Industry News
Let children work and talk together, study urges
Posted on 14th December 2007
Children should be allowed more time to talk and collaborate in the classroom, a new report has claimed.
A review of primary education conducted by Cambridge University has called for greater amounts of "social interaction" during lessons, claiming it can offer children "valuable" learning opportunities.
Furthermore, encouraging competition is not necessarily the best way to motivate children, the report added, suggesting that instead teachers seek to encourage co-operation.
Additionally, the report warned: "Disputational talk, which is highly competitive and full of disagreements, is not conducive to learning in the particular context of pupil-led work," suggesting children were rarely encouraged to engage in co-operative talks.
Children benefit most from being praised for trying hard rather than praising and rewarding them when they achieve good results, the researchers stated.
The Primary Review was launched in October 2006 and will run for two years in total. It bases its findings on open written submissions, the opinions of those involved in or affected by education and surveys and searches of existing research.
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