The effectiveness of homework appears to be inherently tied to the quality of parental involvement, research shows

Last year, the Ministry of Education released the latest findings in its ongoing Best Evidence Synthesis.

A highly regarded summary of 134 educational studies conducted both here and overseas, the BES says homework can be both beneficial and detrimental to academic progress.

Simply put, homework's effectiveness varies greatly.

Professor John Hattie, professor of education at the University of Auckland, who has published a range of studies on educational research including his 2008 book, Visible Learning, says homework is "a hotly contested area".

His experience is that many parents judge the effectiveness of schools by the presence or amount of homework - "although they expect to not be involved in this learning other than by providing a quiet and secluded space, as they believe that this is the right conditions for deep and meaningful learning".

For too many students, homework reinforces that they cannot learn by themselves and that they cannot do the schoolwork, Prof Hattie contends, adding that homework can undermine motivation while reinforcing less effective study habits, particularly for primary school children.

Homework that is more task-oriented is more beneficial than assignments involving deep learning and problem solving, he claims, citing a study which aimed to identify the key components of homework. The quartet found that a lot of homework and a lack of monitoring seem to indicate an ineffective teaching method.