The Power of Explicit Teaching and the Worked-Example Principle

Explicit teaching can be thought of as being the specific, direct, example (here is how you do this action/subject/process) talk and presentation that takes place during classroom lessons.

This specific (how you do it) directed classroom talk and presentation is, according to pedagogical research, just the beginning of what explicit teaching and worked example teaching does and what it achieves, in terms of advancing learning, knowledge and understanding.

Christine Edwards-Groves points out that “in contemporary educational media ‘explicit teaching’ has been highlighted as being an effective approach [in the art and science of teaching] that directly influences learning”.

A cognitively powerful, systematic teacher-directed process

Adding further support to this, Ruth Clark, Frank Nguyen and John Sweller, point out that the explicit teaching and worked example process, is not only an efficient and excellent specific step-by-step teaching tool, but perhaps, even more importantly, from a learners perspective; the explicit teaching and the worked example method of instruction should be thought of as being a powerful systematic teacher-directed process, where the participants not only see, hear and learn how to perform a task and how to solve a problem efficiently (as they follow the step-by-step process and the specific directed examples being presented by the teacher); there are beneficial concomitant cognitive advances in learning, knowledge, insight and understanding. 

Sports research

The sports research undertaken Daniel Coyle’s informs that the explicit teaching and worked examples in sports coaching, is not only associated with attention to detail competencies; this process also helps to advance perceptions into the micro-learning which is taking place, which then has the capacity to lead to advancing efficient micro-skill improvements and associated broader and deeper creative thinking and skills advances; in whatever skill or sport that is being studied, practiced and learned.

Advice from Australian and World Champ Johnny Famechon

As former Australian and World Boxing Champion Johnny Famechon made known in his book, The Method,co-authored by Frank Quill, champions are not born, they are made. The advice he received from his trainer Ambrose Palmer was to: Listen, work hard, practice, practice and practice some more. 

An excellent method

The value of explicit teaching and the worked example is also endorsed by Jeroen van Merri?nboer who is of the opinion that the application of explicit teaching and the worked example is not only an excellent method by which to pass on information, but this associated teaching strategy is also a potent pedagogical process that a teacher should apply to assist students (at all levels) to advance their development, knowledge and understanding of the subject in question, with the added capacity to progress creative insights to whatever subject matter is being studied. The universal truth is that knowledge does not advance without personal effort. 

Independent intellectual potential

Further to this, the research in the area of explicit teaching and worked examples, compellingly suggests that the explicit teaching, and the worked examples method also allows participants to eventually develop their own, self-directed and self-regulating independent intellectual potential.

This then has the added benefit of not only bringing about independence of thinking (which not only advances learning), this this process also has the potential of the student developing the all-important capacity of engaging in and presenting self-management behaviours.

The importance and life-affirming power of self-management

It is Anita Woolfolk who points out that if the “goal of education is to produce people who are capable of educating themselves, then students must learn to manage their own lives, set their own goals, and provide their own reinforcement…[Because] life is filled with tasks that call for…self-management”. The universal truth is that knowledge – irrespective of the discipline – does not advance without self-directed discipline, self-regulating behaviours and life-long self-management personal effort.

Achievement and success have never been a coincidence; this can only be crafted and advanced by personal application, discipline, dedication, determination, and perseverance.“We must become the change we want to see” (Mahatma Gandhi).

About the author

Dr Ragnar Purje holds the position of Adjunct Lecturer School of Education and the Arts, Central Queensland University. Under the supervision of Professor Ken Purnell Ragnar’s thesis focussed on the success of his pioneering form of acquired brain injury rehabilitation therapy.

The therapy is now referred to as CBBMMT (Complex Brain-Based Multi-Movement Therapy). Ragnar’s thesis has also added two new descriptors into the lexicon of human biology; these are neurofluidity and hólos. Neurofluidity are the neurological processes that lead to the condition of brain plasticity. Hólos is a descriptor which, for the first time in history (to the best of Ragnar’s research and understanding), provides a category which unifies the brain and the body, with one word. 

Prior to this holistic biological unification, the brain and the body had always been referred to as two separate entities. Hólos derives from the Greek: ?λο? ? ? ólos. The English word holistic is derived from hólos. Holistic and hólos offer the same classification. Holistic and hólos incorporate the concept of holism.

Ragnar is the author of Responsibility Theory? (A new consideration in neuroeducation). A brain-based immersive systematic self-talk sequence learning program. The purpose of which is to empower teachers and inspire and transform students. Haibo He (2011, p. 190) emphasises that “sequence learning is presumably among one of the most important components of human intelligence.” 

Responsibility Theory? presents ten powerful precepts which provides teachers, educators, and parents with additional linguistic focussed pedagogical and social tools, that fits in with any teaching style, any classroom behaviour management program, and all school rules. The Responsibility Theory? program also fits in with all parental home rules.

Once teachers are informed about what Responsibility Theory? is and how it should be applied, the next stage is for the teachers, in accordance with their own personality and teaching styles, to begin introducing the program to their students. 

As part of this process the students are informed by their teacher that each student can immediately use this knowledge and power to take control of their thinking and behaviour, which will help them to constructively advance their well-being, their social skills and academic potential; not only for today, but forever.

Associated with this is Ragnar’s Responsibility Theory? NeuroEducation Self-Empowerment Project. The Project is based on neuroscience and brain plasticity research. It is suitable for schools, colleges, corporations, or any organisation interested advancing personal and social wellbeing by constructively and systematically especially dealing with negative influences such as bullying, cyberbullying, or negative life-style choices and/or negative peer influence. The motto of the program is: If I can change my thinking, I can change my behaviour and my life.

Ragnar is the initiator of NeuroNumeracy?, an intensive self-motivating and transformative neuroscience brain-based numeracy learning program for children, the purpose of which is to enhance their skills, knowledge and understanding of the four operations in mathematics.

In addition to his cognitive neuroscience PhD, Ragnar has completed three Master of Education degrees (one in Education; one in Guidance and Counselling; and one in Leadership and Management). He has two Bachelor degrees (Physical Education and Psychology). He has also completed five Post-Graduate awards (Education; Sports Science; Exercise and the Sports Sciences; Health Counselling; and Communication Studies).

Ragnar is a traditional Goju Karate martial arts practitioner and a former sports karate Australian champion. “Every day one kata”.