Steve Vainker
@stephenvainker.bsky.social
Interested in how the child came to be managed as an employee in our schools.
https://t.co/6wKuWHdlQA
https://t.co/6wKuWHdlQA
Despite the business-as-usual #BERA2025 conference, there's clearly a crisis.
In the current Review of Education issue, 7 out of 8 articles appear LLM-written.
Even worse: all four editors appear to have published LLM-written work (including a fake reference).
open.substack.com/pub/stephenv...
In the current Review of Education issue, 7 out of 8 articles appear LLM-written.
Even worse: all four editors appear to have published LLM-written work (including a fake reference).
open.substack.com/pub/stephenv...
Crisis at the Review of Education
It appears all four editors have published LLM-written work; seven out of eight papers in current issue LLM-written
open.substack.com
September 9, 2025 at 10:36 AM
Despite the business-as-usual #BERA2025 conference, there's clearly a crisis.
In the current Review of Education issue, 7 out of 8 articles appear LLM-written.
Even worse: all four editors appear to have published LLM-written work (including a fake reference).
open.substack.com/pub/stephenv...
In the current Review of Education issue, 7 out of 8 articles appear LLM-written.
Even worse: all four editors appear to have published LLM-written work (including a fake reference).
open.substack.com/pub/stephenv...
John Hattie explaining in his own words how AI writes his papers: "there's a new tool out that actually writes the essay for me, and I constructed one, read it... the first one I though 'ah', then I realised I was at fault... so hone, hone, focus, quality control."
www.youtube.com/watch?si=YpW...
www.youtube.com/watch?si=YpW...
September 8, 2025 at 4:59 PM
John Hattie explaining in his own words how AI writes his papers: "there's a new tool out that actually writes the essay for me, and I constructed one, read it... the first one I though 'ah', then I realised I was at fault... so hone, hone, focus, quality control."
www.youtube.com/watch?si=YpW...
www.youtube.com/watch?si=YpW...
I've read some absurd AI-written claims but this one from Hattie takes some beating:
'Online survey tools such as Kahoot! and Quizizz are effective tools to assist students in writing assignments, collecting data, and searching for research [19]'
Love that it cites a source!
'Online survey tools such as Kahoot! and Quizizz are effective tools to assist students in writing assignments, collecting data, and searching for research [19]'
Love that it cites a source!
There are now two more AI-written articles co-authored by John Hattie. It makes sense a plagiarist would turn to LLMs, but it is still shocking that the most prominent education researcher of the 21st century is turning out AI slop, together with fake references.
open.substack.com/pub/stephenvai…
open.substack.com/pub/stephenvai…
September 5, 2025 at 3:37 PM
I've read some absurd AI-written claims but this one from Hattie takes some beating:
'Online survey tools such as Kahoot! and Quizizz are effective tools to assist students in writing assignments, collecting data, and searching for research [19]'
Love that it cites a source!
'Online survey tools such as Kahoot! and Quizizz are effective tools to assist students in writing assignments, collecting data, and searching for research [19]'
Love that it cites a source!
There are now two more AI-written articles co-authored by John Hattie. It makes sense a plagiarist would turn to LLMs, but it is still shocking that the most prominent education researcher of the 21st century is turning out AI slop, together with fake references.
open.substack.com/pub/stephenvai…
open.substack.com/pub/stephenvai…
September 5, 2025 at 3:36 PM
There are now two more AI-written articles co-authored by John Hattie. It makes sense a plagiarist would turn to LLMs, but it is still shocking that the most prominent education researcher of the 21st century is turning out AI slop, together with fake references.
open.substack.com/pub/stephenvai…
open.substack.com/pub/stephenvai…
Before AI, John Hattie plagiarised.
Now, it appears he uses LLMs. A recent contribution to a handbook, published by Elgar, included a fake reference.
The evidence could not be clearer...
stephenvainker.substack.com/p/john-hattie-used-an-llm-to-write?r=695xb6
Now, it appears he uses LLMs. A recent contribution to a handbook, published by Elgar, included a fake reference.
