Thanks so much for raising this David. It is a really important conversation to have.
I completely agree there are valid criticisms of Hattie’s work, especially around the way such a wide range of studies and effect sizes are brought together. It is healthy that education research is questioned and challenged.
For me, I see Visible Learning as a useful starting point rather than a set of absolute answers.
This series is not about saying “this is the only way”, it is about exploring ideas that research suggests can make a real difference and encouraging us to think about them critically in our own contexts.
I have never developed teaching and learning in exactly the same way in any school I have worked in. There are always many ways you can do it, depending on the people, the culture, and the needs of the students.
Thank you so much for sharing this. It was really interesting to read your post and your perspective on it. A great read from you as always.
I can completely see where you are coming from. You are right that there are important questions to ask not just about how self-reported grades are used, but also about the strength of the research they are based on. It is healthy for us to challenge and really dig into these foundations.
In my own experience, while I can see the concerns about the research, I have found that when self-assessment is done on a small, carefully supported scale, with students really clear on what they are assessing, immediate detailed feedback from the teacher, and a proper feedback loop to check understanding, it can still be a valuable tool for helping students reflect and grow.
I really appreciate you sharing your thoughts so openly. Conversations like this are so important for helping us all think more critically and carefully about how we support learning.
Sarah, what do you make of all the criticism of Hattie’s methodology?
1. https://mje.mcgill.ca/article/view/9475/7229
2. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00131857.2018.1488216
3. https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2015/08/13/430050765/five-big-ideas-that-don-t-work-in-education
(There are lots more…)
Thanks so much for raising this David. It is a really important conversation to have.
I completely agree there are valid criticisms of Hattie’s work, especially around the way such a wide range of studies and effect sizes are brought together. It is healthy that education research is questioned and challenged.
For me, I see Visible Learning as a useful starting point rather than a set of absolute answers.
This series is not about saying “this is the only way”, it is about exploring ideas that research suggests can make a real difference and encouraging us to think about them critically in our own contexts.
I have never developed teaching and learning in exactly the same way in any school I have worked in. There are always many ways you can do it, depending on the people, the culture, and the needs of the students.
What are your thoughts?
Hi Sarah, I think the problem goes deep than that. In 2016 I explained why Hattie’s claims about self-reported grades are unambiguously wrong: https://learningspy.co.uk/research/john-hattie-and-the-magical-power-of-prediction/
Thank you so much for sharing this. It was really interesting to read your post and your perspective on it. A great read from you as always.
I can completely see where you are coming from. You are right that there are important questions to ask not just about how self-reported grades are used, but also about the strength of the research they are based on. It is healthy for us to challenge and really dig into these foundations.
In my own experience, while I can see the concerns about the research, I have found that when self-assessment is done on a small, carefully supported scale, with students really clear on what they are assessing, immediate detailed feedback from the teacher, and a proper feedback loop to check understanding, it can still be a valuable tool for helping students reflect and grow.
I really appreciate you sharing your thoughts so openly. Conversations like this are so important for helping us all think more critically and carefully about how we support learning.