John Hattie is a renowned educational researcher whose work has significantly influenced teaching practices worldwide. His groundbreaking research, known as “Visible Learning,” synthesizes numerous meta-analyses to rank various influences on student learning outcomes. This data-driven approach provides educators with valuable insights into what truly works best in education.
Hattie’s initial study, “Visible Learning,” analyzed 138 influences, ranging from very positive to negative effects on student achievement. He identified the average effect size across all studies as 0.40, establishing this as a “hinge point” to evaluate the effectiveness of different educational interventions. This benchmark helps answer the critical question: “What has the greatest impact on student learning?”
Hattie Ranking: Student Effects
Hattie’s research initially focused on six key domains impacting learning: the student, home, school, curricula, teacher, and teaching and learning approaches. Later iterations included the classroom as a distinct area. Beyond simply listing effect sizes, Hattie’s work emphasizes the underlying narrative: the power of making teaching and learning visible. This concept is further explored in his influential book, “Visible learning for teachers.”
The scope of John Hattie’s research has expanded considerably over time. Starting with 138 influences, his analyses grew to 150 in “Visible Learning for Teachers (2011)” and further to 195 in “The Applicability of Visible Learning to Higher Education (2015).” His research is now based on an extensive database of nearly 1200 meta-analyses, a significant increase from the 800 used in the original “Visible Learning” publication in 2009. Despite these updates and the refinement of effect sizes, Hattie maintains that the core message of Visible Learning remains consistent. New influences have been added and some effect sizes adjusted, but the fundamental story told by the data remains largely unchanged.
This ongoing research provides educators with an evolving and increasingly robust understanding of the factors that most powerfully influence student achievement, solidifying John Hattie’s position as a leading voice in evidence-based education.
Source: www.visiblelearningplus.com/content/250-influences-student-achievement
