Postponed- Abu Dhabi Teaching Conference 2020

This study intends to investigate the relationships of explicit, teacher-led approaches on science achievement using the PISA 2015 dataset for the science literacy assessment in Australian schools. The data for this study were drawn from the PISA 2015 database and analyzed using hierarchical linear modelling (HLM). HLMs were estimated to test the contribution of each item to students’ science achievement scores and to estimate the mediation effect of teacher explanations. Only explicit, teacher-led practices demonstrated a significant, positive relationship to science achievement. In the mediation model the explicit, teacher-led approaches in the inquiry scale revealed a significant indirect effect on science achievement, through the teacher explaining scientific ideas. These findings, accompanied by a detailed analyses of the teacher-led items and their relationships to science outcomes, give teachers and policymakers clear guidance regarding the effective use of instructional explanations in the science classroom.