Supported self-explaining: learners operate on high-quality explanations already created for them

Design · All designs
Evidence · 3 claims (3 for) · 1 study (1 causal), q3 · 1 of 1 report an effect size · 3 claims rest on one study

Description

The article distinguishes three forms of self-explaining: spontaneous, elicited, and supported. In supported self-explaining, "learners operate on high-quality explanations already created for them"; tutors model explanations and provide practice analyzing and applying them, encouraging elaboration and discussion. The authors chose this form because at-risk learners with cognitive limitations may invent subpar explanations, and because the key ingredient appears to be processing high-quality explanations rather than inventing them.

Design Implications

Context

Requirements

• Tutors model high-quality explanations and scaffold practice in analyzing and applying them

Constraints

• Designed for learners with histories of poor mathematics achievement who may be vulnerable to inventing subpar explanations

Target Learners

• at-risk fourth-grade mathematics learners

Learning Goals

• explaining why fraction magnitudes differ
• fraction magnitude comparison

Claims

• Supported Self Explaining Improves Magnitude Comparison Accuracy [+M]
• Supported Self Explaining Improves Explanation Quality [+M]
• Working Memory Compensatory Moderator Self Explaining [+M]

Related Designs

Examples

-

Key Sources

• Fuchs, L. S., Malone, A., Schumacher, R. F., Namkung, J., Hamlett, C. L., Jordan, N. C., Siegler, R. S., Gersten, R., & Changas, P. (2016). Supported Self-Explaining during Fraction Intervention. Journal of Educational Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000073

Page metadata

Field	Value
type	design
id	supported-self-explaining-approach
title	Supported self-explaining: learners operate on high-quality explanations already created for them
description	The article distinguishes three forms of self-explaining: spontaneous, elicited, and supported.
status	review
generated	by process:settle-candidates on 2026-10-23
trust	unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content
sources	1 — fuchs-2016

Frontmatter is the page's machine-readable record — see the Schema & Guide.