“Am I a direct instruction teacher, or am I a project-based teacher?”
It’s a question I hear more often than I would like. This is not an all-or-nothing decision. Teachers struggle with the idea that students will not learn as well if they are not directly responsible for the conveyance of information. Direct instruction absolutely has a place in the classroom, but being the only source of information becomes a zero-sum game. Teachers are exhausted, and there is no guarantee that students are listening.
So, I am suggesting a hybrid approach to get started.
The truth? Many of the best lessons I have ever taught started with 15 minutes of clear, sequenced direct instruction. — ending with students engaging in inquiry, problem, or project-based learning strategies.
One didn’t replace the other. One made the other possible.
When designing curriculum with teachers here’s the framework I come back to:
Direct instruction gives students the tools.
Problem-based learning gives them a challenge to use those tools on.
Inquiry-based learning gives them the freedom to ask their own questions.
Project-based learning gives them a reason to care about the answer.
None of these approaches is complete on its own. Together, they create a learning experience that’s both rigorous and meaningful.
The shift I encourage every educator and instructional leader to make:
It is not a matter of “Which approach should I use?”
It is more “What do my students need right now—and how is the learning journey being framed?“
That’s where the real learning design happens!
Learning Paths Educational Consulting helps schools build that kind of intentional, coherent instructional culture. If that’s work your team is ready for, let’s talk about paths forward for your teachers.