbook exercises, finishing incomplete classwork, memorising lists of vocabulary and writing compositions. Where this is actually the case, the negative effects of homework can be observed, typified by loss of interest and a view of homework as a form of punishment.
• Other negative effects of poorly managed homework include lack of necessary leisure time and an increased differential between high and low achievers. These problems are often the cause of avoidance techniques such as completing homework tasks in class, collaborating and copying or simply not doing the required tasks. In turn, conflict may arise between learners, teachers, parents and the institution.

Effective homework In order for homework to be effective, certain principles should be observed.

• Students should see the usefulness of homework. Teachers should explain the purpose both of homework in general and of individual tasks.
• Tasks should be relevant, interesting and varied.
• Good classroom practice also applies to homework. Tasks should be manageable but achievable.
• Different tasks may be assigned to different ability groups. Individual learning styles should be taken into account.
• Homework should be manageable in terms of time as well as level of difficulty. Teachers should remember that students are often given homework in other subjects and that there is a need for coordination to avoid overload. A homework diary, kept by the learner but checked by teachers and parents is a useful tool in this respect.
• Homework is rarely co-ordinated within the curriculum as a whole, but should at least be incorporated into an overall scheme of work and be considered in lesson planning.
• Homework tends to focus on a written product. There is no reason why this should be the case, other than that there is visible evidence that the task has been done.
• Learner involvement and motivation may be increased by encouraging students to contribute ideas for homework and possibly design their own tasks. The teacher also needs to know how much time the students have, what facilities they have at home, and what their preferences are. A simple questionnaire will provide this data.
• While homework should consolidate classwork, it should not replicate it. Home is the outside world and tasks which are nearer to real-life use of language are appropriate.
• If homework is set, it must be assessed in some way, and feedback given. While marking by the teacher is sometimes necessary, peer and self-assessment can encourage learner independence as well as reducing the teacher’s workload. Motivating students to do homework is an ongoing process, and encouragement may be given by commenting and asking questions either verbally or in written form in order to demonstrate interest on the teacher’s part, particularly in the case of self-study and project work.

Types of homework There are a number of categories of useful and practicable homework tasks.

• Workbook-based tasks Most published course materials include a workbook or practice book, mainly including consolidation exercises, short reading texts and an answer key. Most workbooks claim to be suitable for both class and self-study use, but are better used at home in order to achieve a separation of what is done in class and at home. Mechanical practice is thus shifted out of class hours, while this kind of exercise is particularly suited to peer- or self-checking and correction.
• Preparation tasks Rarely do teachers ask learners to read through the next unit of a coursebook, though there are advantages in involving students in the lesson plan and having them know what is coming. More motivating, however, is asking students to find and bring materials such as photographs and pictures, magazine articles and realia which are relevant to the next topic, particularly where personalisation or relevance to the local context requires adaptation of course materials.
• Extensive tasks Much can be gained from the use of graded readers, which now often have accompanying audio material, radio and TV broadcasts, podcasts and songs. Sometimes tasks need to be set as guidance, but learners also need to be encouraged to read, listen and watch for pleasure. What is important is that learners share their experiences in class. Extensive reading and listening may be accompanied by dictionary work and a thematic or personalised vocabulary notebook, whereby learners can collect language which they feel is useful.
• Guided discovery tasks Whereas classroom teaching often involves eliciting language patterns and rules from learners, there is also the option of asking learners to notice language and make deductions for themselves at home. This leads to the sharing of knowledge and even peer teaching in the classroom.
• Real-world tasks These involve seeing, hearing and putting language to use in realistic contexts. Reading magazines, watching TV, going to the cinema and listening to songs are obvious examples, offering the option of writing summaries and reviews as follow-up activities. Technology facilitates chat and friendship networks, while even in monolingual environments, walking down a shopping street noticing shop and brand names will reveal a lot of language. As with extensive tasks, it is important for learners to share their experiences, and perhaps to collect them in a formal or informal portfolio.
• Project work It is a good idea to have a class or individual projects running over a period of time. Projects may be based on topics from a coursebook, the locality, interests and hobbies or selected individually. Project work needs to be guided in terms of where to find resources and monitored regularly, the outcome being a substantial piece of work at the end of a course or term of which the learner can claim ownership.