The evidence could not be clearer...
stephenvainker.substack.com/p/john-hattie-used-an-llm-to-write?r=695xb6
John Hattie used LLM to write contribution to handbook, included fake reference
Further evidence of lack of academic integrity
stephenvainker.substack.com
September 4, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Before AI, John Hattie plagiarised.
Now, it appears he uses LLMs. A recent contribution to a handbook, published by Elgar, included a fake reference.
The evidence could not be clearer...
stephenvainker.substack.com/p/john-hattie-used-an-llm-to-write?r=695xb6
Now, it appears he uses LLMs. A recent contribution to a handbook, published by Elgar, included a fake reference.
The evidence could not be clearer...
stephenvainker.substack.com/p/john-hattie-used-an-llm-to-write?r=695xb6
My final report on 131 LLM-authored articles in BERA journals:
BERJ: 46
BJET: 59
Review: 22
Curriculum: only 4
These are staggering numbers & show that BERA, marginalised in the national discussion about education, has seriously lost its way. Change is required!
open.substack.com/pub/stephenv...
BERJ: 46
BJET: 59
Review: 22
Curriculum: only 4
These are staggering numbers & show that BERA, marginalised in the national discussion about education, has seriously lost its way. Change is required!
open.substack.com/pub/stephenv...
BERA journals publish 131 LLM-written articles
A tragedy and a scandal
open.substack.com
September 3, 2025 at 12:38 PM
My final report on 131 LLM-authored articles in BERA journals:
BERJ: 46
BJET: 59
Review: 22
Curriculum: only 4
These are staggering numbers & show that BERA, marginalised in the national discussion about education, has seriously lost its way. Change is required!
open.substack.com/pub/stephenv...
BERJ: 46
BJET: 59
Review: 22
Curriculum: only 4
These are staggering numbers & show that BERA, marginalised in the national discussion about education, has seriously lost its way. Change is required!
open.substack.com/pub/stephenv...
Universities have definitions of plagiarism etc. so that it can clearly and fairly hold students & professors to account.
So it's scandalous when Melbourne University didn't use it own definition in an investigation of John Hattie, & instead used a far softer one.
open.substack.com/pub/stephenv...
So it's scandalous when Melbourne University didn't use it own definition in an investigation of John Hattie, & instead used a far softer one.
open.substack.com/pub/stephenv...
The University of Melbourne's sham investigation into John Hattie's plagiarism
How an incredibly cynical process played out
open.substack.com
September 1, 2025 at 11:08 AM
Universities have definitions of plagiarism etc. so that it can clearly and fairly hold students & professors to account.
So it's scandalous when Melbourne University didn't use it own definition in an investigation of John Hattie, & instead used a far softer one.
open.substack.com/pub/stephenv...
So it's scandalous when Melbourne University didn't use it own definition in an investigation of John Hattie, & instead used a far softer one.
open.substack.com/pub/stephenv...
Today's education establishment think they're FAR more sophisticated than John Hattie.
But they've adopted his obfuscatory delusion of being purely evidence-based & non-ideological.
We can't tackle the educational crises we're facing without addressing this.
open.substack.com/pub/stephenv...
But they've adopted his obfuscatory delusion of being purely evidence-based & non-ideological.
We can't tackle the educational crises we're facing without addressing this.
open.substack.com/pub/stephenv...
Visible Learning: evidence-based obfuscation
How John Hattie's disavowal of ideology became a template for today's influencers
open.substack.com
September 1, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Today's education establishment think they're FAR more sophisticated than John Hattie.
But they've adopted his obfuscatory delusion of being purely evidence-based & non-ideological.
We can't tackle the educational crises we're facing without addressing this.
open.substack.com/pub/stephenv...
But they've adopted his obfuscatory delusion of being purely evidence-based & non-ideological.
We can't tackle the educational crises we're facing without addressing this.
open.substack.com/pub/stephenv...
If you have a passing interest in John Hattie's plagiarism but don't want (for some strange reason) to read an over-long academic article on it, you may be interested in this 👇
open.substack.com/pub/stephenv...
open.substack.com/pub/stephenv...
