Session 3:

Focus on Learning Theories

No Children Are Left

Behind! (UNESCO)

Nguyen Dinh Thu (PhD TESOL)

October 29th, 2022
LEARNING POWER
 A set of ideas about learning
 Seven dimensions of learning that together describe the
energy and motivation to learn
 A profiling instrument that allows a student to find out
how they see themselves as a learner against the seven
dimensions of learning and to track the changes in their
learning energy through time
 A set of graphs that describe a whole class’s energy for
learning in the seven dimensions
 A set of practical approaches, strategies and activities
that foster greater energy for learning in individuals and
learning communities
 Double Helix of Learning

Knowledge, skills and

understanding

Learning Power

Attitudes, values,
feelings, dispositions,
motivations
Power Your Learning
The Seven Dimensions

 Changing and Learning Being stuck & static

 Meaning making Data accumulation
 Critical curiosity Passivity
 Creativity Being rule bound
 Learning relationship Isolation or
dependence
 Strategic awareness Being robotic
 Resilience Fragility & dependence
Origin of Learning Power
Origin of Learning Power curriculum and
worldviews
assessment
and traditions
practices
skills and
capacities
home
goal
and
interest orientation
family
self-efficacy
locus of
dispositions control

self
self- Learning
esteem
regulation power
effort
awareness sense of self
as a learner

school ethos peer group

pedagogy
Origin of Learning Power
Learning profile: type 1
Learning profile: type 2
Learning profile: type 3
Teachers’ understanding of learning power

 Enables them to focus on learning and

learners
 Describes the energy to learn in terms of
seven dimensions of learning
 Provides a vocabulary and language to
talk about learning
 Describes ways to release energy for
learning in their classrooms
Learners’ understanding of learning power

 Makes learning learnable

 Takes the mystique out of the process of
learning for pupils
 Enables them to focus on different aspects
of learning during lessons
 Gives a focus to reflect on learning
 Provides a way of celebrating achievements
in learning alongside curriculum success
Learning profile

Three clusters of learners

 Low learning power plus fragility and
dependence - Low achievers, at risk learners

 Medium learning power, plus fragility and

dependence and isolation - Often bright
achievers

 High learning power plus resilient, bright, not

necessarily standard achievers, sometimes
challenging
Achievement

 The stronger a student’s learning profile,

the higher their achievement in teacher
assessments of English
Teacher
Teacher qualities
…that increase learning
qualities…
• Teachers who believe all students can learn
• Teachers who can create positive interpersonal
relationships
• Teachers who can listen to students and communicate
that they value student opinion
• Teachers who can stimulate higher order thinking in
students
• Teachers who support autonomous learners rather
than being highly controlling in their classrooms
Learner

Being a good real-life learner means knowing what is

worth learning; what you are good (and not so good) at
learning; who can help; how to face confusion without
getting upset; and what the best learning tool is for the
job at hand. Just as being a reader involves much more
than simply being able to read, so ‘being a learner’
means enjoying learning, and seeing yourself as a
learner, seeking out learning as well a knowing how to
go about it.

(Claxton, 2002)
Theoretical Underpinnings
The socio-cultural approach to language development
 And learning is based upon the theories of Vygotsky
(1962) and Halliday (1990). It maintains that:
 Learning and cognitive development are socially and
culturally based (Halliday 1990; Vygotsky 1962).
 Language develops over time, as we interact within
particular social and cultural settings (Halliday 1990;
Vygotsky 1962).

 Language experiences of children will vary in

accordance with values, beliefs and behaviours of the
cultural group into which they are being socialised
(Vygotsky 1962).
Implications of the Socio-cultural view within
the classroom

The socio-cultural view of language

development and learning has major
implications within the primary classroom.

 Teachers need to understand and

acknowledge the variety of backgrounds
from which students come and help all
students to become insiders within the
discourse community of the classroom(Gee
1991; Love et al. 2002).
 Guided learning strategies such as scaffolding and
apprenticeship training, have been developed in
response to the notion that students learn best in
interaction with others (Hammond & Gibbons 2001).

Teachers who adopt the socio-cultural model will:

 Encourage interaction within the classroom

(Cusworth 1994; Hammond & Gibbons 2001),

 Model the structure and purpose of a variety of text-

types, both written and spoken,

 Provide meaningful and appropriately challenging

learning tasks (Cusworth 1994).
In a nutshell,…

 Values, behaviours and attitudes of significant

others within the primary discourse
community, shape a child’s literacy
experiences and impact upon his or her ability
to access learning within secondary institutions
such as the classroom (Gee 1991; Halliday
1990).

END