West Lothian Educational Psychology Service 
         Insight into... 
                                   Visible Learning 
                                   Learning & Teaching Series: 1         March 2016                                @WL_EPS 
           Promoting knowledge and understanding of the importance of research and engagement in professional learning to 
                            improve learning and teaching. (GTCS Standards for Teacher Registration, 2012). 
         What is Visible Learning? 
           John Hattie’s visible learning is a model of learning and teaching 
            based on the largest collection of research to date into what has the 
            biggest impact on learning. 
           Using the data, Hattie draws out themes to identify what he sees as 
            the core elements of successful schooling. 
           Engaging with the visible learning literature over time enables deep 
            thinking and reflection on practice.  
           Hattie encourages all school leaders and practitioners to use the      The research suggests that effective teachers 
            visible learning research to not only become evidence-informed, but      are those who systematically evaluate the 
            to critically evaluate this evidence and the impact it has when          impact of their teaching and that learners 
            applied in schools with the ultimate goal of  raising achievement and  can achieve through developing the skills to 
            attainment for all learners.                                              become independent lifelong learners. 
         The Research behind Visible Learning 
                                                Hattie’s research involved              equivalent to 1 year’s progress for 
                                                synthesising the results of over        the average child. 
                                                900 meta-analyses to discover           The visible learning narrative is 
                                                which factors have the biggest 
            High Effect Influences              influence on school achievement.        Hattie’s interpretation of the 
                                                                                        achievement continuum. He draws 
                                                The results are presented using         themes from the data to outline the 
            Learners’ own                      an achievement continuum where          core elements of what makes a 
             expectations                       factors are ranked according to         successful school. He suggests that 
            Formative evaluation for           their effect.                           schools use these core elements or 
             teachers                           The vast majority of effect sizes       strands as a starting point for 
                                                were greater than zero i..e. they       developing practice and improving 
            Better feedback                    have a positive effect on learning.     learning and teaching. 
            Teacher-pupil                      So, when the benchmark is set at 
             relationships                      zero, everything works!  
            Teaching meta-                     How can we ensure that we 
             cognitive strategies               concentrate time and energy on 
                                                the types of strategies and 
            Teaching study skills              interventions that will have the 
            Teaching learning                  biggest impact in our schools? 
             strategies                         Hattie argues that the benchmark 
            Not labelling pupils               should be set at 0.4 which is the 
                                                average of all the effect sizes 
                                                identified as well as being the 
         Insight into...Visible Learning                                           West Lothian Educational Psychology Service 
          The Five Strands of Visible Learning 
           The five strands framework can  1. Visible Learners  
           be used for self-evaluation and  Learners are at the heart of VL. Developing visible          How can we build 
          the journey will look different in  learner characteristics in our learners is the ultimate     visible learners? 
                  different schools.         goal. Visible learners are assessment-capable, have a 
            Visible Learning is a one size   growth mindset and use metacognition. 
                 fits one approach!           
                                             2. Know Thy Impact! 
            Ideas for first steps...         We need to develop an evaluation climate in education,        Do you evaluate 
              Try asking children in        where educators engage in a continuous cycle of plan,       your own teaching? 
              your class/school: what        do, study, act.  
              does a good learner             
              look like? What do the         3. Inspired and Passionate Teachers 
              responses tell you?            Hattie identifies 8 mindframes that can shape thinking  
              Reflect (individually or      about learning and teaching:                                 To what extent do 
              as a staff group) on           I am an evaluator                                             you identify with 
              levels of relational trust     I am a change agent                                             each of these 
              (see Hattie, 2012, p.79)       I talk about learning, not about teaching                       mindframes? 
              Start a professional          I see assessment as feedback to me 
              reading group in your          I engage in dialogue, not monologue 
              school or cluster to           I enjoy the challenge 
              promote passionate             I develop positive relationships 
              and inspired teaching.         I inform all about the language of teaching 
              Develop lessons for the        
              upper school on                4. Effective Feedback                                           Do you seek 
              growth mindset and             With an effect size of 0.79, feedback is one of the most    feedback from your 
              the learning pit. Then         powerful, but most variable influences.  It is often given,     class on your 
              invite pupils to teach         but how is it received? Learners need to be taught how            teaching? 
              their younger peers the        to ask for, understand and use feedback. 
              concepts.                       
              Form a working group 
              in order to create a           5. Visible Learning School                                  To what extent does 
              plan for monitoring            It is desirable to foster a culture where mistakes are      your school embody 
              pupil progress using           welcomed as opportunities to learn, there are high                   this? 
              meaningful data.               expectations for all and a shared love of learning.  
          Further Reading: The Visible Learning Books 
               2009: All the details of     2012: Essential text for      2013: Further reading       2015: Ideas and 
               Hattie’s initial study.      thinking about how to         from a cognitive            examples of whole school 
               Research heavy but a         put VL into practice.         psychology stance for the   improvement from across 
               must for dipping in and      Contains checklists and       more advanced  VL           the globe. 
               out as required.             activities for staff.         enthusiast. 
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