Plain English Meaning

The part of a lesson where the instructor tells the student what they are about to learn, why it matters, and how it will be done — before showing them or letting them try.

Full Definition

The first phase of the demonstration-performance teaching method, in which the instructor clearly states the objective of the lesson, describes the skill to be learned, and explains the procedures and underlying knowledge the student will need before attempting the task. It precedes the demonstration, student performance, and evaluation phases.

Context Anchor

Used in instructor training and lesson planning, especially when teaching a maneuver, cockpit procedure, or ground task step by step.

Derivation

comes from the Latin explanare, meaning 'to make ' or 'to flatten .' The idea is laying the subject out clearly so the student can see it before working with it. Phase simply means a stage in a sequence.