Short, regular homework boosts secondary maths and science scores, UL study finds

University of Limerick researchers have found that brief, frequent homework assignments improve mathematics and science performance among secondary students, provided the work is completed without AI assistance.

The study, led by Dr Darragh Flannery and Professor Dónal Palcic of UL’s Kemmy Business School with Dr José G Clavel of the University of Murcia, analysed data from almost 100,000 13‑ to 14‑year‑old pupils across 23 countries, including Ireland, using the 2019 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study dataset.

Comparing each pupil’s results in subjects with more homework to those with less, the researchers identified a “small but significant relationship” between homework time and test scores. An extra hour of homework per week was roughly half as effective as an additional hour of in‑class instruction reported in other studies.

The benefit was driven by short, regular tasks – three to five times a week, each lasting up to half an hour – rather than larger volumes of work. Students receiving such homework scored higher than those with no homework, although the effect was not seen among weaker performers.

Results were stronger where teachers were more experienced, and the authors warned that increasing reliance on AI tools could undermine the retrieval‑practice advantage of homework. They call for further research on how to preserve homework’s value in an AI‑saturated environment.

Source: Limerick Post. Photo: Ahmet Kurt / Pexels.