Children will sometimes rely on their parents’ help with homework, but constantly changing curriculums have left many parents insecure in their ability to assist.

So which subjects do parents find the hardest?

The Knowledge Academy, the world’s largest provider of training courses, surveyed 1,633 British parents of children in secondary school, to reveal which subject they find most difficult to help with. The results revealed that physics is the hardest (81%), while in second place is maths (55%). The list continue with chemistry (43%), economics (37%), business studies (34%), biology (31%), English language (28%), languages ()27%), English literature (18%), religious education (16%), geography (12%), and lastly, history (9%).

The survey revealed that that a whopping 82% of parents struggle to help their children with homework. It appears that some aren’t interested in becoming better at this either: 63% admit to encouraging their child to ask someone else or figure it out themselves. Of those that are interested, the preferred method to improve their ability to help is ‘watching informative YouTube videos’ (66%). 

This is followed by hiring a tutor (45%), contacting teachers directly to ask for clarification (36%), teaching yourself some of the subject (23%), asking another parent (18%), taking an online course (16%) and finally researching the current curriculum (9%).

When asked if they would consider hiring a tutor for their child, 27% of parents admitted yes. However, the most common answer was only if they are really struggling (38%). Other responses include no (17%), depends on the price/ease of finding one (10%) and depends on the subject (8%).

Many parents believe that what their children are taught varies too much. When asked “Do you think the school curriculum changes too often?”, 61% said yes, in some areas/subjects. 27% said yes, whilst 12% disagreed.

Finally, parents agree with homework, but to a certain extent. When asked if they think homework is necessary, the majority believe that it is, if it is relevant and helps to reinforce what the child has been taught (34%). This is followed by yes (28%), for some subjects (27%), and finally no (11%).

“There are a number of reasons why parents find it difficult to help their kids with homework,” says CEO and Founder of online tutoring platform Tutor House, Alex Dyer. “For starters, communication between schools and parents is often minimal, so they worry about teaching their child the ‘wrong thing’. And in a world of distracting stimuli, getting children engaged and focused on homework can be a problem.

“There is also the issue of what the children are learning, and a parent’s ability to keep up with it. Subject matter and methodologies are constantly changing, so they’re always going to be unfamiliar with them. However, of course, there are benefits to changing the curriculum, particularly if it means an update. The incorporation/introduction of new and more relevant topics are all great reasons to change a curriculum.”

Alex Dyer also provides further insights as to how parents can help:  

• Communicating frequently with the teacher so they can understand what their child is learning and how they might need help
• Cutting themselves some slack! Your main role, as a parent, is to encourage, motivate and inspire your child. Try to emphasise the enjoyment that can come of learning new things.
• Connecting the things they are learning at school with the world around them – visiting museums, seeing theatre productions, building something together or even simply reading with your child, can enrich their entire academic experience.

Further information: The Knowledge Academy (theknowledgeacademy.com); Tutor House (tutorhouse.co.uk)