Benesse Institute for Educational Research and University of Tokyo Institute of Social Science Joint Research Project "Survey on Children's Lives and Learning 2025" Results: Out-of-School Learning Time Decreased by 20% in the Past 11 Years

The Benesse Institute for Educational Research, an internal think tank of Benesse Corporation (Headquarters: Okayama City, President: Daisuke Iwase), and the Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo (Location: Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Director: Shigeki Uno), launched the joint research project "Children's Lives and Learning" in 2014. This project has clarified changes in children's learning by conducting follow-up surveys since 2015 targeting the same parents and children (approximately 20,000 pairs, from 1st grade elementary to 3rd grade high school).

This analysis focused on children's out-of-school learning time. Over the past 11 years, children's motivation to learn, sense of purpose, and attitude towards learning with ingenuity have weakened, while out-of-school learning time has decreased by approximately 20%. Specifically, time spent on "school homework" and "home study other than homework" has decreased. It was found that the length of time spent on home study other than homework is strongly correlated with academic performance. Furthermore, a trend was observed where children from lower socioeconomic status (SES) families tended to spend less time on home study other than homework.

Moreover, over the past 11 years, the gap in time spent on home study other than homework has widened between students of different academic performance levels and SES levels. The proportion of children who do not engage in home study other than homework (the "0 minutes of home study" group) has increased by about 10 percentage points, reaching 40-50%. Children in the "0 minutes of home study" group, who do not do any home study outside of homework, tend to have lower motivation and sense of purpose for learning, and do not engage in self-regulated learning. It is essential to ensure learning opportunities after school, regardless of a child's circumstances, to foster their motivation and sense of purpose for learning and develop their ability to regulate their learning through the experience of self-directed learning.

This project will continue to capture the actual situation of children to raise issues and propose solutions regarding children's learning.

Survey Results Summary

1. Changes in Out-of-School Learning Time: Out-of-School Learning Time Per Day Decreased by Approximately 20% in the Past 11 Years

● Daily out-of-school learning time (homework + home study other than homework + cram school) decreased by 22 minutes for high school students, 19 minutes for junior high school students, 17 minutes for 4th-6th graders, and 9 minutes for 1st-3rd graders over the past 11 years. The decrease was approximately 20% for all school levels. [Figure 1-1]

● Looking at the breakdown, the decrease in "homework" time was significant at all school levels, followed by a decrease in "home study" other than homework. [Figure 1-2]

2. Changes in Learning Attitudes: "Liking Studying" Decreased Over the Past 11 Years, While "Not Knowing Why I'm Studying" Increased

● The proportion of children who answered "I like studying" has decreased, particularly among elementary school students. [Figure 2-1]

● The proportion of children who answered "I don't know why I'm studying" has increased at all school levels. [Figure 2-2]

● The number of children who can self-regulate their learning, such as "finding ways to study effectively," has decreased among elementary and junior high school students. [Figure 2-3]

3. Students in Higher Academic Performance Brackets Spend More Time on Home Study Other Than Homework Compared to Lower Brackets, and the Gap Between Higher and Middle/Lower Brackets Has Widened Over the Years

● Students in higher academic performance brackets spend more time on out-of-school learning than those in lower brackets, with a significant difference in time spent on home study other than homework. [Figure 3-1]

● Over the past 11 years, time spent on home study other than homework has decreased for students in middle and lower academic performance brackets, widening the gap with those in higher brackets. [Figure 3-2]

4. Significant Differences in Home Study Time Other Than Homework Based on Socioeconomic Status (SES), and the Gap Due to SES Has Widened Over the Years

● Differences in out-of-school learning time by SES show a significant difference in time spent on home study other than homework. [Figure 4-1]

● Over the past 11 years, home study time has decreased for the low SES (L) group, widening the gap with the high SES (H) group. [Figure 4-2]

5. Over the Past 11 Years, Children Who Do Not Engage in Home Study Other Than Homework (The "0 Minutes of Home Study" Group) Have Increased by Approximately 10 Percentage Points to 40-50%

● The proportion of children who do not engage in home study other than homework (the "0 minutes of home study" group) has increased by approximately 10 percentage points over the past 11 years, reaching 40-50%. [Figure 5-1]

● The "0 minutes of home study" group is more prevalent among students in lower academic performance brackets and those from lower SES backgrounds. Furthermore, it is related to whether children like or dislike studying, have a clear purpose for studying, and engage in self-regulated learning. [Figure 5-2]

*Socioeconomic Status (SES) is an indicator of a family's social, economic, and cultural affluence. This analysis uses an index calculated from parents' educational background, occupation, and household income.

