Learning to Learn provides a much needed overview and international guide to the field of learning to learn from a multidisciplinary lifelong and lifewide perspective. A wealth of research has been flourishing on this key educational goal in recent years. Internationally, it is considered to be one of the key competencies needed to compete in the global economy, but also a crucial factor for individual and social well-being. This book draws on leading international contributors to provide a cutting-edge overview of current thinking on learning to learn research, policy, and implementation in both formal and informal learning environments. But what learning to learn is exactly, and what its constituting elements are, are much debated issues. These seem to be the crucial questions if assessment and development of this 'malleable side of intelligence' are to be accomplished. The approach of this volume is to consider a broad conception of learning to learn, not confined to only study strategies or metacognition, yet acknowledging the importance of such elements. The book sets out to answer five main questions: What is learning to learn? What are its functions and how do we assess it? What does it promise to the individual and society at large? How is it conceived in national curricula internationally? How can it be developed in a variety of contexts? The text is organized into two parts: the first addresses the core question of the nature of learning to learn from a theoretical and policy viewpoint, and the second presents recent research carried out in several educational systems, with special attention to assessment and curriculum. It gives an account of pedagogical practices of learning to learn and its role in individual empowerment from childhood to adulthood. Contributors also highlight the potential use of learning to learn as an organizing concept for lifelong learning, school improvement, and teacher training along with potential conflicts with existing incentive practices and policies. This book is a vital starting point and guide for any advanced student or researcher looking to understand this important area of research.

Learning to Learn provides a much needed overview and international guide to the field of learning to learn from a multidisciplinary lifelong and lifewide perspective. A wealth of research has been flourishing on this key educational goal in recent years. Internationally, it is considered to be one of the key competencies needed to compete in the global economy, but also a crucial factor for individual and social well-being. This book draws on leading international contributors to provide a cutting-edge overview of current thinking on learning to learn research, policy, and implementation in both formal and informal learning environments. But what learning to learn is exactly, and what its constituting elements are, are much debated issues. These seem to be the crucial questions if assessment and development of this 'malleable side of intelligence' are to be accomplished. The approach of this volume is to consider a broad conception of learning to learn, not confined to only study strategies or metacognition, yet acknowledging the importance of such elements. The book sets out to answer five main questions: What is learning to learn? What are its functions and how do we assess it? What does it promise to the individual and society at large? How is it conceived in national curricula internationally? How can it be developed in a variety of contexts? The text is organized into two parts: the first addresses the core question of the nature of learning to learn from a theoretical and policy viewpoint, and the second presents recent research carried out in several educational systems, with special attention to assessment and curriculum. It gives an account of pedagogical practices of learning to learn and its role in individual empowerment from childhood to adulthood. Contributors also highlight the potential use of learning to learn as an organizing concept for lifelong learning, school improvement, and teacher training along with potential conflicts with existing incentive practices and policies. This book is a vital starting point and guide for any advanced student or researcher looking to understand this important area of research.

'This book provides a variety of ideas for use in the classroom, based on practical applications of the conceptual understanding of learning power... ...[It] tells the reader about the "Effective Lifelong Learning Inventory" research programme (ELLI) and uses practical examples of how it can work in actual classes to explain its effectiveness. Its value for practitioners working with children with SEN appears to be in the way it challenges them to look at themselves as learners - also how they can support the children they work with to become more effective learners' - Special Needs Coordinator's File 'This is not a gimmicky approach... The approach here fosters deeper understanding for both the teacher and learner of exactly what the process involves... It contains much to interest schoolteachers, senior managers and those involved with learners of any age' - ESCalate Contains Learning Power flash cards! What kind of learner are you? How can you become a better learner? This book puts the findings of the well known Effective Lifelong Learning Inventory (ELLI) research programme into the practical context of the classroom, helping you to find answers to these questions. The book offers many suggestions for practical ways to improve the learning power of all the children in your class. It looks at: " learning power - what it is and how it can be achieved " creating the right classroom environment for powerful learning " how learning power works in the primary and secondary school classroom " how animal metaphors can be used with children to explain concepts. This is an exciting read for anyone interested in how children learn, and how we can help them to learn more effectively. It fits in very well with the debate around such concepts as accelerated learning, thinking skills and learning styles.

This book makes a unique contribution to current thinking by making a link between two current key policy drivers in education: personalized learning and distributed leadership. Ron Ritchie and Ruth Deakin Crick put forward the idea that an effective means of implementing personalizing learning is to adopt distributed approaches to school leadership. The book builds on the other titles in the "NCE Personalizing Learning" series, particularly "Personalizing Learning: Transforming Education for Every Child" by John West-Burnham and Max Coates. Personalizing learning remains a contested concept, interpreted in many different ways by policy makers, researchers and practitioners. However, it is generally agreed to be desirable if, as a result of its implementation, students' individual learning needs are more effectively addressed and it impacts positively on their learning.