John Hattie received his PhD degree in statistics from the
University of Toronto in 1981 on detecting unidimensionality. His research focuses on
performance indicators and evaluation in education, as well as creativity measurement and models of teaching and learning. He is a proponent of evidence-based quantitative research methodologies on the influences on
student achievement. He led the team that created the Assessment Tools for Teaching and Learning research and development contract and which is currently deployed by the New Zealand Ministry of Education for use in schools. Prior to his move to the University of Melbourne, Hattie was a member of the independent advisory group reporting to the
New Zealand's Minister of Education on the national standards in reading, writing and maths for all primary school children in New Zealand. Hattie undertook the largest ever synthesis of
meta-analyses of quantitative measures of the effect of different factors on educational outcomes leading to his book
Visible Learning. Hattie advised the
Fifth National Government of New Zealand on national
learning standards and
performance-related pay for teachers. In the
2011 Queen's Birthday Honours, Hattie was appointed an
Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to education. Notable students of Hattie's include
Christine Rubie-Davies and
Melinda Webber. He is married to Professor Janet Clinton, also at the University of Melbourne. In 2025, Stephen Vainker, a former researcher, alleged there were "hundreds of instances of plagiarism and data errors" in Hattie's work. In response, Hattie filed a defamation lawsuit against Vainker, while the
University of Melbourne randomly reviewed 14 instances of plagiarism, and found no misconduct. Though they initially decided against doing so, the university later opened a formal investigation into Hattie. ==References==