[Detailed Survey Results]

1. Changes in Out-of-School Learning Time: Out-of-School Learning Time Per Day Decreased by Approximately 20% in the Past 11 Years

● Daily out-of-school learning time (homework + home study other than homework + cram school) decreased by 22 minutes for high school students, 19 minutes for junior high school students, 17 minutes for 4th-6th graders, and 9 minutes for 1st-3rd graders over the past 11 years. The decrease was approximately 20% for all school levels. [Figure 1-1]

● Looking at the breakdown, the decrease in "homework" time was significant at all school levels, followed by a decrease in "home study" other than homework. [Figure 1-2]

◆ Figure 1-1 Out-of-School Learning Time (Total of Homework + Home Study Other Than Homework + Cram School)

◆ Figure 1-2 Out-of-School Learning Time (By School Level)

[Note] (Common to Figures 1-1 and 1-2) *For 1st-3rd graders, parents responded; for 4th graders and above, children responded. *"Homework" refers to time spent on school homework, and "Home Study" refers to study time other than school homework. "Not doing" was replaced with "0 minutes," "4 hours" with "240 minutes," and "more than 4 hours" with "300 minutes" for calculation. For "Cram School" time, children who answered "not attending" were assigned 0 minutes. For those attending, "30 minutes" was replaced with 30 minutes, "1 hour" with 60 minutes, "4 hours" with 240 minutes, and "more than 4 hours" with 270 minutes. This was then multiplied by the number of weekly cram school sessions and divided by 7 for calculation.

2. Changes in Learning Attitudes: "Liking Studying" Decreased Over the Past 11 Years, While "Not Knowing Why I'm Studying" Increased

● The proportion of children who answered "I like studying" has decreased, particularly among elementary school students. [Figure 2-1]

● The proportion of children who answered "I don't know why I'm studying" has increased at all school levels. [Figure 2-2]

● The number of children who can self-regulate their learning, such as "finding ways to study effectively," has decreased among elementary and junior high school students. [Figure 2-3]

◆ Figure 2-1 Do You Like Studying? ◆ Figure 2-2 Purpose of Studying *Reverse Item

*"Like studying" is the sum of "like very much" and "somewhat like" (%). "Don't know why I'm studying" is the sum of "strongly agree" and "somewhat agree" (%). *These items were not asked to 1st-3rd graders. "Purpose of studying" was only asked in 2016, 2019, and 2025.

◆ Figure 2-3 Finding Ways to Study Effectively (Self-Regulated Learning)

*"Often" and "sometimes" are summed (%). *These items were not asked to 1st-3rd graders. They were also not asked in 2015 and 2016.

3. Students in Higher Academic Performance Brackets Spend More Time on Home Study Other Than Homework Compared to Lower Brackets, and the Gap Between Higher and Middle/Lower Brackets Has Widened Over the Years

● Students in higher academic performance brackets spend more time on out-of-school learning than those in lower brackets, with a significant difference in time spent on home study other than homework. [Figure 3-1]

● Over the past 11 years, time spent on home study other than homework has decreased for students in middle and lower academic performance brackets, widening the gap with those in higher brackets. [Figure 3-2]

◆ Figure 3-1 Out-of-School Learning Time (By School Level/Academic Performance, 2025 Data)

*For 1st-3rd graders, parents responded; for 4th graders and above, children responded. Data is from the 2025 survey. *"Homework" refers to time spent on school homework, and "Home Study" refers to study time other than school homework. "Not doing" was replaced with "0 minutes," "4 hours" with "240 minutes," and "more than 4 hours" with "300 minutes" for calculation. For "Cram School" time, children who answered "not attending" were assigned 0 minutes. For those attending, "30 minutes" was replaced with 30 minutes, "1 hour" with 60 minutes, "4 hours" with 240 minutes, and "more than 4 hours" with 270 minutes. This was then multiplied by the number of weekly cram school sessions and divided by 7 for calculation. *The sum of times may vary due to rounding of decimals. *Academic performance groups were created by summing the grades (self-assessed) in Japanese and Math for 1st-3rd graders, Japanese, Math, Science, and Social Studies for 4th graders, and Japanese, Math, Science, Social Studies, and English for 5th graders and above, dividing each group into "Higher," "Middle," and "Lower" brackets, with each bracket representing one-third of the students. The middle bracket is omitted in the figures. [Figure 3-2] Change in Home Study Time Other Than Homework (By School Level/Academic Performance)

*For 1st-3rd graders, parents responded; for 4th graders and above, children responded. *Calculation methods for time and classification of academic performance groups are the same as in Figure 3-1.

