Investigating the implications of Hattie’s (2012) synthesis of meta-analyses for teaching higher education in further education

This paper investigates the implications of John Hattie’s synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses for lesson design and delivery within the context of a teacher training programme. A case study approach is used to structure a two-stage investigative strategy (Yin, 1981). Stage one involves an interpretive cycle that allows Hattie’s attributes of effective practice to become meaningful through a consideration of the context in which they are applied. Stage two builds on the findings of this review to translate ‘ways of thinking about teaching’ into ‘ways of teaching’ that accommodate different goals and abilities in order to impact a range of student outcomes. This paper documents progress from the first stage of the analysis. Through the investigation, effective teaching is represented as a process of evidence-informed inquiry and problem solving in which a cycle of reading, deliberation, and dialogue continues until a shared understanding emerges of the practices that enhance learning for individual students (Smythe et al., 2008). These practices include but are not limited to: providing feedback that takes students forward in their learning, using data on student learning to inform collaborative evaluations of teacher impact, and modifying teaching based on an informed consideration of the strategies that facilitate learning. Results suggest that practitioners need to develop a shared commitment to thinking that is willing to engage with evidence and use this as the basis for questioning mindsets, critiquing existing practices, and exploring new ideas; and a commitment to action that is open to managing a complex process of change