books
A book to be read and relied on by every educational practitioner
Visible Learning Insights By John Hattie and Klaus Zierer Routledge: paperback 176 pages
As well as saying something memorable about cake, Marie Antoinette is alleged to have said: “There is nothing new except what has been forgotten.” The quote could have been the starting point for this latest book in the Visible Learning series. Much of it is not new, particularly if, like me, you are a follower of Hattie or if you have ever taught in any capacity where feedback is everything. Hattie even reassures us that almost everything that happens in school promotes school performance. So why the need for Visible Learning Insights? This book tells us why.
It opens with a very welcome insight from Hattie himself, in the form of a candid interview with collaborator Klaus Zierer. This allows Hattie to address some of the criticisms made against his approach since the publication of the first Visible Learning book in 2008. Then there are ‘reader-friendly’ chapters that didactically offer a reflective task, a list of targets and an overview, finishing off with definitions of the core messages and action recommendations. It means that the book can be dipped into for specific focus. The final appendices also offer an informative set of FAQs and a list of 250-plus teaching and educational factors, with accompanying effect sizes, all based on Hattie’s study of 1,400 meta-analyses of teaching and learning.
OTHER NEW PUBLICATIONS
Better Behaviour. A Guide for Teachers
By Jarlath O’Brien
Sage: paperback, 169 pages A significant turning point in Jarlath O’Brien’s career seems to have been when he approached a former, more senior colleague asking for advice on a particularly intractable behavioural issue and was handed a pamphlet to read in a gesture that effectively ended the brief conversation.
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Recalling the event, O’Brien says: “I left that office determined, in the absence of support from above, to take personal responsibility for my own development, think more, learn more and improve.” It seems to have paid off. O’Brien, a head teacher who has worked in a range of schools, has written an engaging book that is just as likely to change the behaviour of its teacher readers as their students.
MEMBER OFFER SET members can claim 20 per cent off the RRP for this book and Understanding & Using Educational Theories (right) when ordering direct from Sage Publishing. Use code SAGE0919. This offer is valid until 31 December, 2019.
The Magic of Mentoring: Developing Others and Yourself By Carol Thompson Routledge: paperback, 247 pages
Historically, Brits have been somewhat reluctant to engage wholeheartedly in mentoring, despite the benefits it can bring for the mentees and the mentors. Maybe it’s something to do with our stereotypical reserve. Carol Thompson, a senior
lecturer in teacher education and mentoring at the University of Bedfordshire, hopes to change that with her new book, which sings the praises of mentoring
But this is also an in-depth book that puts the data that spawned Visible Learning under the microscope to reveal exactly where, why and how a teacher can indeed ‘know’ the impact of their teaching. Initially, the book has quite a statistical, analytical and mathematical vibe – something that may deter some readers from giving it the full attention it needs and deserves. We are taken through the definition of effect size – 0.4 is the magic number, a value that represents the average of all effect sizes for Visible Learning. Management and finance personnel may leap on some of the data that ‘prove’ the relative ineffectiveness of spending money on technology (a low effect size of 0.16), reducing class size (0.21) or even paying for expensive experienced teachers (0.05). Yet there is ample reassurance and clarity for teachers and trainers who are looking to reflect upon and improve their practice. It offers the teaching practitioner plenty of ammunition to use in those key performance management discussions and, most importantly, to support the progression of each and every learner. Despite the early part of the book being heavy going, I would recommend that it is read, referenced and relied on by all educational practitioners in whatever capacity they serve.
Review by Sallyann Wright is an English teacher and tutor for the Level 4 Certificate for Education and Training course at Dudley College. She holds Advanced Teacher Status (ATS) and is a Fellow of SET.
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MEMBER OFFER SET members are eligible for a 20 per cent discount on the RRP for this book and The Magic of Mentoring below. Only applicable when ordering from the Routledge website. Use discount code SET20 when prompted. The offer is valid until 31 December, 2019.
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