ABSTRACT
Effective learning is usually measured by testing how far the desired learning
outcomes of any programme have been achieved using specific criteria. Large-scale comparisons have led to exercises such as Pisa Tests (OECD 2007) influencing policy
and practice on a global stage. In the UK, terms such as ‘successful schools’ and
‘successful leaders’ can be found in policy guidance and professional literature. These
terms suggest that there is agreement about what constitutes ‘successful learning’
with little account taken of contextual variables and where empirical evidence such as
test results is used to support such claims. This study does not visit the well-rehearsed
arguments about the relative value attached to what is measurable in learning
(Broadfoot 2008; Black and Wiliam 2009). Instead, underpinning this study is the following principle: measuring learner attainment provides only part of the picture of
‘success’ not all aspects of ‘successful learning’ can be measured by tests. Instead it was decided to investigate ‘successful learning’ in CLIL settings through analysing
what makes learners want to learn and how they perceived the value of the processes
and outcomes of learning.
