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.

   大家早安。每個學生都曾經抱怨過作業。但是，青少年實際上做多少作業？作業又有沒有用呢？今天，我來看看OECD的國際資料。

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.

   這些資料來自PISA，這是OECD針對十五歲學生進行的一項國際測試研究。2012年，學生們還被問到每週花多少小時做作業。

   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OECD國家中，十五歲的學生表示每週花將近五個小時做作業。有意思的是，這比2003年的平均值少了大約一個小時。

   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.

   但是各地之間的差異非常大。上海的學生表示每週大約花十三點八個小時，幾乎是OECD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.

   資料還顯示出家庭背景帶來的差距。家境優越的學生每週大約花五點七個小時做作業，而家境不利的學生大約花四點一個小時。這一差距在研究涉及的每一個國家和經濟體中都存在。

   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.

   作業越多，成績就越好嗎？OECD發現，花更多時間做作業的學生往往得分更高。但我們要謹慎：這隻說明兩者之間有關聯，並不能證明是作業導致了更高的分數。

   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.

   在我看來，學校應該從中得到的啟示是品質重於數量。作業應該有意義，學校也可以為那些在家裡得不到幫助、沒有安靜環境的學生提供安靜的自習空間。

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.

   總結一下，世界各地的青少年花在作業上的時間差別很大，而且家庭背景也有影響。這樣的資料不能告訴我們一切，但它是展開討論的一個好起點。謝謝大家。