Visible Learning by John Hattie

In Short, John Hattie has gone through an awful lot of educational research and found out what is most effective. There's a lot of debate as to how good the original studies are, but he has tried hard to iron out most of the bugs and is the most comprehensive study we have to date. It's a big book and most of us are busy, but if you've got time, it's worth the read: Visible Learning for Teachers: Maximizing Impact on Learning

For those of us who have been teaching a while, most of the results are no surprise. So here are the top 10, complete with links to entertaining descriptions. (Animated GIFs, Garish colours and colourful metaphors guaranteed.)

1. Self Assessment - The ability of children to assess themselves
2. Piagetian Programs - Teaching children according to their mental stage of growth
3. Response to Intervention - A specific type of intervention with feedback
4. Formative Assessment - Giving students feedback they can use to improve
5. Teacher Credibility - If the children believe you know what you are talking about
6. Micro Teaching - E.g. Workshops
7. Class Talks - The children talking to each other
8. Intervention - Special lessons for students who need them
9. Teacher Clarity - Be Clear... Keep It Simple
10. Feedback - Provide high quality feedback