The Role of Homework in the Formation of Stress in Elementary School Students and their Parents in Rafsanjan in 2018

The homework, in addition to its positive effects on learning, can have negative effects on students' emotions, which have, in turn, a direct effect on parents' feelings, reactions, and emotions. This study aims to investigate the contribution of homework to the formation of stress in elementary school students and their parents.

In this descriptive study, 263 students were recruited from two groups of homework and non-homework schools by random sampling in Rafsanjan (2018). After informed consent, the students completed the Child's Inventory for Homework Stress, and their parents completed the Parent's Inventory for Homework Stress and Perceived Stress Scale. Data were analyzed by nonparametric tests, including Mann–Whitney U and Spearman coefficient.

The stress of students with homework was higher than those without significantly (p=0.039). Additionally, the stress of parents was higher in the homework group than those in the non-homework group (p<0.001). However, the parents of the non-homework group had a greater perception of stress than the other group (p<0.001).

  It seems that homework is a stressful factor for both students and their parents. Also, parents of non-homework students suffer from some sort of latent stress, which may be due to the lack of awareness of what their children have learned.  Further studies are needed in the filed.