'learner-focused' originates from Modern English, specifically a compound of the noun 'learner' and the adjective 'focused'; 'learner' comes from Old English 'leornere' (from the verb 'leornian') where the root meant 'to learn' and the suffix '-er' denoted an agent, while 'focused' derives from Latin 'focus' (via scientific/Modern Latin and then English) where 'focus' originally meant 'hearth' and later 'point of emphasis'.

'learner' changed from Old English 'leornere' to Middle English 'lerner' and eventually to modern English 'learner'; 'focus' entered English from Latin 'focus' (and via scientific usage in the 17th–18th centuries developed senses of 'point of attention'), then formed the past-participle/adjective 'focused'; the compound 'learner-focused' is a recent Modern English formation used especially in 20th–21st century educational contexts.

Initially 'focus' meant 'hearth' in Latin and later developed the sense 'point of attention' or 'center of activity'; over time 'focused' acquired the adjectival sense 'having emphasis or concentration on X'; combined with 'learner' the compound has come to mean 'having emphasis on learners' needs', the meaning used today.