Family perceptions of homework as a function of academic performance

Abstract

Homework, one of the most questioned educational topics due to its educational potential and alteration in the dynamics marked by family reconciliation, is the subject of debate in the scientific field regarding its influence on academic performance. This descriptive-inferential, cross-sectional and quantitative study, in which a total of 1,787 Spanish families participated, aims to find out the family perception of homework as a function of children’s academic performance, through a questionnaire that measures the amount, difficulty and frequency, benefits, skills and emotional exhaustion of homework. The results show that parents with high-achieving children perceive more benefits and skills, while those whose offspring are low achievers identify homework as more difficult and the main cause of family stress. This highlights the need, on the one hand, to establish homework tasks that are accessible to all students, regardless of their abilities and qualifications, and, on the other hand, teachers, through tutorial action, must provide guidance and advice to families in accompanying their children with their homework.