Learning to learn principle
This resource provides a description, tools and resources related to the Learning to learn principle as part of The 2007 New Zealand Curriculum.
About this resource
“The curriculum encourages all students to reflect on their own learning processes and to learn how to learn.”
The learning to learn principle is one of eight principles in The New Zealand Curriculum that provide a foundation for schools' decision making. The learning to learn principle calls for schools and teachers to deliver a curriculum that helps students:
- reflect on how they learn
- develop the skills, knowledge, attitudes, and values that enables them to improve their own learning
- set challenging and specific learning goals
- receive feedback (from peers, teachers, parents, and own experience) that relates specifically to their progress and next steps.
Learning to learn principle
Why is learning to learn important?
"Empowering students to become more self-directed learners and helping teachers and parents further develop these skills in their children can significantly increase students’ motivation and achievement in school." - Cleary and Zimmerman, 2004, cited in Gibbs and Poskitt, 2010, p. 21
Learning to learn is more than identifying your preferred learning style and preferences. Learning to learn is a bundle of skills, knowledge, attitudes, and values that, together with metacognition, enable people to take control of and improve their own learning.
Below is a list of tools that could be useful in exploring the learning to learn principle. These tools include short videos, activities, and opportunities for reflection.
- Spotlight learning to learn (.ppt): Use this PowerPoint to explore the learning to learn principle and help your students reflect on their own learning processes and learn how to learn.
- Spotlight learner agency (ppt): Use this PowerPoint to explore learner agency and find strategies to help you build greater agency in your classrooms.
- Growing active learners. In this video, Michael Absolum outlines some strategies for helping your students become active learners. Use the questions provided to develop a shared understanding of learning to learn at your school.
See Materials that come with this resource to download:
- Spotlight learning to learn (.ppt)
- Spotlight learner agency (.ppt)
Below is a list of resources that help support the learning to learn principle.
- Principles for assessment for learning
This resource outlines the principles of assessment for learning. It supports teachers to understand what assessment for learning looks like in practice. This page is supported by the "Assessment for learning in practice" page. - Information sharing and building learning partnerships
This resource contains guidance, review questions, activities, examples, and resources to enable deep discussions in your school about information sharing and learning partnerships. These discussions will help to maintain a clear focus on equitable and positive outcomes for all your students. - BES Exemplar 5: Learning logs - He kete wherawhera (online PDF)
Using learning logs with senior secondary students, and how this strengthens student-teacher communications and accelerates learning. - Key competencies
This section supports school leaders and teachers as they introduce and deepen their understanding of key competencies for learners. - Documenting the development of learners' key competencies
This page provides guidance on the documentation of key competencies to draw attention to how students' capabilities are evident as they participate with others in a specific context. It should be useful to learners themselves, parents/caregivers, and teachers as a tool for reflecting on and thinking about strengthening key competencies in ongoing learning. - Building learning power
Professor Guy Claxton's Building Learning Power site provides information, resources, and inspiration for teachers to help young people become better learners.