Hugh Reilly: There’s a lot to learn about how inquiring minds work

IT IS said that curiosity killed the cat. Satisfaction, apparently, brought it back, to date the only example of a resurrection failing to be the catalyst for a new religion.

Edinburgh University researcher, Sophie von Stumm, whose name eerily conjures up an image of a Dr Evil sidekick in an Austin Powers movie, has now discovered that inquisitive students enjoy greater academic success.

Speaking in praise of curiosity is not new. One of the world’s most beautiful minds, Albert Einstein, famously said: “It is a miracle that curiosity survives a formal education.” Winston Churchill probably spoke for most school children when he stated: “I have always had a curious nature; I enjoy learning but I dislike being taught.”

Kids like the freestyle nature of finding things out for themselves, albeit under the direction of a classroom teacher. Being handed an investigation topic that requires them to embark on such activities as trawling the internet, carrying out a survey and making a presentation excites most youngsters. There is healthy competition among groups and individuals to unearth facts that will elicit the words the cherubs yearn to hear tripping from the lips of their hitherto omniscient master: “I didn’t know that.”

Under the Curriculum for Excellence, the opportunities for independent learning in the classroom curiosity shop will be increased. Teachers are being encouraged to allow pupils to go off on a tangent – heck, teachers are being egged on to toss the lesson plan aside if the interest of the children has been aroused in a matter not part of the coursework. Hopefully, in schools on Monday, I’m certain teachers will be asked by curious children why, if discrimination is the issue, females are to be allowed to accede to the throne but not Catholics.

Of course, curiosity alone is not enough to be a successful learner. In my final year of teaching, I encountered perhaps the most curious sixth former I had ever taught. He was highly articulate and regularly asked searching questions to which I gave my fullest, vaguest replies. Unfortunately, he failed Higher Modern Studies as a result of his appalling attendance and resolute determination never to attempt a homework exercise.

The problem for chalkies is that curiosity is extinguished as students move through the education meat-grinder.

Higher candidates are aware that one doesn’t need to be a genius to pass SQA examinations with flying colours; success can be achieved through what is essentially rote learning and the subject teacher guessing correctly which questions will appear in the exam paper.

The case of how kids best learn is becoming curiouser and curiouser.