Intersection of principles: How This We Believe and International Baccalaureate® align

Abstract

Schools that teach within the context of the International Baccalaureate® (IB) Middle Years Program approach learning through a global lens. They focus on how subjects relate to a larger, international context and connect topics together so that students can have a deeper understanding of knowledge. To further support and promote this approach to teaching, some undergraduate teacher education programs have integrated the IB model into their curriculum which results in their candidates being eligible for the IB teaching and learning certificate. For those programs interested in taking this path, the first step in this journey is to examine the Association for Middle Level Education’s essential characteristics of a middle school alongside IB’s principles and practices. This article examines the intersection of these two foundations and how they can be incorporated into an existing middle level teacher education program.