International Baccalaureate Schools Research Articles

Spotlights and shadows: linguistic and cultural (in)visibility among transnational students in an international baccalaureate school

ABSTRACT Illumination choices are specific, poignant, and frequently a product of design. Theatrical pioneer Max Reinhart stated, “The art of lighting a stage consists of putting light where you want it and taking it away from where you don’t want it.” This quote articulates an intentional choice regarding what and who is given focus on the stage and what is (un)intentionally left in the shadows. In this study, the stage is a diverse International Baccalaureate school in the Pacific Northwest, and the actors are 33 linguistically and culturally diverse high schoolers. Using data from virtual interviews, we discuss which aspects of their transnational identities and practices students perceived to be visible (i.e. in the spotlight) and invisible (i.e. in the shadows). We conclude with a call to action, stressing the importance of student input and diverse experiences so teachers and administrators can better support them on an ever evolving, transnational stage.

A Qualitative Case Study of Teachers’ Perceptions on a Two-model System; Adhering to Chinese and International Baccalaureate Mandated Standards

National curriculum standards for different countries mean some International Baccalaureate (IB) schools must often balance IB and national standards. Literature on how schools find this balance is limited. Using a qualitative case study design, we examined the perspectives of teachers of English in a Chinese IB school that recently employed a two-model system to address government mandates while still adhering to IB policies. A two-model system occurs when the two curricula are taught separately rather than in an integrated way. Our findings describe teachers’ understanding of a two-model system, identify challenges for teachers in its implementation, and suggest improvements. Results are confined to a single context of an English department in China and cannot therefore be generalized. Our findings reveal an overall theme of separateness identifying structural and conceptual factors affecting the relationship between the two models. The article discusses new ideas for curriculum structures that might inform school decisions for similar IB schools and schools with integrated curricula.

Leadership sacralization in Elite Traditional International Baccalaureate schools: a Jungian lens review and analysis

ABSTRACTThis review and ontological analysis will explore how the concept of leadership could be sacralized in Elite Traditional International Baccalaureate schools. I aim to challenge education researchers and leaders to recognize the significance of this under researched area of study. I will expand on research that employed institutional theory to explore how schools legitimize their claim to be international. My hypothesis is that these schools could strengthen institutional legitimacy by adopting a Jungian archetypal approach to international mindedness education that could sacralize leadership space. Much of the small body of literature related to leadership sacralization focused on a corporate rather than the educational context, and there are no known studies that directly addressed my hypothesis. My research aims include a contribution to theory development in this area as well as recommendations for future evaluation and expansion of the understandings gained in this paper.

Role of a Teacher Librarian in International Baccalaureate Schools: A User Study

Role of a Teacher Librarian in International Baccalaureate Schools: A User Study

Framing, classification, and conceptual linkages: What can interdisciplinary practice in small secondary schools contribute to the curriculum conversation?

AbstractThis article reports on the design of interdisciplinary units in five International Baccalaureate schools in Norway and Denmark, each with fewer than 100 students in their Middle Years Programme. The mixed methods study describes subject combinations and time frames of 37 enacted units and 111 hypothetical interdisciplinary units, and the qualitative perspectives of nine teachers, representative of the curriculum frameworks' eight subject groups, on the contribution of these school‐based units to student learning. In the special context of schools with logistically simple staffing structures, interdisciplinary units were consistently conceived and enacted as substantial units, typically implemented over 8 weeks. Subjects were usually paired using a common Key Concept and differentiated by Related Concepts. Although framing and classification were considerations in interdisciplinary planning, the quantitative data found nearly every pairing of the subject groups was feasible. Interdisciplinary units were consistently valued by teachers for helping students connect disciplinary knowledge and developing metacognitive skills that supported their future learning, and for enriching teachers' own pedagogical practice. As a pragmatic, sustainable approach that resolves the tensions posed by assessment of disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives, the strategies reported in this study suggest a ‘middle way’ for countering the disciplinary fragmentation associated with junior secondary education.

