CIA FIRST’s Philosophy of Learning & Teaching
Based on this philosophy, CIA FIRST has adopted 10 Key Principles of Learning (McTighe, 2015):
Learning is purposeful and contextual.
Therefore, students should be helped to see the purpose of what they are asked to learn. Learning should be framed by relevant questions, meaningful challenges, and authentic applications.
Experts organize or chunk their knowledge around transferable core concepts (“big ideas”) that guide their thinking about the domain and help them integrate new knowledge.
Therefore, content instruction should be framed in terms of core ideas and transferable processes, not as discrete facts and skills.
Different types of thinking, such as classification and categorization, inferential reasoning, analysis, synthesis, and metacognition, mediate and enhance learning.
Therefore, learning events should engage students in complex thinking to deepen their learning.
Learners reveal and demonstrate their understanding when they can apply, transfer, and adapt their learning to new and novel situations and problems.
Therefore, teachers should teach for transfer, and students should have multiple opportunities to apply their learning in meaningful and varied contexts.
New learning is built on prior knowledge. Learners use their experiences and background knowledge to actively construct meaning about themselves and the world around them.
Therefore, students must be helped to actively connect new information and ideas to what they already know.
Learning is social.
Therefore, teachers should provide opportunities for interactive learning in a supportive environment.
Attitudes and values mediate learning by filtering experiences and perceptions.
Therefore, teachers should help students make their attitudes and values explicit and understand how they influence learning.
Learning is nonlinear; it develops and deepens over time.
Therefore, students should be involved in revisiting core ideas and processes so as to develop deeper and more sophisticated learning over time.
Feedback enhances learning and performance.
Therefore, ongoing assessments should provide learners with regular, timely, and user-friendly feedback, along with the opportunity to use it to practice, retry, rethink, and revise.
Effectively accommodating a learner’s preferred learning style, prior knowledge, and interests enhances learning.
Therefore, teachers should pre-assess to find out students’ prior knowledge, learning preferences, and interests, then differentiate their instruction to address the significant differences they discover.
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About CIA FIRST International School
CIA FIRST International School is committed to reaching new heights of achievement for each individual learner, empowering them to make a meaningful impact on the world. As we strive to become global leaders in innovative education, we are seeking educators and staff who share our vision of fostering well-informed, critically thinking students. Our goal is to equip them with the knowledge, skills, and understanding necessary to make intelligent decisions and contribute positively across various domains.
Located in the vibrant city of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, CIA FIRST offers a balanced work-life experience alongside professional growth. Phnom Penh, rich in cultural history, is a lively city brimming with color and excitement.
CIA FIRST operates four campuses across Phnom Penh:
Pre-school at Axis Residences
Sen Sok 1 – Kindergarten to Grade 8
Sen Sok 2 – Grade 9 to Grade 12
Chbar Ampov – Kindergarten to Grade 12
Our dynamic learning environment encourages students to broaden their horizons, engaging with ideas, innovations, and cultures vastly different from their own.
At CIA FIRST, the safety and well-being of our students are paramount. We maintain rigorous child protection policies and procedures, and all applicants undergo thorough background checks to ensure a secure environment for our students.