4. Significant Differences in Home Study Time Other Than Homework Based on Socioeconomic Status (SES), and the Gap Due to SES Has Widened Over the Years

● Differences in out-of-school learning time by SES show a significant difference in time spent on home study other than homework. [Figure 4-1]

● Over the past 11 years, home study time has decreased for the low SES (L) group, widening the gap with the high SES (H) group. [Figure 4-2]

◆ Figure 4-1 Out-of-School Learning Time (By School Level/SES, 2025 Data)

*For 1st-3rd graders, parents responded; for 4th graders and above, children responded. Data is from the 2025 survey. *"Homework" refers to time spent on school homework, and "Home Study" refers to study time other than school homework. "Not doing" was replaced with "0 minutes," "4 hours" with "240 minutes," and "more than 4 hours" with "300 minutes" for calculation. For "Cram School" time, children who answered "not attending" were assigned 0 minutes. For those attending, "30 minutes" was replaced with 30 minutes, "1 hour" with 60 minutes, "4 hours" with 240 minutes, and "more than 4 hours" with 270 minutes. This was then multiplied by the number of weekly cram school sessions and divided by 7 for calculation. *The sum of times may vary due to rounding of decimals. *SES was classified into L (Lowest), LM (Lower Middle), UM (Upper Middle), and H (Highest) groups, with each group representing 25% of the sample, based on parents' educational background, occupation, and household income. The LM and UM groups are omitted in the figures. Questions related to SES were answered by parents. [Figure 4-2] Change in Home Study Time Other Than Homework (By School Level/SES)

*For 1st-3rd graders, parents responded; for 4th graders and above, children responded. *Calculation methods for time and classification of SES groups are the same as in Figure 4-1.

5. Over the Past 11 Years, Children Who Do Not Engage in Home Study Other Than Homework (The "0 Minutes of Home Study" Group) Have Increased by Approximately 10 Percentage Points to 40-50%

● The proportion of children who do not engage in home study other than homework (the "0 minutes of home study" group) has increased by approximately 10 percentage points over the past 11 years, reaching 40-50%. [Figure 5-1]

● The "0 minutes of home study" group is more prevalent among students in lower academic performance brackets and those from lower SES backgrounds. Furthermore, it is related to whether children like or dislike studying, have a clear purpose for studying, and engage in self-regulated learning. [Figure 5-2]

◆ Figure 5-1 Change in the Proportion of Children Who Do Not Engage in Home Study Other Than Homework (0 Minutes of Home Study Group) (By School Level)

◆ Figure 5-2 Proportion of Children Who Do Not Engage in Home Study Other Than Homework (0 Minutes of Home Study Group) (2025, 4th-6th Graders Data)

*The figures represent the percentage of children who answered "not doing" to the question about time spent on home study other than homework. Data for 4th-6th graders in 2025 is shown. *Academic performance groups were created by summing the grades (self-assessed) in Japanese and Math for 1st-3rd graders, Japanese, Math, Science, and Social Studies for 4th graders, and Japanese, Math, Science, Social Studies, and English for 5th graders and above, dividing each group into "Higher," "Middle," and "Lower" brackets, with each bracket representing one-third of the students. SES was classified into L (Lowest), LM (Lower Middle), UM (Upper Middle), and H (Highest) groups, with each group representing 25% of the sample, based on parents' educational background, occupation, and household income. *"Liking studying" is categorized as "dislike" for those who answered "not at all" or "not much," and "like" for those who answered "like very much" or "somewhat like." *"Understanding the purpose of studying" is categorized as "don't understand" for those who answered "strongly agree" or "somewhat agree" to "I don't know why I'm studying," and "understand" for those who answered "not at all" or "not much." *"Engaging in self-regulation" is categorized as "not doing" for those who answered "not at all" or "not much" to "I find ways to study that suit me," and "doing" for those who answered "often" or "sometimes."

Commentary

Fostering Children Who Learn Independently: Insights from 11 Years of Longitudinal Research

Changes in Approach to Learning: Weakening Interest, Motivation, and Sense of Purpose in Learning

This analysis revealed several significant changes in children's approaches to learning. Firstly, out-of-school learning time has decreased by approximately 20% over the past 11 years. A key point is that the reduction in time spent on "homework" and "home study" other than homework is substantial across all school levels.

Alongside the decrease in out-of-school learning time, the proportion of children who "like studying" has decreased over the past 11 years, while the number of children who "don't know why they are studying" has increased, suggesting a weakening of positive attitudes and a sense of meaning towards learning. Furthermore, the number of children who can self-regulate their learning, such as "finding ways to study effectively," has decreased among elementary and junior high school students compared to nine years ago. In recent years, opportunities for children to learn through their own ingenuity and trial-and-error appear to be diminishing.

Based on these findings, it is believed that the decrease in children's out-of-school learning time is linked to changes in their approach to learning over the past 11 years, including a weakening of interest, motivation, and sense of purpose, as well as a reduction in opportunities for learning through personal ingenuity and trial-and-error.

