Visible Learning for Teachers: Maximizing Impact on Learning

This is an excellent book. John Hattie presents well founded research in a Very accessible manner, issues that could be presented as quite complex are presented in a clear and relevant way for all to understand. Hattie doesn't simply tell the reader everything teachers are doing wrong which is very refreshing! Instead it celebrates successful learning and shares the most effective ways in promoting learning. It is a must read for anybody working in education.

This is quite heavy going and I'll have to read it again. John Hattie comes across as passionate about supporting pupil learning and changing school culture to bring this about. There are key tenets that Hattie has found through his research that improve pupil learning and I personally will try to plan with these in mind e.g direct instruction, effective feedback, success criteria. Generally this is a book that would suit school leaders when planning to change school culture. I'd like to work in a school where this book was used.

Before I bought and read Visible Learning for Teachers, I read some reviews, mentally endorsing the positive and dismissing the negative as being written by anti-intellectual teachers looking for no more than ideas to put into practice on Monday morning. However, the negative reviewers really do have a point. The research which Hattie describes and distills, both his own and the many other studies of what works best in schools is undoubtedly very important. The idea of effect size and the key message, summed up in the three simple words "Know your impact", should be the basis for the change of mindset which Hattie advocates in both individual teachers and whole schools. The book also has very good pieces of advice, thoroughly practical and implementable, scattered throughout (put the "hook" at the end, not the beginning of the lesson; start off with a test before any teaching; don't give feedback intended for one student to the whole class - it will be heard by none). Yet despite this I encountered a sense of incoherence in the book. I felt that I was standing by Prof. Hattie's desk randomly picking up ideas written on index cards. The major section of book does follow a lesson sequence (preparing, starting, flow and end of lesson), but when reading I found it hard to identify any developing argument or be aware of what section I was reading. Also contributing to this experience of incoherence was the way that the same works can be discussed more than once in different parts of the book with no reference being made to the fact that the writer has previously introduced these ideas. The main reason why I would not wholeheartedly recommend this book to colleagues is not, however, the incoherence. It is more the way that Hattie's "solutions" frequently present an unbridgeable chasm for classroom teachers, requiring more than just a change of personal mindset, but also a change in the way schools are organized (to give, for example, more collaborative planning time). In fact the final "mind frames" part of the book seems to be directed more at school leaders than teachers. Certainly more so than ought to be the case in a book with "for teachers" in the title! In addition, the solutions can be so frustratingly opaque. Take this example: In citing work identifying right and wrong "drivers" of change, Hattie gives one of the wrong drivers as "assuming that technology will carry the day". Fine. I can get that. But what are the right drivers? The first is "creating a powerful centrality of the learning-instruction-assessment nexus". I'm sorry, but that does not move me forward at all. However, despite the reservations, when I look though the notes I made on the book I realize that it is a rich source of interesting and powerful ideas, and will merit re-reading. A good book? Yes. Important work? Undoubtedly. A "must-read" for classroom teachers? No, I wouldn't say so.

A very interesting book written by the guru of Visible Learning. Definitely worth buying. I am a student now but I expect I will dip into it again and again in subsequent years.

This is a great book that all teachers, both experienced and inexperienced, should have. Many of us know the principles behind the book, but actually, how many can truly say they have embedded them deeply into what they do, and see the direct impact of their work, as well as share this with others around them. This book will be the focus for my school for the next year and all new teachers into the school will be inducted into become visible learning teachers.

If you are wondering how to get your children learning to learn and feeling frustrated with their inability to do things for themselves then this is the book for you. John Hattie has conducted extensive research over many years and his observations and case studies make good sense. I came to this via BLP, which we are starting to use, and I have found it incredibly valuable.

This is a must read for teachers. It presents challenging content but in a very clear chapter structure. It cites robust research and is entirely credible. This is John Hattie at his best.

I really like the ideas of Hattie as they resonate with me strongly as a head leading learning. Learning should be about young people coming to exciting conclusions because they are inspired by their teachers. My sadness is that we are so stymied by a reductive curriculum right now that we are all faced with climbing up the Progress 8 ladder or offering real choices to children. My priority….choice for my children.

This book was breath of fresh air. I was refreshed with an objective and unbiased look at what works and what doesn't work -without the spin. It is filled with practical exercises to throw straight into the classroom. It is insightful, giving many examples from studies and some from personal experience. However, it does get repetitive towards the final chapters. Nevertheless I gave it five stars because of what it has "visibly"done and doing to my teaching practice. I highly recommend this teachers who want to increase their impact on their learners.

Vieles funktioniert in der Bildung - aber wenige finden zu der selben Meinung was wichtig ist. Dieses John Hattie gibt mit seinen Büchern Orientierung in der Bildungsdebatte: Was funktioniert meist besser? Was oft nicht so gut? Sind hohe Kosten für eine gewisse Massnahme gerechtfertigt? Was könnte man mit wenig Aufwand tun um eine Verbesserung zu erreichen? Klar darf man die Daten nicht als Wahrheiten sehen - es sind statistische Größen - aber immerhin gibt es Fakten die über viele Jahre zusammengetragen wurden. Das wichtigste für mich ist die Conclusio wie wichtig Feedback im Bildungsprozess ist - für den Lerner, die Pädagogen und den Prozess. Da ist noch viel zu tun! Nur wenn man auch im Einzelfall auf die Fakten schaut und sich überlegt was funktioniert für diesen Lerner kommen wir weiter - und genau das ist der Punkt in diesem Buch.

A must in Neuroeducation. Hattie is one of the best references. His meta analysis has made contributions to the field.

Il libro è buono ma l’impaginazione e un sacco di caratteri estranei lo rendono illeggibile!!! Un grande peccato per una risorsa così importante

I liked the speedy delivery and the fact that despite being used, the book was in Perfecto condition. A great deal considering that the new book costs about $60.