John Hattie plagiarised extensively
There's no debate
open.substack.com
August 26, 2025 at 8:45 PM
If you have a passing interest in John Hattie's plagiarism but don't want (for some strange reason) to read an over-long academic article on it, you may be interested in this 👇
open.substack.com/pub/stephenv...
open.substack.com/pub/stephenv...
Reposted by Steve Vainker
You might think a university would use its own definition of plagiarism when investigating a professor.
You might also think a university would look at all allegations of plagiarism in its investigation.
You'd be wrong.
open.substack.com/pub/stephenv...
You might also think a university would look at all allegations of plagiarism in its investigation.
You'd be wrong.
open.substack.com/pub/stephenv...
August 25, 2025 at 2:22 PM
You might think a university would use its own definition of plagiarism when investigating a professor.
You might also think a university would look at all allegations of plagiarism in its investigation.
You'd be wrong.
open.substack.com/pub/stephenv...
You might also think a university would look at all allegations of plagiarism in its investigation.
You'd be wrong.
open.substack.com/pub/stephenv...
You might think a university would use its own definition of plagiarism when investigating a professor.
You might also think a university would look at all allegations of plagiarism in its investigation.
You'd be wrong.
open.substack.com/pub/stephenv...
You might also think a university would look at all allegations of plagiarism in its investigation.
You'd be wrong.
open.substack.com/pub/stephenv...
August 25, 2025 at 2:22 PM
You might think a university would use its own definition of plagiarism when investigating a professor.
You might also think a university would look at all allegations of plagiarism in its investigation.
You'd be wrong.
open.substack.com/pub/stephenv...
You might also think a university would look at all allegations of plagiarism in its investigation.
You'd be wrong.
open.substack.com/pub/stephenv...
Al articles are a road to nowhere, involving a great deal of pain.
Beginning: shameless platitudes
Middle: dense technical description of elaborate relationships between endless variables.
End: shameless platitudes
Beginning: shameless platitudes
Middle: dense technical description of elaborate relationships between endless variables.
End: shameless platitudes
August 15, 2025 at 8:51 AM
Al articles are a road to nowhere, involving a great deal of pain.
Beginning: shameless platitudes
Middle: dense technical description of elaborate relationships between endless variables.
End: shameless platitudes
Beginning: shameless platitudes
Middle: dense technical description of elaborate relationships between endless variables.
End: shameless platitudes
Reposted by Steve Vainker
I've updated the paper on John Hattie to include plagiarism from 2005, 2021, & 2025. I've now shown that he has plagiarised over 19,500 words across 11 different works, from 1981-2025.
It's been 5 months & I've received no indication of any errors.
researchgate.net/publication/...
It's been 5 months & I've received no indication of any errors.
researchgate.net/publication/...
(PDF) THE CAREER OF JOHN HATTIE: PLAGIARISM, MISCONDUCT, AND THE COARSENING OF EDUCATION
PDF | John Hattie, treated by policymakers as a ‘messiah’ (Evans, 2012, n.p.), committed plagiarism and academic misconduct on a grand scale throughout... | Find, read and cite all the research you ne...
researchgate.net
August 13, 2025 at 2:37 PM
I've updated the paper on John Hattie to include plagiarism from 2005, 2021, & 2025. I've now shown that he has plagiarised over 19,500 words across 11 different works, from 1981-2025.
It's been 5 months & I've received no indication of any errors.
researchgate.net/publication/...
It's been 5 months & I've received no indication of any errors.
researchgate.net/publication/...
This has to be a low point. An article in the BERJ about the experience of playing 'TargetShootingMania' with 21 fake references going into granular detail about the movement of the cardboard boxes that need to be shot.
The research questions? Nothing to do with education. At all.
This is madness.
The research questions? Nothing to do with education. At all.
This is madness.
August 8, 2025 at 5:06 PM
This has to be a low point. An article in the BERJ about the experience of playing 'TargetShootingMania' with 21 fake references going into granular detail about the movement of the cardboard boxes that need to be shot.
The research questions? Nothing to do with education. At all.
This is madness.
The research questions? Nothing to do with education. At all.
This is madness.
