Skip to Content
Visible Learning™
Visible Learning MetaX™
Version 1.4 – Updated February 2026

Self explanation

Overview

  • Influence: Self explanation
  • Domain: Student Learning Strategies
  • Sub-Domain: Meta-cognitive/self-regulated learning
  • Potential to Accelerate Student Achievement: Potential to considerably accelerate
  • Influence Definition: When students are asked for explanations for their current thinking, and create stories relating to their current understanding.

Evidence

  • Number of meta-analyses: 4
  • Number of studies: 112
  • Number of students: 6,450
  • Number of effects: 178
  • Weighted mean effect size: 0.55
  • Robustness index: 3

Meta-Analyses

Meta-Analyses
Journal Title Author Article Name Year Published Variable Number of Studies Number of Students Number of Effects Effect Size
Conference paper Bisra, Liu, & Salimi Inducing self-explanation: A meta-analysis. 2018 Self-explanation 14 NA 14 1.08
Educational Psychology Review Bisra, Liu, Nesbit, Salimi, & Winne Inducing self-explanation: A meta-analysis 2018 Self-explanation 64 5,917 69 0.55
Dissertation Lavery Self-regulated learning for academic success: An evaluation of instructional techniques 2008 Self-explanation 8 533 69 0.50
ZDM - International Journal on Mathematics Education Rittle-Johnson, Loehr, & Durkin Promoting self-explanation to improve mathematics learning: A meta-analysis and instructional design principles 2017 Self explanation 26 NA 26 0.27
TOTAL/AVERAGE 112 6,450 178 0.60
Back to top