Conclusion Finally, a word about the Internet. The Web appears to offer a wealth of opportunity for self-study. Certainly reference resources make project work easier and more enjoyable, but cutting and pasting can also be seen as an easy option, requiring little originality or understanding. Conferring over homework tasks by email can be positive or negative, though chatting with an English-speaking friend is to be encouraged, as is searching for visual materials. Both teachers and learners are guilty of trawling the Net for practice exercises, some of which are untried, untested and dubious in terms of quality. Learners need guidance, and a starting point is to provide a short list of reliable sites such as the British Council's  LearnEnglish  and the BBC's Learning English  which provide a huge variety of exercises and activities as well as links to other reliable sources. Further reading Cooper, H. Synthesis of Research on Homework . Educational Leadership 47/3, 1989 North, S. and Pillay, H. Homework: re-examining the routin e. ELT Journal 56/2, April 2002 Painter, L. Homework . English Teaching Professional, Issue 10, 1999 Painter, L. Homework . OUP Resource Books for Teachers, 2003

First published in October 2007

Mr. Steve Darn I liked your…

Mr. Steve Darn I liked your method of the role of the homework . Well, I am one of those laggard people. Unfortunately, when it comes to homework, I definitely do it. Because, a student or pupil who understands new topics, of course, does his homework to know how much he understands the new topic. I also completely agree with all of Steve Darn's points above. However, sometimes teachers give a lot of riff-raff homework, just like homework is a human obligation. This is a plus. But in my opinion, first of all, it is necessary to divide the time properly, and then to do many tasks at home. Only then will you become an "excellent student" in the eyes of the teacher. Although we live in the age of technology, there are still some people who do not know how to send homework via email. Some foreign teachers ask to send tasks by email. Constant email updates require time and, in rare cases, a fee. My above points have been the cause of constant discussions.

• Log in or register to post comments

exam and certificate

Setting homework, setting homework.

Research and insight

Browse fascinating case studies, research papers, publications and books by researchers and ELT experts from around the world.

See our publications, research and insight

• Satchel One learning platform
• About Satchel
• Get in touch
• Back to all blog posts

Research into the Importance of Homework

Author: Bethany Spencer

Posted: 15 May 2017

Estimated time to read: 10 mins

Homework as a concept has been around for hundreds of years, and today is considered the norm for modern schools. At secondary level, schools set regular homework via a whole-school homework policy. This can take many forms and is sometimes given a different name like 'home learning' or 'Independent study', but the concept of completing work outside of the classroom remains the same.

The setting of homework is regarded highly by many with Epstein‭ ‬&‭ ‬Van Voorhis stating that it not only reflects on the success of the student‭, ‬but also the success of the school‭ (‬2001‭). ‬In spite of this‭, ‬attitudes towards homework are constantly changing‭, ‬culminating in‭ ‬the age old homework debate. ‬

The Homework Debate

Attitudes towards the value and purpose of homework are usually reflective of the current societal stance and general sentiment towards education‭. ‬For example‭,‬‭ ‬in the 20th century the mind was seen as a muscle that would benefit from memorisation‭, and since this could be done at home‭, ‬homework was perceived as valuable‭. ‬However‭, ‬come the 1940s‭ ‬where emphasis shifted from drills to problem solving‭, ‬people started to view homework negatively‭ (‬Cooper‭, ‬1989‭).

Yet, fast forward to 1957, the year Russia launched Sputnik‭, and ‬society became concerned that students were not ready for the advanced technologies that were creeping into modern life, leading many to start favouring homework again‭.

‬Although,‭ ‬reflective of the attitudes in the 1960s, homework fell out of favour with the belief that it put too much pressure on students‭ (‬Cooper‭, ‬1989‭). ‬This is why we find ourselves encased in a spiral of ever changing attitudes towards homework which looks set to continue.

We believe that homework plays an important role in both a student’s education and the performance of the school‭. ‬Here we look at academic research‭, ‬but also take into account the opinion of leading educators who give weight to the stance that homework serves a purpose that penetrates far deeper than improving a student’s general understanding of a subject‭.‬

The Wider Purpose of Homework 

The purpose of homework can be grouped into ten strands as stated by Epstein‭ ‬&‭ ‬Van Voorhis‭ (‬1988‭, ‬2001‭, ‬p.181‭) ‬‘practice‭, ‬participation‭, ‬preparation‭, ‬personal development‭, ‬parent-child relations‭, ‬parent-teacher communication‭, ‬peer interactions‭, ‬policy‭, ‬public relations and punishment‭.‬’‭ ‬ This suggests that homework affects more areas than just a student’s academic ability‭. ‬

However‭, ‬when we look at the research that focuses on the link between homework and academic achievement we see that homework does in fact have a positive impact on students’‭ ‬ grades‭ . ‬Sharp‭ (‬2002‭) ‬states there is a direct link between students spending time on homework and their achievement in secondary school‭.

