“Nothing About Me or For Me Without Me”: Personal Learning Guides at ISH

Supporting student agency through Personal Learning Guides (PLGs). 

At the International School of Helsinki (ISH), Personal Learning Guides (PLGs) are used as a way to support student agency and make learning more visible, reflective, and personalised across the Primary Years Programme. 

PLGs were developed as an approach to help students better understand themselves as learners—their interests, strengths, and areas for growth. While goal-setting is an important part of this process, PLGs are not limited to goals alone. They provide a broader structure through which students reflect on their learning, develop self-awareness, and begin to build a stronger sense of identity and agency. 

A key principle underpinning this work is the idea that learning should be shaped with the learner at the centre. As reflected in the phrase, “nothing about me or for me without me,” students are actively involved in contributing to decisions about their learning, including setting personal goals and identifying the steps they will take to work towards them. 

A structured and ongoing process. 

PLGs bring together different elements that support reflection and ownership. Students consider their strengths, areas for growth, and aspects of their identity as learners, including connections to the learner profile and their language experiences. From this, they begin to develop personal goals and outline actions to support their progress. 

This process is approached with careful consideration of students’ developmental readiness. The way goal-setting is introduced and supported varies across age groups, ensuring that students are engaging with it in ways that are meaningful and appropriate to their stage of development. 

As part of this work, there has also been an increasing focus on supporting students in developing clear and purposeful goals, including the introduction of SMART goal principles where appropriate. SMART goals—specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound—help students clarify their intentions and take more structured steps in their learning.

Teachers play a key role in guiding this process through questioning, feedback, and structured opportunities for reflection, while maintaining the student’s ownership of their learning journey. 

Making learning visible and meaningful. 

PLGs are embedded within the learning experience and revisited over time. Students reflect on their progress, gather evidence of their learning, and consider next steps as part of an ongoing cycle. 

This process helps make learning more visible—not only for students, but also for teachers and families. Students share their goals and reflections through conferences and reporting, strengthening the connection between school and home and supporting a more transparent understanding of learning. 

Through this, students begin to develop the language needed to talk about how they learn. They reflect on the strategies that support their progress and gain a deeper understanding of what helps them grow as learners. 

A focus on reflection and growth. 

The use of PLGs supports a culture where reflection is part of everyday learning. Students are encouraged to think about their learning not only in terms of outcomes, but also in terms of process—what they are doing, how they are improving, and what their next steps might be. 

The emphasis remains on creating meaningful opportunities for students to engage with their learning in a purposeful way. By maintaining a focus on reflection, ownership, and growth, PLGs support the development of learners who are increasingly aware, independent, and engaged.