New research has suggested that pupils who shout out in class achieve better results than their more reserved counterparts.

The study, conducted at Durham University, discovered that children who "blurt out" responses perform better in maths and English, people seeking teaching jobs will be interested to learn.

"Although it may seem disruptive, blurting out of answers clearly helps these pupils to learn," explained Christine Merrell, the report co-author.

Ms Merrell added that she hoped to conduct further research in this area to see how pupils could be encouraged to shout out as part of the lesson.

It is important, she said, to harness impulsive, quick-fire characteristics to bring about an improvement in exam results.

"We need to look more closely at this behaviour and how the interaction can be managed in the classroom," she said.

The results of the survey were based on a poll of 12,000 pupils in England.