If you have ever asked a student a question and heard an immediate “I don’t know”, you are not alone. Many parents assume this means the student has not been paying attention or has not learnt the content. In reality, it is often a protective response rather than a true lack of knowledge. At First Education we see this phrase frequently and it is one of the clearest signals that a student needs confidence and thinking support, not just more practice questions.

For many students, “I don’t know” is a way to avoid being wrong. Some learners would rather opt out than risk making a mistake, especially if they have had experiences of feeling embarrassed in class. Over time they begin to associate learning with pressure and judgement. The phrase becomes a habit, and it can appear even when they actually understand the topic.

Another common reason is that students do not know how to start. They may have the knowledge somewhere in their mind, but they cannot access it quickly under pressure. This is particularly common in maths problem solving, reading comprehension and extended responses where students need to organise their thinking before answering. When a question feels too big, “I don’t know” becomes a shortcut.

Tutoring helps by slowing the moment down and teaching students how to think their way into an answer. Instead of accepting the phrase, tutors use gentle prompts like “What do you notice?”, “What does the question remind you of?” or “Can you tell me the first step?”. These small prompts help students realise they do have ideas, even if they are not fully formed yet.

Over time, students begin to replace “I don’t know” with more useful language such as “I’m not sure yet” or “I think it might be…”. That shift is powerful. It changes the student’s identity from someone who cannot do it to someone who is learning. Once students feel safe to attempt answers, their progress speeds up and their confidence grows across every subject.

Freddie Le Vay