The concept emerged during the 1980s and 90s, for example in the writings of the cognitive scientist Guy Claxton, as a way of describing the form of intelligence possessed by someone who, to quote Jean Piaget's phrase,[1]"…knows what to do when they don't know what to do."
Those of US authors such as Costa, Perkins and Ritchhart tend to be more focused on the kinds of intellectual learning typical of high schools and universities, while that of Claxton and his associates in the UK (Ruth Deakin-Crick, Bill Lucas) attempt to cover learning in informal as well as formal settings.
[6] Practical tools for schools have been developed that are aimed at enhancing students' confidence and capacity as learners, both within the institution and beyond.
Some of these concentrate on practical routines and methods for use by classroom teachers, while others attempt to take a broader approach towards whole-school culture change.
[5] Guy Claxton's Building Learning Power programme has produced several hundred action research reports.