by Kelly Hollis, Senior Product Manager – Science, Education Perfect
Across Australia and beyond, Science classrooms are full of possibility. I see teachers experimenting with new technologies, connecting learning to real-world challenges, and finding creative ways to spark curiosity. Yet, in my conversations with educators, one theme surfaces constantly: engaging Science students in 2026 feels harder than it should be.
This isn’t because students lack curiosity, and it certainly isn’t because teachers lack expertise. The reality is that the conditions surrounding how we teach Science have become increasingly complex. To move the needle on engagement, we need to look past ‘attention spans’ and instead address the structural pressure in our classrooms — and this is where a nuanced approach to explicit teaching becomes our most valuable tool.
The Crowded Curriculum
One of the biggest tensions I hear about is the crowded curriculum. Our Science curricula today are ambitious, covering everything from genetics and ecosystems to sustainability and tech innovation in a single year. This breadth is valuable, but it creates a pacing trap. When we feel pressure to keep moving, concepts are often introduced, practiced briefly, and then replaced with the next topic before they’ve truly landed with students.
This is where explicit teaching serves as a pressure valve. Rather than rushing through topics to cover the content, an explicit approach prioritises clarity from the outset. By being explicit about the core ‘big ideas’ and naming the specific success criteria for a lesson, we help students filter the noise of a crowded curriculum. It allows us to model the essential thinking skills first, giving students the cognitive floor space to explore those complex topics more deeply without feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of content.
Making Relevance Explicit
We know today’s students are acutely aware of global issues like AI, renewable energy, climate change and health science. They know science matters. However, I often see a disconnect where relevance is used as an engaging introduction, but then disappears once the formulas and procedures begin.
For engagement to stick, relevance cannot be an afterthought; it must be made explicit throughout the entire learning sequence. Explicit teaching means anchoring every definition and procedure in a context students can relate to. When we are explicit about why a particular chemical reaction is the key to a renewable energy solution, science becomes a lens for understanding their world. We aren’t just teaching a lab; we’re explicitly modelling how a scientist views a global problem.
Supporting Identity and Belonging
Another significant factor in engagement is identity. In every Science classroom, some students see themselves as capable scientific thinkers, while others have quietly decided that science is not for them. These beliefs are often shaped early and reinforced over time. Students who do not feel they belong are more likely to withdraw when learning becomes challenging. Building engagement, therefore, requires deliberate attention to differentiation, feedback and representation.
Explicit teaching is a powerful tool for equity and identity-building. When we make the ‘hidden’ steps of scientific thinking visible — like demonstrating exactly how to interpret a graph or construct a hypothesis — we demystify the subject for students who feel like outsiders. By explicitly naming common misconceptions before they take hold, we create opportunities for meaningful success. This clarity builds the confidence students need to see themselves as capable young scientists.
Clarity vs Monologues
In current discourse, explicit teaching is sometimes reduced to ‘chalk and talk.’ In my experience, it is instead about providing clarity so that students feel empowered to take control.
In a world of immediate information, science is unique because it requires us to ask good questions, analyse data, and revise our ideas over time. We know that inquiry without enough support can lead to frustration. Explicit teaching provides the foundation that makes inquiry feel productive and exciting.
It means modelling how we think as scientists. Showing students how to break down a problem, how to interpret a graph step by step, how to question a claim, and how to adjust conclusions when new evidence appears. When we make that reasoning process clear, students gain the confidence to eventually do it themselves.
Science remains one of the most powerful subjects in the curriculum. The challenge for us now isn’t to make it more ‘entertaining’. It’s about designing learning that balances authentic context, curiosity and depth. When we view explicit teaching as a way to provide purpose and guidance, we can strengthen relevance, support every student’s identity, and enable richer inquiry. By leading with clarity, we can help ensure that every student sees themselves in the science they are learning and feels empowered by its relevance in their lives.
