Physiological and Hygienic Aspects of Doing Homework: A Review

Abstract

Introduction: A high level of competition for the quality and quantity of acquired knowledge is observed in modern society. It entails an increase in time children spent studying in school and doing their homework, the latter being an integral and critical component of the educational process. Objective: To summarize and systematize the results of research on physiological, hygienic and pedagogical challenges of doing homework as well as on rationalization and optimization of this type of schoolchildren’s activity in the digital educational environment aimed at preventing fatigue and school-related diseases, including in the historical perspective. Materials and methods: Appropriate publications in Russian and English languages were search for in the Russian Science Citation Index, PubMed, and Scopus databases, print editions of scientific journals, and other sources. Forty-two full-text papers published in 1989–2021 were eligible for inclusion in the review. Results and discussion: The data analysis shows that contemporary schoolchildren spend significantly more time doing homework than is recommended, which disrupts their daily routine by reducing the duration of walks and night sleep and deteriorates health. Distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic only exacerbated the situation. A whole number of publications in pedagogy are devoted to didactic issues of homework while little attention is paid to health-related improvement of conditions and organization of this important type of educational activity. Conclusion: Global digitalization and the associated transformation of the education system necessitates hygienic optimization of all the components of the learning process, including homework, the content of which has undergone significant changes.