‬‬Cooper similarly found that students who completed homework had better report cards and test results than‭ ‬those who didn't (‬1989‭ ‬cited by Epstein‭ ‬&‭ ‬Van Voorhis 2001‭). ‬In a report conducted by the EEF‭, ‬they also found that the completion of homework at secondary level can add on an additional 5‭ ‬months‭ ‬progress onto a child’s learning‭ with minimal cost incurred by the school‭ (‬EEF‭, ‬2016‭). ‬

In addition to the academic findings‭, ‬teachers themselves have commented on the purpose they believe homework provides to students and schools‭. ‬Epstein‭ (‬1988‭, ‬2001‭, ‬p.181‭) ‬found that teachers recognised‭ ‬‘practice‭, ‬preparation and personal development’‭ ‬to contribute to the overall purpose of homework‭. ‬

Homework helps to " develop learners' knowledge and allow them more choice in how they express their work"

Tom Sherrington‭, ‬a Headteacher at a UK secondary school and influential education blogger‭, ‬has expressed his personal views on the value of homework‭: ‬‘Students who are successful at A Level and at GCSE are those who have highly developed independent learning skills‭, ‬have the capacity to lead the learning process through their questions and ideas’‭ (‬Sherrington 2012a‭). ‬

This suggests that even those who do not see an immediate impact from homework‭, ‬believe that it will help students’‭ ‬personal development but also prepare them for the next stages of education and beyond‭. ‬This is further supported by Sharp‭ (‬2002‭) ‬who recognised that‭, ‬despite homework not having a direct link to achievement in younger children‭, ‬it did promote independent‭ ‬learning and prepare them for secondary school‭.‬

A second UK teacher and education blogger‭, ‬Rachel Jones‭, ‬commented on what she believes to be the purpose of homework and found‭ ‬that it had a positive impact on both retention of knowledge and hand-in rates when the homework set‭ ‬was assigned with the intention to‭ ‬‘develop learners knowledge and allow them more choice in how they express their work’‭ (‬Jones 2013‭).

hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(415506, 'b8514c56-20ef-4ad1-9d3d-b45abce7b872', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"});

Parental involvement .

In addition to the correlation between completing homework and improved achievement‭, ‬homework plays a fundamental role in both home-school involvement and students’‭ ‬relationships with their parents‭. ‬A key purpose of homework outside of‭ ‬‘enhancing instruction’‭ ‬is to‭ ‬‘establish communication between parent and child’‭ (‬Acock‭ ‬&‭ ‬Demo‭, ‬1994‭ ‬cited by Cooper et al‭, ‬20016‭, ‬p.2‭). ‬

Homework acts as a bridge between school and home‭, ‬and the ability to engage parents in school life has a positive impact on teachers‭ - ‬when teachers feel as though there is more parental involvement in school they feel more positive about teaching‭ (‬Epstein‭ ‬&‭ ‬Dauber‭, ‬1991‭, ‬Hoover-Dempsey et al‭, ‬1987‭ ‬cited by Epstein‭ ‬&‭ ‬Van Voorhis‭, ‬2001‭).

‬Acock and Demo‭ (‬1994‭, ‬cited by Epstein‭ ‬&‭ ‬Van‭ ‬Voorhis 2001‭, ‬p.182‭) ‬have even stated that homework can help to improve relationships between parents and students, ‬bringing them‭ ‬‘closer together to enjoy learning and exchange ideas’‭, ‬cementing the idea that homework has greater repercussions than just raising academic achievements within school‭.‬

In addition to this‭, ‬a purpose of homework valued by both parents and teachers‭ ‬is the idea that homework completed regularly by‭ ‬students helps to promote‭ ‬‘a sense of‭ ‬responsibility’‭ (‬Warton 1997‭, ‬p.213‭). Moreover‭, ‬Sherrington‭ (‬2012b‭) ‬comments on his stance as both an educator and a parent‭ ‬saying that he firmly believes that homework has a fundamental part to play in the learning process‭ ‬‘and paving the way to students becoming independent learners’‭. ‬

Quality Homework 

Although ‬in order for homework to really show the benefits expressed in this article it must be purposeful‭ . ‬Students have expressed their‭ ‬opinion on the value of homework‭, ‬deeming it to be an important part of the learning experience‭ (‬Sharp 2002‭). ‬

Yet‭, ‬they do express concerns regarding how homework is set relating to‭ ‬‘conflicting‭ ‬deadlines‭, ‬and tasks that make little contribution to learning’‭ (‬Sharp 2002‭, ‬p.3‭). ‬In order to combat these concerns‭, ‬schools should be vetting the quality of homework set‭, ‬and teachers should be communicating with one another in reference to deadlines‭.‬

