Getting primary school pupils to think creatively in science lessons can boost their understanding of the subject, according to a new report.

The paper, Think, Doing, Talking Science, found that by asking Year 5 children so-called “big questions”, it is possible to enhance their knowledge of science.

Commissioned by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), the study found that introducing a creative thinking element to lessons can better engage and inspire pupils, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Questions such as “How do we know the earth is a sphere?” and “How can we tell the person next to us is alive?” were found to enhance the experience of the subject among primary school pupils.

The report noted how half of pupils taking part in the randomised controlled trials found science much more interesting than before, compared with 37 per cent who took part in the standard approach to the teaching of science.

What this creative approach allows for in children is the ability to develop early on higher order thinking skills.

These include being able to think logically, critically, reflectively, metacognitively and creatively.

Dr Kevan Collins, chief executive of the EEF, commented: “It’s great to see that our trial of Thinking, Doing, Talking Science had a positive impact on results and attitudes by getting pupils to think more creatively.

“This approach looks to be particularly effective for disadvantaged pupils too and could be a low-cost way for schools to boost their pupils’ science results.”

In related news, a study by the University of Bristol, carried out on behalf of the EEF, discovered that getting children to be more active during class has no real impact on their attainment levels.

It said that evidence it had collated about the perceived benefits were “weak and mixed” - more needs to be done to properly ascertain whether or not introducing this into lessons is worth the effort.