The Hidden Lives of Learners by Graham Nuthall (8-Jun-2007) Paperback

by Graham Nuthall

Excellent Book

Genres: Education, Teaching, Nonfiction, Parenting

Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Seán Mchugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Many have argued that the real business of teaching is the business of changing the well-established but inaccurate beliefs that all students have.“

I can’t believe I waited so long to read this book, the accolades it’s received are well and truly deserved, to say this is one of those “must read“ books for anyone in education is as true a statement as you’re ever likely to hear.

Its fundamental premise appears to be that far from filling empty vessels, the greater challenge for teachers is that these vessels are already in many ways full, but often full with all sorts of content that complicates and obfuscates their attempts to learn whatever it is we are trying to teach. Whether that is the contextual distractions in their environment, the distractions and misconceptions proffered by their peers, or their own misconceptions, these three “worlds” they inhabit are worlds every teacher needs to understand if they want to be successful.

What I think makes this book unique is the way it so fundamentally centres its focus on what actual students really experience. They went to such great lengths to capture everything these kids hear and say and do and then pored over it and did an incredible job of summarising it into a relatively short book all of us to learn from.

What are you waiting for?

[Rod Naquin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great stuff in here—fascinating linguistic and ethnographic stuff at the student level. Interesting frameworks of teacher influence, peer influence and self influence—and claims abt how much kids already know when you’re teaching them

[Christian Moore-Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insight into the individual learner, which is very different to the other evidence-based teaching books. The book focuses on research done in the classroom, as opposed to the lab, and measures and observes many things, such as: Previous and post-teaching knowledge, microphones on the students in the lesson, an observer noting down the students behaviour during the lesson to see what those students are focusing on (the content, doodling, friends, etc), and post-teaching interviews with the students to see what they thought about their own learning and where it had come from (teachers, friends, books, etc).

Well worth a read.

[Piers Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of those books that changes how you think about how children learn

[Fifi · Rating 5 out of 5]

[…] much of the knowledge students acquire comes from their peers, and when it does, it comes wrapped inside their social relationships.’ #dezinvanhetboek

[Saira · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think interesting this content

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sacriligeous opinion in education, but I wasn't overly enamoured? I don't know, I was bored. Plus put off later in the book when Nuthall twice comments on the relative attractiveness of students. I get it- students have weird subconscious power dynamics and group shit, but if you need Nuthall to tell you that are you even a teacher?
He was the first to say it I suppose, and I don't mean to be a judgy judy but maybe this book isn't THAT great.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

As part of the author's studies, he attaches microphones to pupils in lessons. Rather unsurprisingly, lots of the recordings are pupils going off task during group tasks.

Although I broadly agree with his some of his conclusions (learning is hard, building on prior learning is important, children learn in similar ways more than they learn in different ways) I wonder how his other conclusions would change if the study was conducted in a different learning/school environment.

[North Landesman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Nuthall sets up shop in different classrooms, records everything, takes notes, and tries to find out exactly who learned what and how. I wish this book had a better subhed and a less generic title and cover art so more people could find out about it. A hidden gem.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary of the life's work of Graham Nuthall and his research into the "hidden" life of the classroom

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful look into the classroom and the lives, struggles and learning of students.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since starting a new job in a new school environment, I have been challenged in so many ways. It drew me to finding books that might be able to help remind me about why and how kids learn the way they learn. This book did exactly the trick. Based on solid evidence based data gathering in New Zealand classrooms, looking closely at students work, recording what students say in the moment as they learn (voice recorders) and then interviewing students and teachers, they discovered alot about the great complexities of student learning. It was a good book that I could read one chapter of and then put down for a few weeks and then pick up again when needed.

[Ann Deraedt]

"Learning requires motivation, but motivation does not necessarily lead to learning"