Blurting out answers in class can be good for learning

Blurting out answers in class can be good for learning. Pupils who blurt out answers in class often learn more than their quieter classmates, according to new research. Test results from hundreds of schools across England show a surprising advantage for pupils with symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD); pupils who shout out answers attain better results than pupils who have similar symptoms but remain quiet and interrupt less. Experts from the Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring (CEM) at Durham University looked at assessments of 12,251 schoolchildren in England and found there was a 9 month advantage in reading and maths for those who continuously blurted out answers compared with those pupils who never did so but had similar levels of inattention. The findings show that there could be a good side to what can appear to be disruptive classroom behaviour and raise questions about learning and how best to engage and manage children with ADHD symptoms. Researchers analysed primary school teachers' ratings for four to five year old pupils at the end of the children's first year in school. The results were gathered from PIPS (Performance Indicators in Primary Schools), an optional test administered by teachers.