Visible Learning and the Science of How We Learn

368 Pages·2013·1.13 MB·English

by  John Hattie

Visible Learning and the Science
of How We Learn
On publication in 2009, John Hattie’s Visible Learningpresented the biggest ever
collection of research into what actually works in improving children’s learning
in schools. Not what was fashionable, not what political and educational vested
interests wanted to champion, but what actually produced the best results in terms
of improving learning and educational outcomes. It became an instant bestseller
and was described by the TES as revealing education’s ‘holy grail’.
Now in this latest book, John Hattie has joined forces with cognitive
psychologist Gregory C. R. Yates to build on the original data and legacy of the
Visible Learning project, showing how its underlying ideas and the cutting edge
of cognitive science can form a powerful and complementary framework for
shaping learning in the classroom and beyond.
Visible Learning and the Science of How We Learn explains the major principles
and strategies of learning, outlining why it can be so hard sometimes and yet
easy on other occasions. Aimed at teachers and students, it is written in an
accessible and engaging style and can be read cover to cover, or used on a chapter-
by-chapter basis for essay writing or staff development.
The bookis structured in three parts: ‘Learning within classrooms’; ‘Learning
foundations’, which explains the cognitive building blocks of knowledge
acquisition; and ‘Know thyself’, which explores confidence and self-knowledge.
It also features extensive interactive resources including study guide questions
to encourage critical thinking, annotated bibliographic entries with recom -
mendations for further reading and links to relevant websites and YouTube clips.
Throughout, the authors draw upon the latest international research into how
the learning process works and how to maximise impact on students, covering
such topics as:
■ teacher personality
■ expertise and teacher–student relationships
■ how knowledge is stored and the impact of cognitive load
■ thinking fast and thinking slow
■ the psychology of self-control
■ the role of conversation at school and at home
■ invisible gorillas and the IKEA effect
■ digital native theory
■ myths and fallacies about how people learn.
This fascinating book is aimed at any student, teacher or parent requiring an
up-to-date commentary on how research into human learning processes can
inform our teaching and what goes on in our schools. It takes a broad sweep
through findings stemming mainly from social and cognitive psychology and
presents these findings in a useable format for students and teachers at all levels,
from preschool to tertiary training institutes.
John Hattie is Professor and Director of the Melbourne Education Research
Institute at the University of Melbourne, Australia, and Deputy Director of
the Science of Learning Research Centre. He is the author of Visible Learning
and Visible Learning for Teachers, and co-editor (with Eric Anderman) of the
International Guide to Student Achievement, all published by Routledge.
Gregory C. R. Yates is a Senior Lecturer in Education at the University of
South Australia. He is on the editorial board of Educational Psychology and has
contributed a number of papers in the area of cognitive information processing
and social learning theory.
Visible Learning and
the Science of How
We Learn
John Hattie and
Gregory C. R. Yates
First published 2014
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group,an informa business
© 2014 John Hattie and Gregory C. R. Yates
The right of John Hattie and Gregory C. R. Yates to be identified
as authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with
sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical,
or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying
and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification
and explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
A catalog record for this book has been requested
ISBN: 978-0-415-70498-4 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-415-70499-1 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-88502-5 (ebk)
Typeset in Bembo and Helvetica Neue
by Florence Production Ltd, Stoodleigh, Devon, UK
Contents
Acknowledgements ix
Introduction xi
PART 1 Learning within classrooms 1
1 Why don’t students like learning at school? The Willingham
thesis 3
2 Is knowledge an obstacle to teaching? 11
3 The teacher–student relationship 16
4 Your personality as teacher: can your students trust you? 26
5 Time as a global indicator of classroom learning 36
6 The recitation method and the nature of classroom learning 44
7 Teaching for automaticity in basic academic skill 52
8 The role of feedback 64
9 Acquiring complex skills through social modelling and explicit
teaching 72
10 Just what does expertise look like? 84
11 Just how does expertise develop? 93
12 Expertise in the domain of classroom teaching 103
v
Contents
Part 2 Learning foundations 111
13 How knowledge is acquired 113
14 How knowledge is stored in the mind 126
15 Does learning need to be conscious, and what is the hidden
role played by gesture? 136
16 The impact of cognitive load 146
17 Your memory and how it develops 157
18 Mnemonics as sport, art, and instructional tools 166
19 Analysing your students’ style of learning 176
20 Multitasking: a widely held fallacy 187
21 Your students are digital natives. Or are they? 196
22 Is the Internet turning us into shallow thinkers? 201
23 How music impacts on learning 206
Part 3 Know thyself 213
24 Confidence and its three hidden levels 215
25 Self-enhancement and the dumb-and-dumber effect 228
26 Achieving self-control 243
27 Neuroscience of the smile: a fundamental tool in teaching 259
28 The surprising advantages of being a social chameleon 271
29 Invisible gorillas, inattentional blindness, and paying attention 281
30 Thinking fast and thinking slow: your debt to the inner robot 290
31 IKEA, effort, and valuing 306
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Contents
Glossary 315
References 321
Index 343
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Acknowledgements
The major theme in the Visible Learning books is making learning visible. This
book is entirely devoted to the concept of learning. It is not a book about theories
of learning, not about cognitive psychology, not a standard development of
models of learning – but rather we discuss what learning looks like, how we can
advance it, and some of the fascinating studies that have informed us about
learning. The core notions of learning in this book relate to developing skills
and strategies in concentration, deliberate practice, persistence, and knowing
what to do when one does not know what to do – and emphasise that these
skills can be taught (there is no need to drug our children if they do not have
these skills).
There are three major sections: ‘Learning within classrooms’, ‘Learning
foundations’, and ‘Know thyself’. The individual chapters evolved from many
discussions between us, and through the magic of Skype and Dropbox we have
had wonderful debates about how best to present ideas that are core to our
thinking about learning. Greg is based in South Australia and John in Melbourne
(an eight-hour driving distance), but we started this over a six-month period
when both of us were based in Auckland, New Zealand. Then to the details,
the writing, the choice of themes and studies, and decisions about how best to
present in a writing style aimed to entice readers into the delights of the world
of learning.
Many people contributed to the development of this book. Foremost are our
partners – Janet and Shirley – it was their support, their constant imperatives to
get on with it, their tolerance of two codgers spending hours on a machine talking
and dwelling in their esoterica – while they pursued their own esoterica. Also
thanks to those we learnt most from – Joel, Kyle, Kieran, Bobbi, Jimmy, Milton,
Richard, Catherine, and Trenton.
Others read various chapters, made suggestions, and provided other studies –
we thank Terry Bowles, Debra Masters, and Debbie Price. Patricia Alexander
prompted us in many discussions over wine and good food (as well as singing
‘Summertime’ at John and Janet’s recent wedding, held after their 27 year
courtship). Janet Rivers, as with the other two Visible Learning books, provided
stupendous editing of our final draft and once again provided insights, flow, and
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