What term describes the instructional method where students discover skills without direct teaching?

The term that accurately describes the instructional method where students discover skills without direct teaching is "implicit instruction." This approach emphasizes learning that occurs through experience and exploration rather than through overt, direct instruction from a teacher. In implicit instruction, students engage with the material and uncover concepts and skills on their own, fostering a deeper and more authentic understanding.

This method is particularly beneficial because it encourages learners to be active participants in their own educational process, promoting critical thinking and problem-solving skills. By allowing students to draw their own conclusions, implicit instruction aligns with constructivist theories of learning, which posit that learners build knowledge based on their own experiences and interactions with the world around them.

Other instructional methods, such as explicit instruction, involve direct teaching, while guided discovery represents a model where a teacher provides support and prompts to steer students toward discovering the skills themselves. Coaching, on the other hand, typically includes more direct involvement and feedback from an instructor or mentor, which contrasts with the more hands-off approach of implicit instruction.