The Learner Behaviour Model

At St John’s College we help students in all year levels to develop discipline, a strong work ethic and learner agency through privileging Learner Behaviours.

The St John’s College Learner Behaviours’ model was developed and constructed by all staff in 2021. All teachers worked together and engaged in professional reading, discussion and research to identify the attributes and skills needed for students to become effective learners. Different groups of staff presented their interpretation of the important learner behaviours they believed all students from Foundation to Year 12 should have to develop agency in their learning. To be able to engage in the learning process independently, students must be able to plan, monitor and assess their own learning (in age-appropriate ways). They also need to be persistent in the face of learning challenges and be able to reflect on their own thinking and understanding. Communicating their thoughts, ideas and opinions in a respectful way with their peers and others ensures that the focus is always objective and thoughtful.

The learning capabilities and dispositions that all staff prioritised to incorporate into our model had to be teachable and learnable as all students are assessed against the Learner Behaviours in the interim and semester reports.  Teachers continue to deepen their understanding about how students learn and their understanding of the learning process. Incorporating the development of these capabilities into all lessons has been a priority. Learning intentions and success criteria now reflect skills associated with determination, reflection, metacognition, and communication.

A special thank you to Ms Hanos and Mrs Watson for their design of the Learner Behaviours’ Model visual image. It is a fitting reminder of the symbolism of the olive tree and a direct connection to our beautiful olive grove in the grounds of the school.