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- Vol 3 RE: Chapter 4
prior knowledgeexplanatory questioningprediction questionselaborative interrogationinferential learningmisconception correctionknowledge integrationJournal article Evidence summaryAt a glance
Pressley and colleagues review four increasingly rigorous lines of evidence for the claim that attempting to construct explanatory answers improves learning. Correlational studies first show that students who provide explanations during group work tend to learn more.
Key ideas
Experimental manipulations that increase explanation during interaction then produce better outcomes. Research on prediction questions suggests that trying to anticipate upcoming text can activate and reorganise relevant prior knowledge. Finally, elaborative-interrogation experiments show benefits when learners answer “why” questions about facts, especially when their knowledge permits plausible connections. The proposed mechanism is mindful inferential transformation: learners do more than repeat information by linking it to what they know, identifying relations, and constructing a coherent account. Success depends on relevant prior knowledge and the quality of the generated explanation; attempts can fail or introduce error when learners lack a sound basis.
Why it matters
For educators, explanation prompts are most useful when questions target important relations, students have enough background knowledge, answers are checked, and discussion or feedback corrects misconceptions. The review presents promising but then-preliminary evidence rather than a universal guarantee.
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- TE
- Teacher Edition
- PE
- Practice Edition
- RE
- Research Edition
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