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Who benefits from homework assignments?

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Abstract

Using Dutch data on pupils in elementary school this paper is the first empirical study that analyzes whether assigning homework has an heterogeneous impact on pupil achievement. Addressing potential biases that arise from unobserved school quality, pupil selection by exploiting different methods, I find that the test score gap is larger in classes where everybody gets homework than in classes where nobody gets homework. More precisely pupils belonging to the upper part of the socioeconomic status scale perform better when homework is given, whereas pupils from the lowest part are unaffected. At the same time more disadvantaged children get less help from their parents with their homework. Homework can therefore amplify existing inequalities through complementarities with home inputs.

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  • Marte Rønning, 2008. "Who benefits from homework assignments?," Discussion Papers 566, Statistics Norway, Research Department.
    • Handle: RePEc:ssb:dispap:566
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    1. Does homework worsen inequality?
      by Ariel Goldring in Free Market Mojo on 2010-04-23 12:13:12

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    Cited by:

    1. Zhao, Liange & Yuan, Hongbin & Wang, Xueyuan, 2024. "Impact of homework time on adolescent mental health: Evidence from China," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    2. Carlos Cortinhas, 2017. "Does formative feedback help or hinder students? An empirical investigation," Discussion Papers 1701, University of Exeter, Department of Economics.
    3. Cowan, Benjamin & Jones, Todd R. & Swigert, Jeffrey, 2024. "Parental and Student Time Use Around the Academic Year," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 224(C), pages 66-110.
    4. Christian Andersson & Per Johansson, 2013. "Social stratification and out-of-school learning," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 176(3), pages 679-701, June.
    5. Caetano, Carolina & Caetano, Gregorio & Nielsen, Eric, 2024. "Are children spending too much time on enrichment activities?," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    6. Pratobevera, Giuseppe, 2022. "Homework and finance students’ learning and achievement," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 46(PB).
    7. Brunello, Giorgio & De Paola, Maria & Labartino, Giovanna, 2014. "More apples fewer chips? The effect of school fruit schemes on the consumption of junk food," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 118(1), pages 114-126.
    8. Munteanu Diana Rodica & Călin Mariana Floricica & Petre Cristian, 2023. "A Task-based learning application in Higher Education, for future teachers of primary and preschool education," BlackSea Journal of Psychology, Ovidius University of Constanta, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, vol. 14(3), pages 16-28, November.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    pupil performance; school inputs; home-environment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I29 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Other

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