Teacher self-efficacy in a multicultural classroom: a comparative analysis of International Baccalaureate (IB) and non-IB teachers

ABSTRACT There has been significant focus on multicultural education and particularly culturally responsive teaching (CRT), as classrooms experience an increasing cultural diversity. Within this broader context, this study explores International Baccalaureate (IB) teachers’ self-efficacy in a multicultural classroom. This study compares IB teachers with their counterparts in non-IB schools across eight societies. Utilizing large survey data, it was found that IB teachers are, on average, more likely than non-IB teachers to be confident in their ability to teach students from diverse cultural backgrounds. This group difference was statistically significant and was substantial in terms of effect size. Notably, the group difference was identified across all programme (or building) levels and all the eight societies. In contrast, within-group difference in IB teachers’ self-efficacy was relatively minimal. The study contributes to scholarly discussions on the role of IB school teachers in practicing and promoting CRT across various societies.

Informal Game Play in the Classroom: Utilisation and Integration of the Metalanguage of Games

This paper discusses a case study of a 28 children in a middle years (11-15 year old) classroom and the use of the "third space" between the classroom and the home as an area of play for consolidation of both the learning at school and the informal learning of the games played at home. The research aims to look at whether the third space could be a vehicle to enable participants who have identified themselves as competent in the gaming world to link those learning strategies to classroom learning and therefore transfer that success to the classroom. The research took place at an International Baccalaureate school in Perth, Western Australia and utilises the third space as a gaming server and Discord chatrooms. Data was collected from the servers, questionnaires, researcher observations, game walkthrough videos and through interviews with the participants. Being an International Baccalaureate school the children take part in a “cognitive curriculum” which is part of the metacognitive learning of the International Baccalaureate. The participants were applying these strategies to their reflections on their action within the server and these reflections then informed their further participation within the “informal” game. In this way it could be theorised that children who were skilled “shapeshifters” could be at an advantage both communicating within the collaborative group work and moving between the informal and formal spaces. The analysis of the data focuses on the ways in which the students unpacked, utilised and discussed the formal classroom learning whilst participating in the Java Minecraft server game space. The metalanguage of learning and building competence in digital games informally through play outside of the school appears to link well to the metalanguage of the International Baccalaureate curriculum. The paper investigates whether linking children’s understanding and use of the gaming metalanguage to the International Baccalaureate metalanguage enables children to traverse the metalanguage of the classroom more successfully. The analysis of the data is utilised threefold in this presentation to: Identify that there is a linkage between gaming language and International Baccalaureate curriculum elements make these links apparent and show how they would apply in the classroom.

International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme: a systematic review

This article arises from a systematic review of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP). Four databases were consulted, and after the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, 21 articles were selected and analysed in the following categories: year and author, country, type of research, participants, purpose and results. The results show a growth in PYP research in recent years, coming from several countries around the world, using mainly qualitative or mixed methodologies with small samples of teachers, students, administrators and families in IB schools. There is great variety in the purposes of the studies, the most representative being comparative analysis of the implementation of the programme, the use of a language for IB teaching other than that of the country in which the school is located, and the treatment of interculturality. These studies find differences in the ease of implementation of the programme depending on the context and geographical location of the schools, and also highlight the benefits of the programme for intercultural education and foreign language learning. Some tensions can be observed between the PYP curriculum and national policies, and also in the training and predisposition of teachers towards this particular methodology. More research is needed on the academic benefits of the PYP in comparison with other methodologies that are also working well at the curriculum level.

Positive Discipline Class Meetings: Student, Parent, and Teacher Perspectives in an International Baccalaureate School in Egypt

