Approaches to Learning

Approaches to Learning (ATL) is a foundational element of IB pedagogy that recognizes the importance of explicitly teaching students how to learn, not just what to learn. The framework applies across all IB programmes (PYP, MYP, DP, and CP) and identifies five interrelated skill categories.

The five ATL skill categories are: Thinking skills (critical thinking, creative thinking, transfer), Communication skills (literacy, information literacy, ICT skills), Social skills (collaboration, interpersonal skills), Self-management skills (organization, affective skills, reflection), and Research skills (information literacy, media literacy). Within these categories, the IB identifies specific skill clusters and indicators appropriate to each programme level.

In the Diploma Programme, ATL skills are embedded across all subjects rather than taught as a separate course. For example, a student conducting an Internal Assessment in Biology will draw on research skills (locating and evaluating sources), thinking skills (designing an experiment, analyzing data), communication skills (writing the report), and self-management skills (meeting deadlines, managing the investigation timeline). Teachers are expected to identify opportunities to develop and assess ATL skills within their subject teaching.

ATL skills are particularly valuable because they transfer across subjects and beyond school. The ability to manage time effectively, collaborate with peers, think critically about information sources, and communicate ideas clearly are competencies that universities and employers consistently identify as essential. Students who consciously develop their ATL skills during the IB are better prepared for the independent learning demands of university education.