The idea of setting purposeful homework is further supported by Epstein‭ ‬&‭ ‬Van Voorhis‭ (‬2001‭, ‬p.19‭) ‬who report that those who set homework‭ ‬‘to meet specific purposes and goals‭, ‬more students complete their homework and benefit from the results’‭. ‬Additionally‭, ‬the idea of setting homework with a clear purpose further encourages parental involvement within the child’s education‭. ‬

"Quality homework types to include‭ ‬‘fluency practice‭, application‭, ‬spiral review and extension"

Purposeful homework is intrinsically linked to quality homework ‭, ‬and when teachers are setting homework the emphasis should be on this as opposed to the quantity‭. ‬In order for homework to be regarded as high quality‭, ‬the instruction provided must be clear‭ ‬and detailed‭ (‬Frey‭ ‬&‭ ‬Fisher‭, ‬2011‭), ‬and the tasks that are being set are‭ ‬‘authentic and engaging’‭ (‬Darling-Hammond‭ ‬&‭ ‬Ifill-Lynch 2006‭, ‬p.1‭) ‬providing students with a real reason to complete them‭. ‬

This is further supported by Dettmers et al‭ (‬2010‭) ‬who found that when students identified homework as being well thought out and relevant‭, ‬they were more motivated to complete it‭. ‬Frey‭ ‬&‭ ‬Fisher‭ (‬2011‭) ‬identified quality homework types to include‭ ‬‘fluency practice‭, ‬application‭, ‬spiral review and extension’‭ ‬and denounced the value of homework that asks students to complete work that was not covered in class as not valuable as they have no peer or teacher support and are unfamiliar with the topic‭. ‬

It is also important to consider the implications of focusing on the amount of homework set ‭ - ‬setting too much homework can have‭ ‬detrimental effects on students‭, ‬such as stress‭, ‬fatigue and loss of interest in studies‭ (‬Cooper‭, ‬2010‭). ‬

From this we can gather that fewer pieces of well thought out homework will have more of a positive impact on students’‭ ‬learning‭. ‬It is important for schools to monitor the amount of homework that is set‭, ‬what is being set and the frequency ‬so as to avoid‭ ‬over-working students‭ - having a homework policy which teachers adhere to will help to enforce this. 

The Overall Importance of Homework

Homework encourages self-development and self-discipline. Students who complete regular homework don't just perform better at school and during exams, they learn broader life skills and associate hard work with long term rewards. Homework has also been found to improve parental relationships.

Conclusion 

From this we can conclude‭ ‬that homework does indeed serve a purpose‭ as studies provide a link between homework and higher‭ ‬secondary school attainment‭. ‬Yet despite a lack of research to suggest these effects in primary school and younger years‭, ‬homework will help to prepare students younger than 11 for secondary school and encourages them to become independent learners‭. ‬

The setting and completion of homework also has benefits outside of academic attainment with parent-child relationship and home-school involvement both improving within schools as a result of successful homework practice.

However, it must be taken into consideration that in order to experience the benefits of homework, the work being set should have a clear goal, as well as being worthwhile and purposeful to encourage students to complete it.

References:

Cooper, H., 1989. Synthesis of Research on Homework. Effective Schools Research Abstracts [online], 4 (1), 85-91

Cooper, H., 2010. Homework’s Diminishing Returns. The New York Times [online], 12 December 2010. Available from: http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2010/12/12/stress-and-the-high-school-student/homeworks-diminishing-returns [Accessed 1 July 2016]

Cooper, H. and Robinson, J.C. and Patall, E.A., 2006. Does Homework Improve Academic Achievement? A synthesis of Research, 1987-2003. Review of Education Research [online], 76 (1), 1-62

Darling-Hammond, L. and Ifill-Lynch, O., 2006. If They’d Only Do Their Work! Educational Leadership [online] 63(5), 8-13, Available from: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb06/vol63/num05/If-They%27d-Only-Do-Their-Work!.aspx [Accessed 1 July 2016]

Dettmers, S at al., 2010. Journal of Educational Psychology. Homework works if homework quality is high: Using multilevel modeling to predict development of achievement in mathematics. [online], 102(2), 467-482. Available from: http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/edu/102/2/467/ [Accessed 1 July 2016]

EEF, 2016. Teaching and Learning Toolkit [online] London. Available from: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/evidence/teaching-learning-toolkit [Accessed 1 July 2016]

Epstein, L.J. and Van Voorhis, F.L, 2001. More than Minutes: Teachers’ Roles in Designing Homework. Educational Psychologist [online], 36 (3), 181-193

