Visible Learning

An overview of Hattie’s

meta-analysis relating to influences on achievement

Overview

Identified 6 areas of influenceStudent

Home

School

Teacher

Curricula

Teaching approaches

Rank these influences

Class size

School size

Home environment

Providing formative evaluation

Phonics instruction

Quality teaching

Rank these influences

Providing formative evaluation

Phonics instruction

Home environment

Quality teaching

School size

Class size

0.90

0.60

0.57

0.44

0.43

0.21

Measure of influence

Over 800 meta-analyses – over 50,000 studies

Only included studies using basic statistics

Effect sizes used to provide a single comparative scale

The higher the effect size, the greater the level of influence

The Challenge

Lots of ideas about what works best

Many show little evidence of gain

What makes the least difference?

Rank Domain Influence ES

112 TCHG Web based learning .18

113 H Family structure .17

121 SCH Ability grouping .12

122 ST Gender .12

123 ST Diet .12

128 C Perceptual-Motor programs .08

129 C Whole language .06

131 SCH Multi-grade/age classes .04

132 TCHG Student control over learning (making choices)

.04

136 SCH Retention (keeping students back) -.16

A little influence…

Rank Domain Influence ES

100 TCHG Individualized instruction .23

101 SCH Religious Schools .23

102 ST Lack of Illness .23

105 TCHG Comprehensive Teaching Reforms .22

106 SCH Class size .21

What the “average teacher” might achieve…

Rank Domain Influence ES

80 SCH Decreasing disruptive behavior .34

81 ST Drugs .33

84 ST Positive view of own Ethnicity .32

86 TCHG Inquiry based teaching .31

87 SCH Ability grouping for gifted students .30

88 TCHG Homework .29

90 ST Exercise/Relaxation programs .28

92 SCH Mainstreaming .28

“Average” effect…

Rank Domain Influence ES

61 TCHG Behavioral organizers/Adjunct questions .41

63 TCHG Cooperative learning .41

64 C Science .40

65 C Social skills programs .40

67 C Integrated Curricula Programs .39

70 TCHG Time on Task .38

71 TC HG Computer assisted instruction .37

74 SCH Principals/ School leaders .36

75 ST Attitude to Mathematics/Science .36

76 C Exposure to Reading .36

What makes the biggest difference?

Rank Domain Influence ES

41 SCH Peer influences .53

42 SCH Classroom management .52

45 H Parental Involvement .51

47 C Second/Third chance programs .50

48 SCH Small group learning .49

49 ST Concentration/Persistence/ Engagement .48

53 TCHG Questioning .46

55 ST Pre school programs .45

56 TCHR Quality of Teaching .44

57 C Writing Programs .44

58 TCHR Expectations .43

59 SCH School size (secondary 600 – 900) .43

More of the best…

Rank Domain Influence ES

25 TCHG Study skills .59

28 C Comprehension programs .58

30 TCHG Worked examples .57

31 H Home environment .57

32 H Socioeconomic status .57

34 TCHG Challenging Goals .56

35 C Visual-Perception programs .55

36 TCHG Peer tutoring .55

37 TCHG Cooperative vs. competitive learning .54

39 SCH Classroom cohesion .53

Even better…

Rank Domain Influence ES

11 TCHR Teacher-Student relationships .72

13 TCHG Meta-cognitive strategies .69

14 ST Prior achievement .67

15 C Vocabulary programs .67

16 C Repeated Reading programs .67

18 TCHG Self-verbalization & Self-questioning .64

19 TCHR Professional development .62

20 TCHG Problem solving teaching .61

22 C Phonics instruction .60

23 TCHG Teaching strategies .60

24 TCHG Cooperative vs. individualistic learning

.59

Among the top 10…

Rank Domain Influence ES

1 ST Self-reported grades 1.44

2 ST Piagetian programmes 1.28

3 TCHG Providing formative evaluation .90

5 SCH Acceleration through curriculum levels .88

9 TCHG Reciprocal teaching .74

10 TCHG Feedback .73

Influences and Studies

Metas Studies People Effects ES

Teacher 29 2,052 .5m 5,379 .50

Curricula 142 6,991 7m 29,813 .46

Teaching 357 25,418 52m 53,829 .43

Student 138 10,905 7m 38,091 .40

Home 34 2,124 11m 5.095 .30

School 100 4,144 4m 13,342 .23

Average 800 51,634 83/237m* 145,549 .40

6 Signposts to excellence in educationTeachers among most powerful influences

Need to be directive, influential, caring and actively engaged in passion of T & L

Need to be aware of every student’s thinking and knowing

Need to know learning intentions and success criteria for every lesson, how well these are achieved and what to do next

Need to move from single ideas to multiple ideas and how these relate to student construction of knowledge

Leaders and teachers need to create safe learning environments that are welcoming of errors

Visible Teaching – Visible Learning

Michael Fullan says...

One of the most critical problems faced by schools is “not resistance to

innovation, but the fragmentation, overload and incoherence resulting

from the uncritical and uncoordinated acceptance of too many different

innovations.”