Children who argue more perform better in Math, English and Science: study

New method of teaching improves youngsters’ overall approach on learning and thinking skills, say findings

Children who argue are more likely to do well in English, Math and Science, according a new research.

According to a report by The Independent, encouraging primary schoolchildren to explain their answers, debate with fellow classmates can help make progress achievable in these core subjects, the study suggests.

The study was conducted in 78 primary schools in England with higher-than-average numbers of poor children in a trial of “dialogic teaching” published by the Education Endowment Foundation.



The teachers were encouraged to ask the students open questions, encouraging them to become familiar with the idea of exploring a topic rather than opting for a simple yes or no answer. Independent evaluation by researchers at Sheffield Hallam University found the 2,493 nine- and 10-year-old children who took part made, on average, two months more progress in English and science than a similarly sized group who did not receive the intervention.

Math results also boosted by two months for those eligible for free school meals – a common indicator of poverty – and by one month on average across all pupils. Children in both groups were tested in each of the subjects before and after the programme were conducted.

The findings indicated that this method of teaching improves youngsters’ overall approach on learning and thinking skills, rather than just increasing subject knowledge.