ABSTRACT: This study examined Positive Discipline implementation of class meetings in the International Baccalaureate curriculum at Oasis International School in Cairo, Egypt. The main objective was to investigate the outcomes of Adlerian Positive Discipline class meetings on students' social-emotional learning and decision-making skills using a mixed-methods approach. This study employed a convergent case study that used both qualitative and quantitative methods. The sample consisted of 568 students in grades 3–12, in addition to the parents and teachers of those students. Of the seven themes that emerged, the three highest point estimates of the responses for most preferred by students were decision-making, self-management, and communication skills. Students reported liking both the opportunity to connect with classmates and time spent on social-emotional learning. Implications for program implementation are discussed. 摘要: 本研究檢視了埃及開羅綠洲國際學校國際文憑課程的正向教養 (Positive Discipline) 班級會議實施成效。主要目的是使用混合研究法調查，基於阿德勒理論的學校正向教養班級會議對學生社會情緒學習和決策能力的影響，本研究採用質化和量化方法的聚斂式個案研究，樣本包括五百六十八位三至十二年級的學生，以及這些學生的家長和老師。研究結果出現的七項主題中，學生最喜歡和獲得最高分的三項是制定決策、自我管理和溝通技巧；學生們表達喜歡與同學交流和社會情緒學習的時間。研究中也討論在學校實施正向教養計畫的影響。 Abstract: Abstract: Este estudio examinó la implementación de las reuniones de clase de Disciplina Positiva (DP) en el currículo del bachillerato internacional del colegio Oasis Internacional en El Cairo, Egipto. El objetivo principal fue investigar los resultados de las reuniones de clase de DP (basadas en Adler) en el aprendizaje socioemocional y las habilidades de toma de decisiones en los estudiantes a través de un enfoque de método mixto. Esta investigación utilizó un estudio de caso convergente que utilizó métodos tanto cualitativos como cuantitativos. La muestra consistió en 586 estudiantes de tercer a doceavo grado, además de los padres y profesores de esos estudiantes. De los siete temas que surgieron, los tres puntajes estimados más altos de respuestas de lo más preferido por los estudiantes fueron la toma de decisiones, el automanejo y las habilidades de comunicación. Los estudiantes reportaron el gusto tanto por la oportunidad de conectar con compañeros de clase como por el tiempo dedicado en el aprendizaje socioemocional. Las implicaciones de la implementación del programa son discutidas. Résumé: Cette étude a examiné la mise en place des Temps d'Echange en Classe de la Discipline Positive (DP) dans le programme du Baccalauréat International à l'école internationale Oasis au Caire, en Égypte. L'objectif principal était d'étudier les résultats des Temps d'Echange en Classe de la Discipline Positive qui basée sur les principes adlériens sur l'apprentissage socio-émotionnel et les compétences de prise de décision des élèves, en utilisant une approche à méthode mixte. Cette étude a employé une étude de cas convergente qui a utilisé des méthodes qualitatives et quantitatives. L'échantillon était composé de 568 élèves du CE2 à la terminale, ainsi que des parents et des enseignants de ces élèves. Parmi les sept thèmes qui ont émergé, les trois réponses les plus élevées des élèves concernant ce qu'ils ont préféré étaient la prise de décision, l'autogestion et les compétences en communication. Les élèves ont indiqué qu'ils appréciaient à la fois l'opportunité de créer des liens avec leurs camarades de classe et le temps consacré à l'apprentissage socio-émotionnel. Les implications pour la mise en œuvre du programme sont discutées. 摘要: 本研究考察了正面管教在埃及开罗绿洲国际学校国际文凭课程中的实施情况。研究的主要目的是采用混合方法，调研基于阿德勒理念的正面管教班级会议对学生社交与情感学习和决策技能的影响。本研究采用了定性和定量相结合的案例研究方式。研究样本包含了568名3至12年级学生，以及这些学生的家长和老师。在七个研究主题中，预计学生最喜欢并得分最高的主题是决策、自我管理和沟通技巧。据调研，学生喜欢与同学联结的机会，也愿意花时间进行社交与情感学习。本文探讨了项目实施的意义。 Resumo: Este estudo examinou a implementação de reuniões de classe de Disciplina Positiva (DP) no currículo internacional do ensino secundário na Oasis International School no Cairo, Egito. O objetivo principal foi investigar os resultados das reuniões de classe de DP baseadas na psicologia Adleriana sobre a aprendizagem socioemocional e as habilidades de tomada de decisão dos alunos usando uma abordagem de método misto. Esta investigação empregou um estudo de caso convergente que utilizou métodos qualitativos e quantitativos. A amostra consistiu em 568 alunos do 3ª ao 12ª anos, além de seus pais e professores. Dos sete temas que surgiram, os três que obtiveram pontuação mais altas das respostas preferidas pelos alunos foram: tomada de decisão, autogerenciamento e habilidades de comunicação. Os alunos relataram gostar da oportunidade de se conectar com os colegas e do tempo gasto no aprendizado socioemocional. As implicações para a implementação do programa são discutidas.

Threat or necessity: an analysis of the development of International Baccalaureate education in Shanghai

ABSTRACT With the global expansion of International Baccalaureate (IB), tensions have emerged between IB and the national education systems. This poses challenges to international education governance in many countries. In mainland China, IB programmes have rapidly become more prevalent since their introduction in 1991. However, new policies have imposed censorship and restrictions on international programmes regarding international education as a potential threat to China’s educational sovereignty, cultural identity, and educational equity. Shanghai has the highest number of IB schools and the strictest policies in mainland China. To understand China’s international education policy governance, this study traces the policy evolution of Shanghai’s IB education through document analysis and interviews. Furthermore, this study examines the responses, perceptions, and demands of non-governmental stakeholders regarding current restrictive policies. Results show that the development of IB education in Shanghai has undergone three stages of policy transformation: support, regulation, and restriction. Against this policy transformation, non-governmental stakeholders believe that IB education is a “necessity”. Therefore, this study suggests that IB education governance in China should incorporate the elements of network governance.

