Hannah Thomas, Director of Professional Learning

Rethinking Literacy Instruction: Balancing Explicit Teaching with Inquiry

Last week Caroline Usasz delivered an engaging and thought-provoking presentation at our latest Cranbrook Teachers Talking Teaching (CTTT) session.

Her Teacher Inquiry Group (TIG) report, Thinking Like a Linguist: Implicit or Explicit? Raising the Bar of Literacy Instruction Through a Hybrid Pedagogical Approach, provided a compelling analysis of how explicit grammar instruction and inquiry-based learning can work together to improve students’ analytical writing.

Caroline’s research critically examined the data underpinning NESA’s renewed emphasis on explicit instruction, particularly in response to data from NAPLAN and PISA, alongside the findings of the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO) report. While AERO’s 2024 report advocates for a knowledge-rich curriculum, arguing that countries favouring inquiry-based learning have seen declines in student outcomes, Caroline questioned whether explicit instruction alone is truly the solution. Her findings suggest that a hybrid approach, which integrates structured teaching with student-led exploration, may be more effective in fostering deep engagement with language and literature.

Key Research Insights:

• Explicit grammar instruction built foundational knowledge, as students demonstrated confidence in identifying metalanguage and grammatical techniques when taught directly.
• However, explicit instruction alone risked limiting deeper analysis, with students often struggling to move beyond denotation and apply their knowledge in meaningful ways.
• Inquiry-based learning fostered critical thinking; when students were encouraged to independently explore texts, such as identifying powerful words and phrases in George Orwell’s Animal Farm and Wilfred Owen’s poetry, they developed more nuanced interpretations. 
• Scaffolding was key to bridging the gap; Caroline’s use of Fill in the Gaps (FIG) writing structures helped students articulate their ideas more clearly, regardless of whether they had learned through explicit or inquiry-driven methods.

Implications for Teaching Practice:

• A balanced approach is essential; explicit teaching provides students with analytical tools, while inquiry allows them to apply those tools in meaningful ways.
• Scaffolding matters, as structured support like sentence frames and targeted questioning can help students develop confidence in their analytical writing.
• Interrogating the data behind curriculum shifts is crucial. Caroline’s research reminds us to critically assess how educational policies are shaped and whether they truly address students’ needs.

Caroline’s work challenges us to consider how we support students to move beyond “identification” to interpretation and engagement, helping them not only recognise grammatical structures but also understand their effect and purpose within texts. A balanced approach is crucial to developing confident, analytical writers.

Hannah Thomas
Director of Professional Learning