Frey, N. and Fisher, D., 2011. High-Quality Homework [online] USA: Principal Leadership. Available from: http://fisherandfrey.com/uploads/posts/Homework_NASSP.pdf [Accessed 1 July 2016]

GOV.UK, 2015. School Inspection Handbook from 2015 [online]. England: The National Archives. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-inspection-handbook-from-september-2015 [Accessed May 2016)

Jones, R., 2013. DESTROY Homework. Create Innovate Explore [online] 12 August 2013. Available from: http://createinnovateexplore.com/destroy-homework/ [Accessed May 2016]

Sharp, C., 2002. Should Schools set Homework? National Foundation for Educational Research [online], 27 (1), 1-4

Sherrington, T., 2012. Homework Matters: Great teachers set great homework. Headguruteacher [online]. 2 September 2012. Available from: https://headguruteacher.com/2012/09/02/homework-matters-great-teachers-set-great-homework/ [Accessed May 2016]

Sherrington, T., 2012. Homework: What does the Hattie research actually say? Headguruteacher [online] 21 October 2012. Available from: https://headguruteacher.com/2012/10/21/homework-what-does-the-hattie-research-actually-say/ [Accessed May 2016]

Warton, P.M. 1997. Learning about responsibility: Lessons from homework. British Journal of Educational  Psychology [online], 67(2), pp. 213–221

Get a roundup of our articles once per month.

Subscribe to Email Updates

Recent posts

Can ai be used for curric..., let's talk about homework..., should we be worried abou..., using character education..., popular posts, what is behaviourism, how has technology changed education for schools, the impact of effective classroom management.

• Homework (22)
• Teacher Wellbeing (21)
• Student Wellbeing (20)
• Distance Learning (15)
• Classroom Management (14)
• Mental Health (13)
• Ofsted (12)
• Wellbeing (12)
• Skills (11)
• Teacher Workload (11)
• Parental Engagement (10)
• Satchel One MIS (10)
• Staff Wellbeing (10)
• Teachers (10)
• School Culture (9)
• Behaviour Management (8)
• School Improvement (8)
• School Management (8)
• Teacher Resources (8)
• Back to School (7)
• Parental Involvement (7)
• Parents (7)
• Pedagogy (7)
• Student & Parent Resources (7)
• Students (7)
• Assessment (6)
• Cloud-based MIS (6)
• Covid-19 (6)
• Guest Blog (6)
• Leadership (6)
• Online Safety (6)
• Technology (6)
• Bullying (5)
• Digital Literacy (5)
• Marking (5)
• Ofsted framework (5)
• School Closures (5)
• Lesson Plans (4)
• Network Managers (4)
• Revision (4)
• Teacher (4)
• Teaching (4)
• Attendance (3)
• Autonomy (3)
• Data Management (3)
• Education Reform (3)
• Education Technology (3)
• Feedback (3)
• Gender Equality (3)
• Network Manager Resources (3)
• SLT Resources (3)
• School Technology (3)
• Student Engagement (3)
• Students & Parents (3)
• Summer Holidays (3)
• Articles (2)
• Attainment 8 and Progress 8 (2)
• Autonomous Learning (2)
• Children (2)
• Classroom (2)
• Classroom Techniques (2)
• Communication (2)
• Differentiated Homework (2)
• Education (2)
• Education Technolgy (2)
• Embracing Technology (2)
• Exam Results (2)
• Grading (2)
• Home-school Communication (2)
• Homework Debate (2)
• Homework Policy (2)
• Raising Standards (2)
• Reading (2)
• Reducing Workload (2)
• Saving Time (2)
• School Marketing (2)
• School Reopenings (2)
• Security (2)
• Sidekick (2)
• Software Training (2)
• Strategy (2)
• Teaching Crisis (2)
• Teaching and Learning (2)
• Time Management (2)
• Time-saving (2)
• Tips & Tricks (2)
• Workload (2)
• Abuse in the Classroom (1)
• Anti-bullying (1)
• Appreciation (1)
• Attainment 8 (1)
• Benefits of Homework (1)
• Body Image (1)
• British Values (1)
• Career Advice (1)
• Character Education (1)
• Collaboration (1)
• Collaborative Learning (1)
• Continuing Professional Development (1)
• Conversation (1)
• Cost of living (1)
• Cyber-bullying (1)
• Cyberbullying (1)
• Damian Hinds (1)
• Digital Classroom (1)
• Dyslexia Awareness (1)
• E Learning (1)
• Eating Disorders (1)
• Education Secretary (1)
• Empathy (1)
• Exam-ready (1)
• Flipped Classroom (1)
• Formative Assessment (1)
• Girls in STEM (1)
• Global Education (1)
• Global Learning (1)
• Government (1)
• Healthy Eating (1)
• Homework Excuses (1)
• Inspire (1)
• International Learning (1)
• Internet Access (1)
• Interventions (1)
• Job Satisfaction (1)
• Language (1)
• Lead by Example (1)
• Learning Environment (1)
• Manager (1)
• National Curriculum (1)
• Outstanding (1)
• Parent Tips for Homework (1)
• Parent-teacher Relationships (1)
• Parents Evening (1)
• Phased Reopenings (1)
• Physical Health (1)
• Planning (1)
• Preparation (1)
• Productivity (1)
• Progress 8 (1)
• Quality Assurance (1)
• Recognition (1)
• Safeguarding (1)
• School Improvements (1)
• Schools (1)
• Secondary School (1)
• Senior Leaders (1)
• Sharing (1)
• Sharing Best Practice (1)
• Show My Homework (1)
• Slow Processing (1)
• Social Media (1)
• Soft Skills (1)
• Software (1)
• Student (1)
• Student Independence (1)
• Summative Assessment (1)
• Super Union (1)
• Support (1)
• Teaching Schools (1)
• Technology in the classroom (1)
• Tracking & Monitoring (1)
• Training (1)
• Truancy (1)
• Year 6 SATs (1)
• example (1)
• first day of school (1)
• gained time (1)
• homework benefits (1)
• influence (1)
• ofsted inspections (1)
• practice (1)
• quiz creation (1)
• raising awareness (1)
• satchel (1)
• school involvement (1)
• well-balanced education (1)

