Exam Results may be Boosted by Silence in Classroom

Keeping quiet in the classroom can boost children's exam results, a researcher from Stirling University's school of education has claimed. Silence can also improve their self-esteem and cut down on bad behaviour.

Dr Helen Lees suggested that encouraging pupils to keep noise to a minimum has substantial benefits and should become a valuable component of all children's education.

She said that teaching children about the benefits of "strong silence" - deliberate stillness that gives them the opportunity to focus and reflect in a stress-free environment - can have a significant effect on pupils' concentration and behaviour.

The conclusions are made in a new book - Silence in Schools - to be published next year.

It is the latest in a string of research to establish a link between the classroom environment and pupils' academic ability.

"There is no educational reason why silent practices in some way should not be an integral part of a child's education," the Telegraph quoted Dr Lees as saying.

"In fact, when we take various strands of research on school settings and put them together, what we see is that education without silence does not make much sense.

"In areas of better learning outcomes, better interpersonal relationships, better self-esteem and well-being measures, silence in a person's life and an individual's education is shown throughout the relevant research literature to be a benefit," she added.

Dr Lees is due to present her research at a conference - Just This Day - at London's St Martin-in-the-Fields church on November 23.

Source: ANI