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Ross Morrison McGill founded @TeacherToolkit in 2007, and today, he is one of the ‘most followed educators’on social media in the world. In 2015, he was nominated as one of the ‘500 Most Influential People in Britain’ by The Sunday Times as a result of…
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Is chewing gum actually good for teaching and learning?
Neuroimaging reveals that chewing gum stimulates the brain and supports stress relief, attention, and alertness—but effects are short-lived.
All those years I spent following the school policy, telling students off for chewing gum and setting them with a detention. Besides it being stuck under the school desk or attaching itself to your trousers., who knew the benefits?
This new research offers a neuroimaging review of chewing gum and its impact on the brain.
Published in June 2025, The Neural Correlates of Chewing Gum (Chmiel & Malinowska, 2025) explores how chewing gum influences attention, stress, and alertness through activation of brain networks using MRI and EEG (magnetic resonance imaging, and electroencephalogram) to record brain activity.
Chewing gum, often discouraged in classrooms, is shown to activate the brain’s sensorimotor, attentional, and emotional networks.
What I find fascinating about this research is all the usual ‘eating in class’ messages that we are told, and the habits/rules that we enforce as teachers might actually not be beneficial for learning.
In the last 40 years or so, we’ve learnt more about the brain through MRI scans than we have in the last 4,000 years about anything written about the brain. I continue to find studies like this challenge everything I know about teaching and learning.
The study (n = 32 studies reviewed) highlights how chewing stimulates areas like the prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate— think emotions and memory; linked with decision-making and focus. Flavoured gum and stress contexts amplify these effects. While the effects don’t last long, they are immediate and measurable, especially during stressful or cognitively demanding tasks.
This research is relevant for teachers managing focus, behaviour and student wellbeing.
I stopped chewing gum years ago, but I might take it up again!
The evidence suggests that gum chewing can support short-term alertness and reduce stress responses, providing a non-invasive, low–cost intervention. Rather than being just an annoyance, it may help students self-regulate and remain calm in tense situations like tests. Flavoured gum and faster chewing increased brain activity and alpha waves—related to relaxed awareness.
There’s been a quiet revolution given students water and bananas before big exams, perhaps chewing gum during the exam might work too?
Teachers might consider allowing silent chewing during tests or high-stakes tasks. Setting ground rules—such as “no bubbles, quiet chewing only”—could help maintain classroom order. Pilot schemes in SEND settings or during SATs and GCSE practice sessions may offer a structured way to observe effects. Using chewing as part of sensory strategies or exam preparation routines could offer benefits for focus and calm.
CPD questions for teachers:
- How could chewing gum help students with anxiety or attention issues?
- Could a ‘chewing zone’ reduce classroom disruption and support learning?
- Would some subjects benefit more from chewing-related alertness boosts?
- How might chewing support students during timed assessments?
- Can gum be integrated into sensory strategies for SEND learners?
- How could school leaders develop clear rules around gum use?
- What concerns do teachers have about allowing gum in class?
- How might chewing affect student behaviour and social dynamics?
- Can teachers trial gum-chewing during revision to support concentration?
- Is there scope to include this in wellbeing or exam stress policies?
Teachers who see gum as a distraction might want to rethink. With clear boundaries and context-aware use, chewing could be reframed as a tool for boosting brain function.
The research concludes:
Neuroimaging data indicate that chewing gum reliably engages broad sensorimotor circuits while also influencing regions tied to attention, stress regulation, and possibly memory. Incredible!
