ABSTRACT
One of the threats to authentic school improvement is the narrowing of the conventional definition of effective student learning. As compared with even ten years ago, ‘effective student learning’ is commonly equated with a range of test scores or examination results, rather than something broader. Although the shift of focus to student outcomes is to be applauded – schools in particular, and the system in general, are now taking more responsibility for student learning – there are some dangers too. The emphasis on target setting in many educational systems puts pressure on schools and teachers to raise levels of achievement in the short term. This widespread tendency often results in a tactical response such as homework clubs or teaching to the test, and leads to a reductionist and impoverished interpretation of what constitutes learning. Powerful learning is more than just results and scores, it subsumes a range of cognitive and affective processes and outcomes. The challenge is to find ways of raising levels of attainment while at the same time helping students become more powerful learners, by expanding and making articulate their repertoire of learning strategies.
