Target-setting in your lessons is useful because:
Target setting helps students to focus on their learning goals and track their progress.
Target setting helps teachers to differentiate instruction and provide feedback and support to students.
Target setting helps schools to align their curriculum and assessment with the standards and expectations of the education system.
Target setting helps parents and stakeholders to understand the achievements and challenges of students and schools.
Target setting helps to create a culture of continuous improvement and accountability in schools
Target-setting is a process of establishing concrete and measurable learning goals for students, based on their current performance and potential. Target-setting can foster metacognition and self-regulated learning by encouraging students to take responsibility for their own learning, monitor their progress, and adjust their strategies accordingly. Target-setting can also help teachers to identify the needs and strengths of their students, provide feedback and support, and evaluate the effectiveness of their instruction. When used correctly, target-setting can be an important tool for school improvement and student achievement.
Some common challenges that students face when setting targets in school are:
Setting targets that are too vague, unrealistic, or irrelevant to their learning needs and interests1.
Balancing multiple and competing targets across different domains of life.
Facing negative consequences or pressure from teachers, parents, or peers for not meeting their targets.
Lacking the skills, resources, or support to plan, monitor, and evaluate their progress toward their targets.
Losing motivation, confidence, or self-efficacy when they encounter difficulties or setbacks in achieving their targets.
A good target in school is one that follows the SMART system. This means that the target is:
Specific: The target is clear and well-defined, not vague or general. It answers questions like what, who, where, when, and why.
Measurable: The target has a way to track progress and measure success. It answers questions like how much, how many, or how will I know.
Achievable: The target is realistic and attainable, not impossible or too easy. It answers questions like how can I do it, what resources do I need, or what obstacles might I face.
Relevant: The target is meaningful and important, not irrelevant or trivial. It answers questions like why does it matter, how does it align with my goals, or what benefits will it bring.
Time-bound: The target has a deadline or a timeframe, not open-ended or indefinite. It answers questions like when will I start, when will I finish, or how long will it take.
Using the SMART system can help students to set effective targets that motivate them to learn and achieve their goals.
We've released two new downloadable teaching resources that will help your students reflect on their targets and goals and establish clear steps towards meeting them: target-setting worksheets and a multi-use interactive target-setting PowerPoint!
Target setting worksheets can help students to clearly establish their goals and targets in school by providing a structured and guided way to plan, monitor, and evaluate their learning progress. Target setting worksheets can help students to:
Define their goals using the SMART system or other frameworks that make them specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
Break down their goals into smaller and manageable steps or actions that they can follow and track.
Identify the resources, support, or challenges that they might need or encounter in achieving their goals.
Reflect on their strengths, weaknesses, interests, and values that might influence their goal setting and attainment.
Review their goals regularly and celebrate their achievements or adjust their strategies as needed.
Using target setting worksheets can help students to develop their self-regulation, motivation, and confidence in learning and achieving their goals.
This interactive PowerPoint uses a variety of activities to encourage student reflection and establish clear goals and targets. This resource is ideal for quick target-setting activites in lessons or for structuring multiple target-setting sessions. The PowerPoint can be used multiple times with the same groups and encourages students to reflect on targets relating to: work quality, learning power, attitude to learning, subject knowledge, study-skills and long-term strategy.
Whilst using these resources teachers can help their students to establish targets for success by following some of these steps:
Discuss with the students the purpose and benefits of setting targets and how they can improve their learning outcomes and skills.
Model the process of setting SMART or other effective targets and share some examples of personal or professional targets that the teacher has set or achieved.
Provide the students with target setting worksheets or templates that suit their age, level, and subject and guide them through each component of the target setting process.
Encourage the students to choose targets that are meaningful, challenging, and aligned with their interests, values, and goals.
Help the students to identify the resources, support, or challenges that they might need or encounter in achieving their targets and suggest some strategies to overcome them.
Monitor the students’ progress toward their targets and provide feedback, encouragement, and recognition along the way.
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