Teachers regularly check student understanding using a variety of strategies including effective questioning. Teachers analyse the information they collect to make evidence-based instructional decisions. This includes when to move between modelled, guided and independent practice.

Checking understanding requires teachers to collect the responses of all students (Wiliam 2014).

Strategy learning module

The Strategy learning module – checking for understanding (PPTX 9.13 MB):

• breaks down the strategy
• shows how the strategy can be applied using different techniques
• offers professional learning support for a whole-school approach to explicit teaching.

More information about how to implement this professional learning can be found in Leading explicit teaching.

Technique guides

Explicit teaching strategies are implemented in the classroom through a range of techniques that are intentionally selected by the teacher. These techniques are not an exhaustive list of every approach a teacher may use to implement this strategy. The technique guides provided support teachers to understand and apply the technique as part of their explicit teaching practice:

• Technique guide – student response systems (PDF 326.4 KB)
• Technique guide – responsive teaching (PDF 227.8 KB)

What it isn’t

• Asking for volunteer responses from a limited number of students
• Expecting students will ask a question if they don’t understand
• Used only at the end of a lesson or unit of learning
• Questions like, ‘Does everyone understand?’ and ‘Does anyone need any help?’

Further resources

• DataWORKS Curriculum (15 July 2014) 'TAPPLE – How to Check for Understanding'
• Sherrington T (2022) ‘Kitchen Pedagogy: Five Ways to Check for Understanding (8:26)’ [video]
• Tips for Teachers (14 December 2022) 'Check for understanding – Tips for Teachers' [video].
• Wiliam D (2015) ‘Designing Great Hinge Questions’, Educational Leadership, 73(1):40–44.
• Wiliam D (2015) ‘Hinge Questions (3:16)’ [video]