The Challenge of the "0 Minutes of Home Study" Group, Accounting for 40-50%

Over the past 11 years, the proportion of children who do not engage in home study other than homework (the "0 minutes of home study" group) has increased by about 10 percentage points at all school levels, now accounting for 40-50%. The "0 minutes of home study" group is not a marginal phenomenon but a significant segment to consider when thinking about the nature of out-of-school learning.

The "0 minutes of home study" group is more prevalent among children with lower academic performance and those from lower SES backgrounds. When examining out-of-school learning time by academic performance and SES, this difference is particularly pronounced in home study time other than homework, and this gap has been widening over the years. In contrast, the time spent on homework, which has decreased over the years, does not show significant differences based on academic performance or SES.

Children in the "0 minutes of home study" group tend to have lower motivation and sense of purpose for learning, and a higher proportion of them do not engage in self-regulated learning. Unlike homework, which is often assigned, home study is time for children to choose what and how to learn. The increase in children who do not engage in any home study other than homework suggests that they may not be getting sufficient opportunities to develop their motivation, sense of purpose, and ability to regulate their learning through self-directed learning experiences.

Implications for Schools and Families: The Importance of a Learning Environment That Supports Self-Directed Learning

Children's motivation and sense of purpose for learning, and their ability to learn in a self-regulated manner, are believed to be fostered through their daily learning experiences. It is crucial to focus on experiences where children actively engage in and drive their own learning. Making school lessons enjoyable for children, and providing supportive interactions and a conducive learning environment, are the first steps in learning. The rapid development of digital and AI technologies in recent years also holds potential for expanding learning opportunities. It is essential to ensure learning opportunities after school, regardless of a child's circumstances, so that children can develop their motivation and sense of purpose for learning through the experience of self-directed learning.

Through its panel survey, the joint research project by the Benesse Institute for Educational Research and the Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo, will continue to capture the actual learning situation of children. The project aims to widely disseminate challenges and solutions for children's learning to society and to consider the future of learning together with many people.

Reports summarizing the survey results can be downloaded from the Benesse Institute for Educational Research website.

https://benesse.jp/berd/shotouchutou/research/detail_260331-1.html

Survey Overview

Title

"Survey on Children's Lives and Learning 2015-2025" (1st-11th Surveys)

Survey Theme

[Children's Survey] Attitudes and Actual Conditions Regarding Children's Lives and Learning

Survey Period

July-September each year

Survey Method

2015 and 2021: Combination of mail and web surveys. 2016-2020: Mail survey. 2022-2025: Web survey.

Survey Target

Children nationwide from 1st grade elementary to 3rd grade high school and their parents (Parents only responded for 1st-3rd graders).

"Children's Lives and Learning" Research Project Members

Affiliations and titles are as of June 2026.

● Project Representatives

Sho Fujiwara (Professor, University of Tokyo), Shunpei Komura (Chairman, Benesse Institute for Educational Research)

● Project Members

Hiroaki Mitsuzuka (Professor Emeritus, Ochanomizu University), Kiyomi Akita (Professor, Gakushuin University; Professor Emeritus, University of Tokyo), Kayo Matsushita (Professor, Kyoto University of Art and Design; Professor Emeritus, Kyoto University), Shohei Yota (Associate Professor, University of Tokyo), Nanaho Todaka (Project Assistant Professor, University of Tokyo), Haruo Kimura (Professor, Teikyo University; Senior Visiting Researcher, Benesse Institute for Educational Research), Akihiro Sato (Senior Researcher, Benesse Institute for Educational Research), Satoshi Okabe (Chief Researcher, ibid.), Yuka Nozaki (Chief Researcher, ibid.), Junko Ogawa (Researcher, ibid.)

● Working Group Members

Shiro Ohno (Associate Professor, Waseda University), Ryosuke Onoda (Associate Professor, Graduate School of Yamanashi University), Kosuke Kazumi (Associate Professor, Ryukoku University), Keisuke Inohara (Associate Professor, Kitasato University), Kohei Toyonaga (Lecturer, Kindai University)

● Advisory Board Members

Hiroshi Ishida (Professor Emeritus and Visiting Professor, University of Tokyo), Kaori Sato (Professor Emeritus, University of Tokyo), Mei Kagawa (Associate Professor, Daito Bunka University), Yuko Osaki (Associate Professor, Japan College of Social Work)

● Staff

Koshi Nakajima (Chief Researcher, Benesse Institute for Educational Research), Toshiaki Mori (Chief Researcher, ibid.), Hatsue Ouchi (Staff, ibid.), Mio Watanabe (Staff, ibid.)