What is explicit teaching in maths? A practical guide for the classroom

Explicit teaching is becoming a stronger focus across Australian classrooms, with growing evidence supporting its impact on student learning outcomes.

While the term is widely used, many teachers are still exploring what explicit teaching looks like in practice, particularly in a maths lesson.

At its core, explicit teaching is a structured, systematic approach where concepts are clearly explained, modelled, and practised in sequence — with ongoing checks for understanding throughout. Rather than leaving students to construct or discover knowledge without guidance, explicit instruction fully explains and demonstrates what students need to learn, aligning with what research tells us about how learning works most effectively and efficiently (AERO, 2023).

What does explicit teaching look like in a maths lesson?

Explicit teaching follows a clear sequence, often described as a gradual release of responsibility:

• I do – the teacher models the concept
• We do – students practise with guidance
• You do – students apply learning independently

The teacher introduces new content, works through it together with students in guided practice — often with several repetitions — before students work independently, supported by teacher observation.

In a maths classroom, this might look like:

• Demonstrating how to solve an equation step by step
• Working through similar examples together as a class
• Having students attempt questions independently
• Checking understanding at each stage before moving on

This structure helps reduce confusion, makes thinking visible, and gives students a clear pathway from introduction to mastery.

For a deeper walkthrough of how this plays out in real classrooms, you can also explore our recent webinar on explicit teaching in maths, where we break down lesson flow and practical strategies in more detail.

Why explicit teaching is effective

Explicit teaching works because it removes ambiguity from the learning process. Students are not left to guess how to approach a problem — they are shown clearly, given opportunities to practise with support, and then apply their knowledge independently.

This approach is particularly effective in maths because concepts build on prior knowledge, misconceptions can compound quickly, and confidence plays a key role in engagement. The research backs this up: explicit instruction has been found to have a positive impact on student achievement across a range of content areas, including mathematics, and across a range of education contexts (AERO, 2023).

A key reason it works so well is how it accounts for the limits of working memory. By breaking down information into smaller, manageable chunks, teachers tailor their approach to how memory functions and support students' retention of knowledge (AERO, 2023). In maths, where a single misunderstood concept can create cascading gaps, this matters enormously.

It's also worth noting what explicit teaching is not. A common misconception is that it focuses on outdated "chalk and talk" or passive content delivery. In practice, evidence-based explicit teaching is dynamic and responsive — it involves interacting with students as they practise, adjusting to learning needs as they arise, and actively engaging students through questioning, elaborating, and checking for understanding (AERO, 2023).

Challenges when applying explicit teaching

While the structure is clear, applying it consistently in a classroom setting can be more complex.

Teachers often need to manage:

• Different levels of understanding across the class
• Providing timely feedback during guided practice
• Identifying gaps before they impact future learning
• Balancing instruction time with meaningful practice

These challenges can make it difficult to maintain the flow of a lesson, even with a strong plan in place.

Supporting explicit teaching with Mathspace

Mathspace is designed to support the structure of explicit teaching, helping teachers deliver each stage more effectively while maintaining visibility of student understanding.

Modelling with clarity

When introducing a new concept, worked examples are essential. Explicit instruction relies on demonstrations of how to perform tasks or solve problems, often using worked examples (AERO, 2023). Mathspace provides step-by-step solutions that can be used to do exactly this — making mathematical thinking clear and visible during the "I do" stage.

Guided practice with immediate feedback

During guided practice, students begin applying what they've learned. Providing students time to review and practise under guidance is important until they are prepared to apply their learning independently — this helps avoid students developing and storing misconceptions in long-term memory (AERO, 2023). With instant feedback and hints, Mathspace allows students to correct mistakes as they occur, reducing delays and supporting students who need additional guidance without interrupting the flow of the lesson.

Independent practice at the right level

As students move into independent work, practice needs to reflect their level of understanding. Mathspace adapts to each student, helping ensure they are working on questions that are appropriately challenging — supporting both consolidation and confidence.

Checking understanding in real time

Regular checks for understanding are a core part of explicit instruction, allowing teachers to identify and address misconceptions and support students' learning progress (AERO, 2023). Mathspace reporting provides a clear view of how students are progressing in real time, making it easier to act on that information during the lesson itself.

A practical example

Imagine you're teaching fractions. You begin by modelling how to compare fractions, working through examples step by step. Students then move into guided practice, receiving immediate feedback as they attempt similar questions.

As the lesson progresses, you notice a number of students are struggling with unlike denominators. This can be addressed immediately, rather than being picked up later through assessment. By the time students reach independent practice, they are working from a stronger foundation.

Supporting consistent teaching practice

Explicit teaching is most effective when it is applied consistently across lessons. Mathspace supports this by aligning with each stage of the teaching process, helping teachers:

• Deliver clear modelling
• Support guided practice
• Provide timely feedback
• Monitor understanding as learning progresses

You can incorporate Mathspace into your existing lessons without changing your overall approach. If you'd like to see more examples and hear how other teachers are approaching explicit teaching in maths, the webinar mentioned above is a useful place to start.