Explicit Teaching Mandates

This article critiques the universal application of explicit instruction mandates in Australian education, arguing they misalign with the embodied and experiential nature of arts learning. These mandates, based on a narrow evidence-base dominated by cognitive load theory (CLT), promote pedagogies that isolate the brain from the body, neglecting the integral role of the body in learning. While explicit instruction is effective in certain contexts, its universal application disregards the complexities of teaching and learning, especially in practice-based subjects such as the arts. Such approaches risk disengaging students, undermining creativity, and ignoring the aesthetic and embodied practices central to arts education. The article calls for a broader evidence base that includes embodied cognition and advocates for discipline-specific approaches that honor the embodied, aesthetic, and experiential nature of arts learning. It urges arts educators to use their expertise to influence policy and ensure meaningful, engaged learning.