Cambridge ESL Primary Teacher and Learner characteristics

The purpose of the Cambridge learner and teacher attributes is to support the development of five powerful and highly desirable learning habits that will inspire students to love learning and help them to lead fulfilled and successful lives. Students who demonstrate the attributes habitually approach learning by being confident, responsible, reflective, innovative and engaged.

They are able to skillfully employ a broad range of cognitive skills and socio-emotional skills (including personality qualities such as resilience, self-motivation and self-regulation) towards effectively managing their performance. The attributes are interdependent and should be viewed as a whole. Confidence, for example, needs to be grounded in reflection and responsibility so that the learner demonstrates skill and humility in judging how confident they can be that they are right.

Learners need to be confident to be innovative, ready to take intellectual risks and not be frightened of making mistakes because they view these as a learning opportunity. The learner attributes need to be infused into the teaching and learning of all disciplines, subjects and activities. Effective practice starts with small changes, in particular developing a climate that helps to nurture the attributes. Nothing is more important than teachers modelling the attributes and so the teacher attributes correspond to the learner attributes.