By Lucy Carroll
High school students who are taught using explicit instruction are months ahead in reading and maths compared with peers not exposed to that teaching method, a landmark study of 16,000 students has found.
A major analysis by the NSW Department of Education and the University of Queensland found year 7 students who experienced explicit teaching – which involves step-by-step instructions and checking for students’ understanding – were four months ahead in their learning by year 9.
Principal Effie Niarchos and year 9 students at the comprehensive Canley Vale High School.Credit: Nikki Short
The findings reinforce evidence that the back-to-basics teaching approach, which favours clear direction over student-led or inquiry-based learning, is the most effective way to lift results and help children learn.
Researchers at the department’s Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation (CESE) analysed student surveys and NAPLAN results from 16,000 NSW public high school pupils to analyse how teaching practices influence achievement.
It found year 7 students who received explicit teaching were 1.8 months ahead in learning compared with their peers who did not experience that teaching style, while those in year 9 were 2.4 months ahead.
“The effect is long-lasting: when a student experiences explicit teaching in year 7 they are on average four months ahead in learning by year 9 – regardless of whether they continue to experience explicit teaching after year 7,” the report said.
Secretary of the NSW Department of Education Murat Dizdar, who heads up the state’s 2200 schools, said clear evidence backed using explicit teaching in the classroom to help lift academic outcomes and help children retain new concepts.
“The reason I loved this practice so much as a teacher was because I found it did not discriminate. Whether a child is struggling or accelerating beyond their class or stage level, explicit teaching is proven to help all learners reach their potential,” Dizdar said.
But the study, which analysed last year’s student surveys and recent NAPLAN results, showed just 57 per cent of high school pupils received explicit teaching and feedback regularly, compared with 78 per cent of primary students.
Results from the department’s Tell Them From Me surveys reveal 62 per cent of high school students reported they were asked to explain their reasoning, with a similar proportion saying their teachers set clear learning goals.
It also found a “clear equity gap”, with students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds more likely to receive explicit teaching than their more disadvantaged peers.
Half of high school students reported receiving helpful feedback, with that figure rising to 75 per cent for primary students.
Explicit teaching practices involve breaking down what students need to learn into smaller chunks, with the teacher modelling each step, reviewing learning before classes and constantly checking for understanding.
Evidence shows that when students try to learn new information without being explicitly taught, it can overload their working memory and damage their ability to store, remember and apply what they have learnt.
Researchers argue the more traditional teaching style has been overshadowed by student-led inquiry, where children investigate problems for themselves, anticipating this will result in critical and creative thinkers.
The department’s study, which was conducted with researchers from the Institute for Social Science in Research at the University of Queensland, found that explicit teaching also had a positive influence on students’ learning by boosting motivation, perseverance and engagement.
About 35 per cent of explicit teaching’s impact on NAPLAN reading results was due to its influence on a students’ confidence, and belief in their ability to succeed in an academic task.
NSW Education Minister Prue Car said addressing teacher shortages and delivering high quality, evidence-based teaching in every classroom is critical to improving student outcomes.“Explicit teaching works in the classroom. Period,” she said.
The report highlighted Balgowlah Boys High as a standout school using explicit instruction to drive sustained high results in NAPLAN and HSC scores. The approach has also been embraced by multiple high-performing NSW schools, including Marsden Road Public, Riverbank Public and Killara High, and by a group of schools under the Canberra and Goulburn Catholic Archdiocese.
It also said that when used effectively, explicit teaching is not the same as lecturing or rote learning, but when “implemented well it is a highly interactive and engaging teaching practice”.
The department’s review comes as the nation’s universities are set to overhaul their teaching degrees to include back-to-basics “core content” that includes evidence-based reading and maths instruction and classroom management skills. They will be given until 2025 to ensure the content is embedded in their initial teacher education courses.
At Canley Vale High, principal Effie Niarchos said the school’s approach to teaching is underpinned by explicit teaching and detailed analysis of student data.
“At the start of lessons we clearly set out what we expect of the students and constantly check how students are progressing in the classroom,” she said.
About a decade ago, students from year 7 to 9 began taking literacy lessons each week to help master writing skills and improve their grammar and comprehension.
Peter Tran, who runs the school’s literacy program, said there is an intense focus on literacy, which leads to success in other subjects. “We really need to deal with any literacy needs and problems before they get to senior years,” he said.