Learning Power

The relationships, patterns and connections...

We know a lot from research about the ways in which Learning?Power is both a?whole process?and it has?distinctive parts?which make up that whole.

Like all models,?it is?simply a?pointer to how people experience deep learning and change and it?provides a language?with which to talk about that?experience.?Without language,?it’s?much more difficult to talk about it.?

Learning Power is simple on first look, yet?complex?as you dig deeper and?in reflection and coaching we?need to be able?to zoom in?to the different parts?AND?to zoom?out?to the whole and the patterns we can?recognise.

Learning Power connects both hemispheres of our brain (see?Iain?McGilchrist’s?work https://channelmcgilchrist.com/home/). It enables us to make sense of our?experience, our relationships and our contexts, to connect?with a sense of purpose and with our stories?AND?it can?scaffold?us as we?work with data, information and experience?to construct new knowledge and create new and authentic?value in the world. We sometimes describe this as ‘looking?inwards and looking?outwards’.?

There is a three-part structure to Learning Power with eight dimensions.

First, Mindful Agency is the most powerful dimension which predicts the active learning power dimensions of Sense Making, Creativity, Curiosity and Hope and Optimism. Mindfulness, self leadership, purpose and agency are core drivers. Until you connect with these in a coaching relationship, you’re likely to remain in the? ‘cognitive zone’? which is quite limited – but familiar.

Next is Learning Relationships – Collaboration and Belonging, which have to do with how we relate to other people in the context of LEARNING NEW THINGS THAT MATTER.

Last but not least, we have our emotional, gut level Openness to Learning. Our willingness to lean in to risk and uncertainty, to stay with it and learn through it. This is critical for deep change.

Deakin Crick, R., Huang, S., Ahmed Shafi, A., & Goldspink, C. (2015).

Developing Resilient Agency in Learning: The Internal Structure of Learning Power. British Journal of Educational Studies, 63(2), 121-160.https://doi.org/10.1080/00071005.2015.1006574