The case studies are varied and while some feel a little twee, others are interesting and insightful. If you invest the time (and probably a highlighter, notebook and pen) this could be a valuable resource in developing a greater understanding of the nuance of effective feedback. That said, the density and range of references that Hattie and Clarke draw on throughout the book is impressive.

There is lots to commend this book, it just isn’t a coherent journey

The chapters are long, with so many threads that each needs reading several times before you are able to start to construct any meaningful schema. Its meandering style, with multiple detailed and long lists of bullet points, themes that vary in their connectivity, and density of information make it quite hard to read. They then become more practical, weaving in some examples and case studies, before summarising key points. Each chapter begins with a review of the literature and discusses a wide range of research sources, mostly organised thematically. Next it considers teaching and learning frameworks, then in-lesson verbal feedback, and finally post-lesson feedback. It starts by framing the problem above, then discusses the need for a “feedback culture”. The book has just five chapters to structure its 170-plus pages, and the first of those is barely six pages long. John Hattie, writing with Shirley Clarke, whom I confess I had not heard of but who has quite the formative assessment CV, aim to combine a summary of the theory and research, with case studies and practical application to provide greater clarity around effective feedback. When a heavyweight of the educational landscape such as Hattie writes a new book addressing those questions, you take notice. So, what makes feedback powerful? And why is it so variable? Two big questions. Yet research would suggest as much as a third of feedback can have a negative impact on progress, and much of the rest makes little difference. Whatever your thoughts on the value of meta-analysis, or views on the finer points of effect sizes, it is widely accepted that feedback can be a powerful tool in a teacher’s pedagogical repertoire.

Visible learning feedback