How Much Homework Do Teenagers Do Around the World?

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1. 01How Much Homework Do Teenagers Do?

   Good morning, everyone. Every student has complained about homework at some point. But how much homework do teenagers actually do, and does it help? Today, I'll look at international data from the OECD.

   大家早上好。每个学生都曾经抱怨过作业。但是，青少年实际上做多少作业？作业又有没有用呢？今天，我来看看经合组织的国际数据。

2. 02Where the Data Comes From

   The numbers come from PISA, an international study by the OECD that tests fifteen-year-old students. In 2012, students were also asked how many hours they spend on homework each week.

   这些数据来自PISA，这是经合组织针对十五岁学生进行的一项国际测试研究。2012年，学生们还被问到每周花多少小时做作业。

   Source: OECD, PISA 2012 results, reported in "Trouble with homework" (OECD Education and Skills Today)

3. 03The Average

   Across OECD countries, fifteen-year-olds reported spending almost five hours a week on homework. Interestingly, that was about one hour less than the average in 2003.

   在经合组织国家中，十五岁的学生表示每周花将近五个小时做作业。有意思的是，这比2003年的平均值少了大约一个小时。

   Source: OECD, PISA 2012 results, reported in "Trouble with homework" (OECD Education and Skills Today)

4. 04Big Differences

   But the differences between places were huge. Students in Shanghai reported about thirteen point eight hours a week, nearly three times the OECD average.

   但是各地之间的差异非常大。上海的学生表示每周大约花十三点八个小时，几乎是经合组织平均值的三倍。

   Source: OECD, PISA 2012 results, reported in "Trouble with homework" (OECD Education and Skills Today)

5. 05A Gap Between Rich and Poor

   The data also shows a gap by family background. Advantaged students spent about five point seven hours a week on homework, while disadvantaged students spent about four point one. That gap appeared in every country and economy in the study.

   数据还显示出家庭背景带来的差距。家境优越的学生每周大约花五点七个小时做作业，而家境不利的学生大约花四点一个小时。这一差距在研究涉及的每一个国家和经济体中都存在。

   Source: OECD, PISA 2012 results, reported in "Trouble with homework" (OECD Education and Skills Today)

6. 06Does More Homework Help?

   Does more homework lead to better results? The OECD found that students who spend more time on homework tend to score higher. But we should be careful: this shows a connection, not proof that homework causes the higher scores.

   作业越多，成绩就越好吗？经合组织发现，花更多时间做作业的学生往往得分更高。但我们要谨慎：这只说明两者之间有关联，并不能证明是作业导致了更高的分数。

   Source: OECD, PISA 2012 results, reported in "Trouble with homework" (OECD Education and Skills Today)

7. 07What This Means for Schools

   In my view, the lesson for schools is quality over quantity. Homework should be meaningful, and schools could offer quiet study spaces for students who don't have support or a calm place at home.

   在我看来，学校应该从中得到的启示是质量重于数量。作业应该有意义，学校也可以为那些在家里得不到帮助、没有安静环境的学生提供安静的自习空间。

8. 08Conclusion

   To sum up, teenagers around the world spend very different amounts of time on homework, and background matters. Numbers like these can't tell us everything, but they're a good place to start the conversation. Thank you.

   总结一下，世界各地的青少年花在作业上的时间差别很大，而且家庭背景也有影响。这样的数据不能告诉我们一切，但它是展开讨论的一个好起点。谢谢大家。