FREE quiz tool

Browse through over 500k questions created by teachers on Neeto , create a quiz and share back to Satchel One. It's free!

• Browse by Year
• Browse by Subject
• Advanced Search

Home-based work in Britain: a report on the 1981 National Homeworking Survey and the DE Research Programme on Homework

Hakim, Catherine (1987) Home-based work in Britain: a report on the 1981 National Homeworking Survey and the DE Research Programme on Homework. Research paper (no. 60). Department of Employment, London, UK.

Actions (login required)

• Campus News
• Student News
• UK HealthCare
• UK Happenings
• Arts & Culture
• Professional News

UK researchers secure grant to enhance understanding, improve child welfare systems

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 9, 2024) — Two researchers at the University of Kentucky are using their experience and expertise to conduct an innovative study aimed at improving the child welfare system and supporting families across the Commonwealth.

Shelby Clark , Ph.D., assistant professor in the College of Social Work (CoSW), and Elizabeth Riley , Ph.D., an assistant professor in the College of Public Health , have been awarded a grant from the Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) Small Grants Program for their project “Reimagining Child Abuse and Neglect Reports: A Qualitative Exploration of Attitudes and Beliefs about Mandated Reporting and Mandated Supporting.”

“Engagement with the child welfare system begins with a report of child abuse and neglect, so this is an important place to intervene and rethink practice,” Clark said. “Rather than immediately making a child abuse and neglect report, encouragers of mandated support suggest communities ‘wrap around’ families to provide resources and services to better meet their needs.”

Mandated reporting and mandated supporting are two distinct concepts within the child welfare system.

Mandated reporting refers to the legal obligation to report suspected cases of child abuse and neglect. Certain professionals (teachers, health care workers, social workers, etc.) receive specialized training on reporting. However, with her background as a child welfare worker, Clark understands the ambiguous and emotionally charged nature of this topic.

“My research is informed by my practice experiences,” Clark said. “My social work identity is important and significant to my worldview and how I approach social problems, and how I seek to solve them in my research.”

Mandated supporting involves providing assistance, resources and services to families in need — often under the supervision of child welfare agencies.

While mandated reporting focuses on identifying and responding to abuse or neglect, mandated supporting aims to intervene early and support families in crisis to promote child well-being and prevent further harm.

“We need more scholarship focused on understanding how children, families and communities can be better supported by a network of public systems — as opposed to relying solely on the child welfare system via the mandatory reporting hotline,” Riley explained. “A number of states and agencies around the nation are starting this work, and we’re excited to explore what mandatory supporting could look like in Kentucky through a social work and public health lens.”

Clark and Riley’s study also explores how people working in human service contexts (education, health care, social work, etc.) come to the decision to report abuse and neglect, what their training is to make that decision and how they feel about the decision afterwards.

Additionally, the CCTS-funded research aims to better understand human service workers’ needs around mandated reporting and mandated supporting.

