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It's About Learning

Stoll, L., Fink, D. and Earl, L. (2004). It's about learning (and it's about time). Routledge-Falmer: London.

Changing world politics, globalisation, the impact of new and increasing information and communications technology, altered social forces and structures, the impending environmental crisis and new patterns of work are the factors that the authors of this book believe contribute to the need for a new approach to teaching, learning and schooling (pp. 1-14).

The pace of change in education is speeding up all the time. The result is that principals and teachers feel overwhelmed and stressed while the core business of education - learning and teaching - is neglected. The focus instead is on achieving targets and grades. The authors argue that 'the agenda for reform must be redirected towards the essential purpose of education: learning - learning to create, solve problems, think critically, unlearn and relearn, and to care about others and the environment' (p. 18).

The authors' extensive review of the literature reinforces the fact that what they are saying is not new and 'it's about time that teachers, heads and other educational professionals … refocus schools on learning' (p. 17); specifically, the four pillars of learning articulated by Jacques Delors and his colleagues in 1996 in their report, Learning: The treasure within. The four pillars are learning to know, learning to do, learning to live together and learning to be.

Brain research has greatly extended our understanding of what learning is and how it occurs. Chapter 2 explores early theories about learning, along with recent research findings that confirm that 'learning is an ongoing, iterative process of fitting information into patterns or schema, of similarities, differences, likenesses and regularities' (p. 28).

In order to learn, people need to be motivated to learn; there needs to be a sense of satisfaction or progression in making the attempt to acquire and absorb new knowledge. If it is too easy to achieve success, it is more difficult to keep motivated. If a person lacks skill and faces little or no challenge, he or she may become uninterested or apathetic. If, however, a person has a high skill level but the challenge is not high, boredom may result. When both the challenge and the level of skill are high, they are in 'flow' and an optimal learning experience results (p. 35).

Stoll, Fink and Earl provide advice on enhancing pupil learning and ensuring that new ideas have been understood. They remind the reader that teachers are also on a learning curve (p. 57). To be effective teachers and leaders, teachers need to be reflective practitioners, critical of what and how they teach and reflective about what works and what doesn't work. Teachers need to mesh their knowledge of learning with their knowledge of audience and subject to optimise students' learning (p. 88).

It is important to recognise the impact of self-esteem and emotions on learning. Learners with positive self-esteem are open to learning experiences, which in turn can increase their self-esteem. Teachers and school leaders 'need to learn how to read the emotional responses of those around them' as well as being aware of their own emotional needs and responses 'and how they influence teaching and learning' (p. 79).

A comprehensive discussion on the role of leadership for learning is provided in Chapter 5. The authors outline a model of leadership that supports a 'network' or 'distributive' style of leadership that 'promotes improved pupils' learning' (p. 103). 'Leadership is about getting ordinary people to do extraordinary things' (p. 107), and this requires emotional understanding of self and others to ensure that 'life is in balance' (p. 109). School leaders have the power to promote a positive, creative teaching environment for themselves, teachers, students and their families. School leaders have the capacity to create a climate that supports an optimal learning community focus, promoting collaborative and reflective engagement with learning.

The sub-theme of 'time' is woven through the book. Time to refocus on learning, time to reflect on practice, and how to make time available to bring about sustainable change.

The authors have also incorporated into the book activities and reflective questions for the individual reader or for use in staff groups as a focus for discussion. Each chapter concludes with a useful annotated bibliography of further readings.