Lifelong Learners – No Longer Optional
As we live longer, retire later, change jobs more frequently, and retrain across multiple careers, lifelong learning will move from an aspiration to essential. — McCrindle Research
According to the ‘Future of Jobs Report 2025’, the global workforce is undergoing significant changes, and on average, workers can expect that two-fifths (39%) of their existing skill sets will be transformed or become outdated over the 2025-2030 period.
In an era of rapid change and constant innovation, fostering a sense of personal ownership in learning has become crucial for students to thrive in their academic and professional journeys, and truly become lifelong learners.
There is only so much we can “teach” if a boy doesn’t recognise he’s supposed to “learn.” The most effective way to get our boys to understand their role in education and become lifelong learners is to teach them the skill of student ownership and support them in developing it.
Growing independence and ownership is a progressive exercise (and one that needs to be carefully guided and supported by teachers and parents). However, research is clear on the long-term positive impact of students taking greater responsibility.
Self-regulated learning is a term growing in popularity in the workforce and education. It refers to the process where individuals take control of their own learning by setting goals, monitoring progress, and reflecting on outcomes. An approach which is becoming increasingly vital in the evolving job landscape (It is interesting to note that students who set and monitor personal goals may perform 18–41% higher on assessments than students without goals).
Greater self-awareness and self-management are needed for the multiple careers our boys will experience in their working lives and the hybrid structures which will be prevalent. With less defined structure and less consistent oversight, workers will need greater self-awareness and understanding of when and how they work best, alongside self-management, to ensure high productivity in remote environments. Such dispositions are also immensely powerful for our boys’ schooling and tertiary educational journeys.
‘Encouraging students to be partners in their own learning increases agency (ownership and responsibility) and achievement. It creates positive long-term learning habits. It also builds student engagement with schooling, which is associated with positive outcomes in most facets of life’. Gonski Report 2018
Indicators of developing student ownership (self-awareness and self-management) include the ability to:
- articulate learning
- explain the next steps in their learning
- set learning goals
- see errors as opportunities for further learning rather than setbacks
- know what to do when they are stuck
- seek feedback, reflect and refine.
How can parents help?
At home seek opportunities for your children to:
- ask questions
- self-monitor their progress through reflection
- see mistakes as learning opportunities and for controlling the related negative emotions
- define their personal learning goals and objectives
- use self-reward strategies (eg. doing a favourite activity if they can accomplish their learning goals on time).
‘Empowering students to take charge of their learning experiences not only enhances their motivation and engagement but also equips them with the necessary skills to adapt and succeed in an ever-evolving world’.
When students understand their role as agent (the one in charge) over their own feelings, thinking and learning behaviours, they are more likely to take responsibility for their learning. This in turn will lead to greater achievement, motivation and satisfaction, as well as the ability to become a continuous and adaptive learner.
Peter Grimes | Headmaster
References:
Building thriving school communities - Exploring the characteristics of highly engaged school communities – McCrindle Research 2025
Professor John Hattie (Laureate Professor at the University of Melbourne)
Elevated Achievement Group - 2023
Empowering Student Ownership in Lifelong Learning: Strategies Backed by Research - Keith Lockwood, Ph.D. 2023
Empowering Students: The Key to Student Ownership of Learning - Wakelet 2023
Review to achieve educational excellence in Australian Schools - Gonski Report 2018