If we allow our flagship journals to fill with AI slop (presumably pushing out excellent or at least competent work in the process) then we are making a better case for our marginalisation than any critic ever could.
open.substack.com/pub/stephenv...
open.substack.com/pub/stephenv...
Five articles with fake references found in the British Educational Research Journal
They are not good papers
open.substack.com
August 8, 2025 at 3:49 PM
If we allow our flagship journals to fill with AI slop (presumably pushing out excellent or at least competent work in the process) then we are making a better case for our marginalisation than any critic ever could.
open.substack.com/pub/stephenv...
open.substack.com/pub/stephenv...
Any worse writing style than AI florid?
August 7, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Any worse writing style than AI florid?
Every article partially AI-written in an upcoming special issue in the British Journal of Technology of Education
open.substack.com/pub/stephenv...
open.substack.com/pub/stephenv...
August 7, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Every article partially AI-written in an upcoming special issue in the British Journal of Technology of Education
open.substack.com/pub/stephenv...
open.substack.com/pub/stephenv...
The irony:
"Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the..."
Google Scholar before 2021: 35
Since: 2,385
"Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the..."
Google Scholar before 2021: 35
Since: 2,385
July 18, 2025 at 8:42 PM
The irony:
"Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the..."
Google Scholar before 2021: 35
Since: 2,385
"Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the..."
Google Scholar before 2021: 35
Since: 2,385
I have discovered 40 (forty) articles published by the @berj-2025.bsky.social that look highly likely to have been written by AI. Before I explain my evidence & list the articles, I wanted to explain why it matters.
The BERJ is a publication I loved and would read through. It can become that again
The BERJ is a publication I loved and would read through. It can become that again
July 16, 2025 at 12:02 PM
I have discovered 40 (forty) articles published by the @berj-2025.bsky.social that look highly likely to have been written by AI. Before I explain my evidence & list the articles, I wanted to explain why it matters.
The BERJ is a publication I loved and would read through. It can become that again
The BERJ is a publication I loved and would read through. It can become that again
This new @berj-2025.bsky.social article strongly appears to contain 8 invented citations. A number of extremely low-quality articles have appeared in the journal over the past 18 months. There seems to have been a decline in editorial standards.
bera-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
bera-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
July 3, 2025 at 11:23 AM
This new @berj-2025.bsky.social article strongly appears to contain 8 invented citations. A number of extremely low-quality articles have appeared in the journal over the past 18 months. There seems to have been a decline in editorial standards.
bera-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
bera-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
I would encourage anyone interested simply to look at the claims I made in Appendix A here. If you check them out you will see they are correct.
It would be absurd to have to go to court simply to confirm every claim that I've already shown to be true.
researchgate.net/publication/...
It would be absurd to have to go to court simply to confirm every claim that I've already shown to be true.
researchgate.net/publication/...
June 12, 2025 at 10:00 AM
I would encourage anyone interested simply to look at the claims I made in Appendix A here. If you check them out you will see they are correct.
It would be absurd to have to go to court simply to confirm every claim that I've already shown to be true.
researchgate.net/publication/...
It would be absurd to have to go to court simply to confirm every claim that I've already shown to be true.
researchgate.net/publication/...
I've shown that John Hattie plagiarised well over 500 times from his PhD (in 1981) to a work published this year.
For pointing this out, John Hattie is suing me for defamation. I want to explain how we got here and why legal action is wrong.
(link paywalled)
www.heraldsun.com.au/subscribe/ne...
For pointing this out, John Hattie is suing me for defamation. I want to explain how we got here and why legal action is wrong.
(link paywalled)
www.heraldsun.com.au/subscribe/ne...
www.heraldsun.com.au
June 12, 2025 at 9:55 AM
I've shown that John Hattie plagiarised well over 500 times from his PhD (in 1981) to a work published this year.
For pointing this out, John Hattie is suing me for defamation. I want to explain how we got here and why legal action is wrong.
(link paywalled)
www.heraldsun.com.au/subscribe/ne...
For pointing this out, John Hattie is suing me for defamation. I want to explain how we got here and why legal action is wrong.
(link paywalled)
www.heraldsun.com.au/subscribe/ne...