“Right now, there is recognition the child welfare system as it stands is causing harm — specifically among Black and Indigenous people,” Clark explained. “Rather than just calling into an abuse and neglect hotline, we should be asking, ‘how do we support that family?’ The idea is to reduce the number of children who enter the child welfare system unnecessarily and to reduce the harm caused by investigations and children being removed from their homes and families.”

While many advocate for these shifts, little is empirically known about how human service professionals conceptualize mandated reporting. “Additionally, little is known about what mandated supporting could, or should, be in actual practice,” Clark explained. “Therefore, research is needed to better understand both mandated reporting and mandated/community support models.”

Clark and Riley will also be partnering with the Department for Community Based Services and Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky to report their findings and explore opportunities to shape policy and practices in their respective child welfare settings.

“We are excited and grateful that CCTS saw the value in this project, and we strongly feel there’s a large value add to the Commonwealth to better understand how human service professionals are thinking about mandated reporting and mandated supporting,” Clark said. “Ultimately, we want to build programming to better support children and families in Kentucky.”

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number UL1TR001998. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. 

As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.   

Latest Stories

Candidate b for vice provost to participate in open forum, inaugural uk global games day highlights uk’s commitment to belonging, 'behind the blue': uk’s international nurse well-being council, paul evans holbrook jr. honored with uk libraries medallion for intellectual achievement, uk healthcare event offers free mpox vaccines on campus.

Blockchain could offer a solution to the UK's transport ticketing systems

A new approach to transport ticketing offers a step towards an integrated, transparent system that works efficiently for both ticket providers and passengers across all modes of transport.

Traditional ticketing systems are based on solutions that are vulnerable to issues including a lack of transferability across multi-modal transport networks, and an inability to adapt to policy changes and new technologies.

Experts at the University of Birmingham have outlined a system that offers a new foundation for all ticketing providers. In a new paper, published in IET Blockchain , STUB (System for Ticketing Ubiquity within Blockchains) brings together the capabilities of two versatile technologies -- blockchain and ontology.

A blockchain is a distributed ledger that that records transactions in a way that ensures security, transparency, and immutability. An ontology is formal representation of knowledge within a domain and the relationships between those concepts, used to model and manage complex information systems.

The researchers showed how both technologies could be combined to create a robust, transparent, and interconnected data framework that ensures consistent and reliable shared knowledge.

Utilising these data structures, ticket providers can sell and validate tokenised tickets on the blockchain, ensuring universal accessibility across all providers. The integration of ontology allows providers to capture and share contextual information about the transport network, enabling providers to offer comprehensive data about routes, schedules, and availability, thereby streamlining the ticketing process.

Lead author, Dr Joe Preece, said: "Transport systems around the world are becoming increasingly interconnected. Ticketing systems are key to this and there is a growing interest in the use of smarter transport ticketing that harnesses emerging technologies to overcome the limitations of traditional systems.

"The system we have devised enables ticket providers to operate in a more transparent, flexible environment, that will ultimately offer passengers a more user-friendly experience.

"STUB's approach is not to be a single central data platform with transport policy baked-in, but instead to be a policy-agnostic approach that empowers existing ticket providers and technologies to share core ticketing data and to build new solutions on top of.

"In essence, this may provide a modernised approach to the Rail Settlement Plan, that enables multi-modal ticketing, automated revenue and refund allocation, and dynamic fare pricing, whilst retaining the technologies in the sector that already work well.

The next step for the team will be to set up a pilot scheme for the technology in a regional transport network, to demonstrate its efficacy, and to get feedback from ticket operators and passengers.

"A big challenge to implementation will be the integration with existing ticketing infrastructure to work alongside the current standardised approaches whilst we scale up the technology. Setting up a successful pilot will be key to breaking down these barriers."

• Telecommunications
• Computers and Internet
• Information Technology
• Liquid nitrogen economy
• Gross domestic product
• Circuit design
• Earth science
• Laws of thermodynamics
• Cholesterol
• Mathematical model

Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Birmingham . Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference :

• Joseph D. Preece, Christopher R. Morris, John M. Easton. Leveraging ontochains for distributed public transit ticketing: An investigation with the system for ticketing ubiquity with blockchains . IET Blockchain , 2024; DOI: 10.1049/blc2.12071

Cite This Page :

Explore More

• Controlling Shape-Shifting Soft Robots
• Brain Flexibility for a Complex World
• ONe Nova to Rule Them All
• AI Systems Are Skilled at Manipulating Humans
• Planet Glows With Molten Lava
• A Fragment of Human Brain, Mapped
• Symbiosis Solves Long-Standing Marine Mystery
• Surprising Common Ideas in Environmental ...
• 2D All-Organic Perovskites: 2D Electronics
• Generative AI That Imitates Human Motion

Trending Topics

Strange & offbeat.

