: Making Concepts Clear: Choosing Examples and Non-examples for Inclusive Teaching Explore how carefully chosen examples and non-examples can make new concepts clearer and more accessible for all pupils.

Picture the scene. Your class are struggling with a new concept. You’ve explained the characteristics of a mammal, but some pupils still aren’t getting it. What do you do next?

What examples could bring this concept to life, help pupils notice its critical features, and be accessible to every pupil in the room?

When introducing a new concept, teachers often start with a definition. But a definition on its own, whilst allowing pupils to understand the words within it, might not secure a deeper understanding of the concept itself. Selecting the right examples and non-examples to accompany a definition can support pupils to understand the critical features of a concept.

But if examples are to support inclusive teaching, we need to consider if the examples we choose are equally accessible to all pupils in the classroom.

The EEF Guide to Inclusive Teaching identifies explicit instruction as a universal approach that can benefit all pupils. The use of examples and non-examples is a key aspect of explicit instruction, particularly when introducing new ideas to pupils, and can be especially beneficial for pupils with additional needs.

Why might the use of examples be so important?

Because they can connect new learning to prior knowledge.

This means we have to carefully consider the prior knowledge pupils may already have. Because if our example relies on vocabulary, background knowledge or experiences that some pupils do not possess, we risk creating an additional barrier to understanding.

Worked Examples

Consider the concept of a mammal.

Definition:

A mammal is a warm-blooded vertebrate animal that has hair or fur and whose females produce milk to feed their young.

Critical features:

Vertebrate, Warm-blooded, Hair or fur, Produces milk

Effective Examples

1. Use more than one example

Choose a range of examples so pupils see the concept in different ways and do not overgeneralise from a single example.

2. Connect to what pupils already know

An example cannot help pupils understand a new concept if they need additional knowledge to understand the initial example.

3. Make the critical features visible

Use examples that help pupils understand the critical features of the concept.

Effective Non-Examples

Non-examples help pupils understand what a concept is by understanding what it is not.

1. Use non-examples that are similar

Select non-examples that are different from the examples in a small way. This draws attention to the critical features and helps pupils understand the boundary of the concept. If the non-example is significantly different, there is a risk that pupils simply identify the ​‘odd one out’ rather than focusing on the critical features.

2. Compare examples and non-examples side by side

Present them alongside one another so pupils can identify similarities, differences and the critical features of the concept.

3. Anticipate misconceptions

Choose non-examples that expose common misconceptions, allowing these to be addressed before they take root.

Questions to Consider 

1. What are the critical features of the concept I want pupils to understand?
2. Could any of my examples create an additional barrier for some pupils?