The alternative education pathway to higher education in non-anglophone contexts: themes and implications from a systematic scoping review on IBDP

Abstract

ABSTRACT As an exemplary alternative education pathway to higher education, the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) has gained significant global traction, with an increasing number of graduates in non-Anglophone contexts. Employing a systematic review method to analyse studies in emerging contexts from the past 20 years, this research examined IBDP’s contributions to higher education, including university preparation, academic performance, and post-graduation trajectories. The findings highlight themes pertinent to other international education frameworks: (1) higher education outcomes are largely influenced by school environments and student demographics, (2) tensions exist between globalised curricula and localised educational systems, and (3) the dual examination requirements within national university admission processes pose obstacles to the programme’s successful implementation and scaling-up. This study recommends that future research and policy on international and alternative education programmes should focus on the following: less advantaged school populations, long-term impacts, and admission recognition processes within national higher education institutions and systems.