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

UK toddler has hearing restored in world first gene therapy trial

Opal Sandy can hear almost perfectly after groundbreaking surgery that took just 16 minutes

A British toddler has had her hearing restored after becoming the first person in the world to take part in a pioneering gene therapy trial, in a development that doctors say marks a new era in treating deafness.

Opal Sandy was born unable to hear anything due to auditory neuropathy, a condition that disrupts nerve impulses travelling from the inner ear to the brain and can be caused by a faulty gene.

But after receiving an infusion containing a working copy of the gene during groundbreaking surgery that took just 16 minutes, the 18-month-old can hear almost perfectly and enjoys playing with toy drums.

Her parents were left “gobsmacked” when they realised she could hear for the first time after the treatment. “I couldn’t really believe it,” Opal’s mother, Jo Sandy, said. “It was … bonkers.”

The girl, from Oxfordshire, was treated at Addenbrooke’s hospital, part of Cambridge university hospitals NHS foundation trust, which is running the Chord trial . More deaf children from the UK, Spain and the US are being recruited to the trial and will all be followed up for five years.

Prof Manohar Bance, an ear surgeon at the trust and chief investigator for the trial, said the initial results were “better than I hoped or expected” and could cure patients with this type of deafness.

“We have results from [Opal] which are very spectacular – so close to normal hearing restoration. So we do hope it could be a potential cure.”

He added: “There’s been so much work, decades of work … to finally see something that actually worked in humans …. It was quite spectacular and a bit awe-inspiring really. It felt very special.”

Auditory neuropathy can be caused by a fault in the OTOF gene, which makes a protein called otoferlin. This enables cells in the ear to communicate with the hearing nerve. To overcome the fault, the new therapy from biotech firm Regeneron sends a working copy of the gene to the ear.

A second child has also recently received the gene therapy treatment at Cambridge university hospitals, with positive results.

The overall Chord trial consists of three parts, with three deaf children including Opal receiving a low dose of gene therapy in one ear only.

A different set of three children will get a high dose on one side. Then, if that is shown to be safe, more children will receive a dose in both ears at the same time. In total, 18 children worldwide will be recruited to the trial.

Opal is the first patient globally to receive the therapy and is “the youngest globally that’s been done to date as far as we know”, Bance said.

The gene therapy – DB-OTO – is specifically for children with OTOF mutations. A harmless virus is used to carry the working gene into the patient.

The trial is “just the beginning of gene therapies”, Bance said. “It marks a new era in the treatment for deafness.”

Martin McLean, a senior policy adviser at the National Deaf Children’s Society, said deafness should never be a barrier to happiness or fulfilment. “Many families will welcome these developments, and we look forward to learning about the long-term outcomes for the children treated.”

With Opal’s hearing restored, her parents now have a fresh problem to contend with: their daughter’s new favourite hobby is slamming cutlery on the table to make as much noise as possible.

• Medical research
• Deafness and hearing loss

Most viewed

New Maverick mom finished homework while in labor

Thursday, May 09, 2024 • Cristal Gonzalez : contact

The journey toward baby Sarala’s arrival in September 2023 was arduous for Kelly Meek and her husband: nearly four years of fertility treatments, ultrasounds and injections to combat Meek’s diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome.

So when Sarala decided to arrive a little ahead of schedule, Meek, who was set to complete her first term in the eight-week accelerated master’s program in the College of Education at The University of Texas at Arlington, wasn’t about to let a little homework stand in her way. Her hospital “go bag” included diapers, clothes for the newborn and a laptop—so Meek could complete class assignments from the delivery room.

Now Meek is scheduled to graduate on May 10—and celebrate her first Mother’s Day as a new mom two days later.

Although entitled to excused absences and the opportunity to turn in work early or late under Title IX, Meek said she was determined to finish on time and ace her coursework.

“It was a good distraction, and I could have kept working. But when the nurses and doctors broke my water, I was in a lot of pain,” she said. “We’re always so busy, so we got used to juggling a million things. Sarala has bopped along the entire time.”

According to her husband, Chris, nothing slows down Meek, who was pursuing her master’s degree while also teaching middle school math in League City, Texas. In addition, Meek is active in her church band and even went on a 10-day trip to Alaska as a missionary, installing sheetrock and insulation for a community building—while eight months pregnant.

“She just does not give up. It’s part of what makes her an amazing partner, mother, teacher and friend,” Chris said. “I hope someone will read her story and find that it resonates with them, maybe to get started or to keep going when they think of giving up.”

- Written by Monique Bird , College of Education