ABSTRACT
Explaining is not only a professional skill which is highly esteemed by children. It is an aspect of communication which lies at the centre of human discourse in many fields: parents explain things to their children; radio and television presenters explain what lies behind news stories to listeners and viewers; pilots explain the cause of delay to air travellers. In the case of doctors and patients there can be, as in teaching, reciprocal explanations: the patient first explains symptoms to the doctor, and the doctor then explains causes and treatments to the patient. Explaining is not, however, a unidimensional activity, and the words ‘explain’ and ‘explanation’ are used in many different ways. For the purposes of this research we took as an operational definition the statement: ‘explaining is giving understanding to another’. This interpretation allows the notion to embrace strategies other than imparting information directly, as it can include, for example, asking questions which encourage pupils to reach their own conclusions, engaging in practical work or giving a demonstration.
