Plan ahead for effective explanations

High-quality explanations help students grasp the abstract concepts that they learn in the chemistry classroom. However, there is a conflict between what teachers understand about the benefits of explanations for learning and their beliefs about using planned explanations in lessons.

Features of high-quality explanations

The researchers found that teachers believed using explanations was important for developing their students’ understanding of chemistry concepts. The teachers were most likely to use explanations to help students understand why complex chemical phenomena occurred.

Teachers valued using planned explanations to clarify abstract concepts and help their students avoid misconceptions

They also found that six key aspects of high-quality explanations identified in previous research were regularly mentioned by the teachers:

• Subject-specific aspects: explanations are accurate and use appropriate terminology
• Linguistic clarity: explanations are clear and use understandable language
• Structural organisation: explanations are coherent, concise and logically formulated
• Use of visual and verbal supports: explanations are supported by images, animations and/or analogies when appropriate
• Centring on students’ needs: explanations are tailored to the prior knowledge and motivational characteristics of the students
• Appropriate speech and physical expression: explanations are delivered using appropriate gestures, facial expressions and vocal quality.

The researchers found that teachers valued using planned explanations to clarify abstract concepts and help their students avoid misconceptions. Teachers also valued planned explanations as they could tailor them to individual students’ needs, which they saw as a real benefit of using a teacher-led explanation over using textbooks, videos or student self-explanations.

Recognise downsides of explanations

Teachers associated giving explanations with lecturing and encouraging cognitive passivity in learners. Some teachers also felt that a teacher-led explanation went against the constructivist learning theories they learned in their teacher training. Using an explanation contrasted with their beliefs in student-centred learning and there was a belief among the teachers that explanations do not engage students in the learning process.

However, as the teachers progressed in their careers, their beliefs about how explanations support learning evolved. They moved from a position where they felt students shouldn’t have anything explained to them, to seeing the benefits of using well-crafted explanations to support student understanding. Teachers saw that using explanations was more important in schools where learners require structured support. In more academically focused schools, teachers had less positive beliefs about using explanations.

The researchers’ findings highlight the benefits of a well-crafted explanation in developing students’ understanding of chemistry concepts. However, they note that, if teachers have negative beliefs about using explanations, this could lead to either the teacher not using an explanation at all or using an explanation that is low in quality due to lack of planning.