Does discovery-based instruction enhance learning?

We checked this card's citation and the finding we state against the source's own page or record in October 2026.

What it found

Explicit instruction beat unassisted discovery under most conditions. But discovery with support (feedback, worked examples, scaffolding, asking learners to explain) beat other forms of instruction. Leaving learners to find things out alone doesn't help; guided discovery does.

Effect size, as the source reports it: unassisted discovery vs explicit instruction d = −0.38; enhanced discovery vs other instruction d = 0.30.

What kind of study it is

Design

Meta-analysis

Weight

A synthesis: it pools or weighs many studies, so it carries the most weight on the evidence meter.

Sample

Two meta-analyses of 164 studies: 580 and 360 comparisons

Read it

doi.org/10.1037/a0021017 · ERIC record EJ933606

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Cited in the Library

• Explicit and direct instruction
• Inquiry-based learning
• Do students learn best by discovering things for themselves?
• Explicit instruction vs inquiry-based learning: which works, and when?