A follow up to
Hattie’s 2009 book Visible learning: A synthesis of 800+ meta-analysis
on achievement, with an emphasis on applying the research findings to enhancing
student learning. A powerpoint summarises key points and main messages /
arguments.
The 2012 book arrived in the library last week. Had time
over the weekend to work through and glean the important messages of relevance
to vocational education.
Chapter one provides a short 6 pages introducing the book and purpose - to make the findings from the meta-analysis, accessible and applicable for teachers.
The second chapter summarises the findings from the 2009
meta- analysis – influences on students’ learning, including the conclusion
that the teacher plays a big role in helping students learn. The term ‘visible
learning’ is defined as occurring when “ learning is the explicit and
transparent goal, when it is appropriately challenged, and when the teacher and
students both (in their various ways) seek to ascertain whether and to what
degree the challenging goal is attained”. Visible learning occurs when there is
deliberate practice to attain a learning outcome, appropriate feedback is
provided or asked for and when both teachers and students are engaged and
passionate about learning. (page 18)
Chapter 3 puts forward the case for the ‘passionate.
Inspired teacher’ and identifies traits of expert teachers as being able to:
- Identify the most important ways to represent the subject
that they teach
- Be proficient at creating an optimal classroom learning
climate
- Monitor learning and provide feedback
- Have the belief that all students can reach the success
criteria
- Influence the learning outcomes of students with respect to
deep or surface outcomes.
The next part (part 2) from chapters 4 – 8 presents the
recommendations for teachers on preparing, starting, structuring the flow for
learning and feedback and ending the lesson.
This part is recommended NOT as a linear process but provides concrete
connections with findings from the 2009 meta-analysis on the effective things
teacher can do to enhance students’ learning.
Chapter 4
Firstly, a need to establish ‘what the student already
knows’ and what the students is able to achieve (Piaget). Secondly, learning is
a social and collaborative process between teacher/student and student/student
interaction. The chapter summaries the various ways students approach learning
– their self-efficacy, readiness and motivation to learn. Then connects to how
teachers plan lessons to establish students’ readiness, chart progressing and
raise student goal expectations.
Chapter 5
The chapter ‘starting a lesson’ discusses setting a climate
for learning and tracks the various studies on the ‘flow’ of a lesson and how
learning can be improved.
Chapter 6
This chapter follows on to concentrate on the learning
aspect of the flow of the lesson. Summaries of various phases of learning
(capabilities in thinking, phases of thinking, motivation, how we learn) and
discussion on various methods useful towards meeting students’ learning needs.
Includes differential instruction, various learning strategies, backward
strategies, deliberate practice, concentration and persistence.
Chapter 7
The role of feedback in the flow of the lesson is discussed
in this chapter. A summary of the three feedback questions (where am I going? How
am I going there? Where to next) and the four feedback levels (task and
product, process, self-regulation/ conditional and self). Overview of studies of feedback including
frequency, types , formative, prompts. Also the role of peers.
The last chapter presents the need for teachers to commit to
establishing ‘mind frames’ with support from school leaders and the school
system. These mind frames are important through professional development,
teachers’ own reflection and on-going commitment, towards adopting, developing
and sustaining the concepts presented through part 2.
Eight mind frames are presented. They are:
- A belief that teachers’ fundamental task is to evaluate the
effect of their teaching on students’ learning and achievement.
- A belief that success or failure in student learning is
about what they, as teachers do, or did not do.
- Encouragement for teachers to talk more about learning than
teaching
- To see assessment as feedback on teachers’ impact.
- To engage in dialogue, not monologue.
- Enjoy the challenge and never give up on ‘doing their best’
- The teachers’ role is to develop positive relationships in
classrooms / staff rooms
- For teachers to inform ALL about the language of learning.
Overall, the book is easy reading, introducing a wide range
of teaching concepts and philosophies through a ‘talking to the teacher’
writing style. I have now placed an order to purchase the book as the book is a
‘must-read’ for anyone in teacher education. I can then highlight and bookmark
the many pertinent sections of the book, of which there are many.
Almost all the recommendations are generalizable to the
vocational education sector. However, the book is pitched at the school sector,
hence the discussions in part two on ‘lessons’ are based around NZ classroom
practices and the studies used to substantiate recommendations come from a wide
range of mostly Western education school systems. A synthesis between the workplace based
learning literature and the recommendations from this book will be useful for vocational
educators. As although there are many commonalities, vocational education has different learning objectives and an intended curriculum which impinges heavily on how teaching and learning is delivered.
