Homework has become a controversial topic these days. As more and more studies are done, more evidence is found that homework is unnecessary.
The underlying issue is in addition to the many
hours of homework, high schoolers
also have to devote time to their family and
extracurriculars. Many students say that their
copious amounts of homework lead to losing
sleep, exhaustion, and headaches. The American
Physiology Association states that stress and sleep
affect each other directly; when students receive
an extensive amount of homework, this results in
sleep deprivation. The lack of sleep and mental
fatigue cause even more stress which just
continues the cycle.
A researcher at Stanford surveyed students from ten high-performing high schools in California about homework, well-being, and behavior. When asked what contributes to their stress the most, students considered homework as their primary source of stress.
56%
of students say
homework is their #1 stressor.
In the same study, 43 percent of students named test taking their main source of stress; this includes AP exams and standardized testing. Many researchers are saying stress in high school students are rising because many schools primarily rank based on test scores. The study elaborates that test stress causes many students to experience tiredness, inability to concentrate, and irregular eating habits; almost identical to the results of too much homework.
The fact of the matter is that stress in high school students is an endless cycle due to their workloads. Not only do they have multiple sources of stress, but they also have to deal with all of those sources at once. Stress is becoming a widespread issue in high school students, and it only gets worse.
Students in high school are one of the most stressed out age groups in the world, and a majority of their issues stem from their time in school.
FEATURES
3.1
hours
is the average amount of time students spend on their homework.
Causes of Stress for High School Students
By Malachi Daniel
The Charger, December 2017
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