An evaluation of the IB career-related programme implementation in Kent, UK

ABSTRACT This study evaluates the implementation of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Career-Programme (CP) in secondary schools in Kent, United Kingdom. Launched by the IB and Kent County Council in 2012, the initiative offered students from disadvantaged areas the opportunity to participate in a programme to prepare them for future careers and/or higher education. A mixed method design was adopted to investigate the CP’s impact on student outcomes and to identify successful implementation strategies. IB examination data and schools register data from 379 CP graduates were analysed in addition to interview data and online surveys (302 current CP students from 31 schools). Analysis of the interviews and surveys with IB coordinators and teachers suggest that the CP, with its focus upon local knowledge, civic responsibility and personal growth, has successfully inspired students and teachers. Successful strategies include capacity building, dedicated leadership, and collaboration between teacher teams and schools. The results demonstrate that the CP improved participation in higher education for students in a region that historically had low participation rates. The CP should therefore be of interest to policymakers and programme implementers at the national and international level with respect to inclusion and wider participation of students from more disadvantaged backgrounds.

Whole School Approaches to Sustainability: An Interventional Study of Practitioners’ Perceptions from International Baccalaureate Schools in Pakistan

Whole School Approaches to Sustainability: An Interventional Study of Practitioners’ Perceptions from International Baccalaureate Schools in Pakistan

Integration of assignments for students of a pedagogical university on the usage of information technologies in teaching schoolchildren

Problem statement. The authors describe approaches to the integration of assignments for students of a pedagogical university on the usage of information and telecommunication technologies in the professional activity of a teacher. This study is a continuation of the authors’ recent research of issues related to modeling approaches to the integration of methodical systems for the training of future teachers based on cloud technologies (on the example of International Baccalaureate schools). The purpose of the study is to obtain a practical confirmation of the effectiveness of the proposed approaches to the integration of the content of academic disciplines through practical tasks. Methodology. A pilot study consisting of several stages was conducted. The goals, objectives and content of practical works offered to students of a pedagogical university within the framework of studying a number of disciplines were analyzed, opportunities for their integration were identified. Control and experimental groups (16 people each) of pedagogical university students were formed. The participants of the experimental group were offered to perform specially designed practical assignments, which required knowledge and skills of disciplines integrated into the content. Results. The study found that the integration of assignments for students of a pedagogical university on the usage of information and telecommunication technologies in teaching schoolchildren contributes to the effectiveness of the formation of professional competence of such teachers. Conclusion. The effectiveness of the integration of assignments for students of a pedagogical university on the usage of information and telecommunication technologies in the professional activity of a teacher has been experimentally proved, positive aspects of such integration have been identified.

From Theory to Practice: The Pedagogic Application of Major L2 Motivation Theories in an IB School

Motivation is believed to play a vital role in successful second language (L2) learning. Over the past five decades, L2 motivation theory has evolved significantly from static to more dynamic perspectives. This article reviews the four major second language (L2) motivation research phases (i.e., the social psychological period, the cognitive-situated period, the process-oriented period and the current socio-dynamic period); and contemplates the application of some motivational models that are relevant to a specific pedagogical context in an International Baccalaureate (IB), bilingual school in Indonesia, such as such as the instrumental motivation, the process-oriented model, the L2 Motivational Self System, and motivational teaching practices.

To sing alone, to sing in chorus: mediating education for International Baccalaureate international mindedness and neo-liberal subjectivity

ABSTRACT The concept of international mindedness (IM) underscores international baccalaureate (IB) programmes and acts as a universal principle for teaching and learning. Despite its prioritisation, it is unclear how practitioners, parents, and students enact IM in schools individually and collectively. In this article, I present research highlighting the development of IM in an IB school. The research findings prioritise an international approach to education reliant on the distillation of values, the rationalisation of transparency and overcoming self-determinism. These findings are further analysed through Jürgen Habermas’ (1991) theory of communicative action illustrating the breadth and depth of IM application, including its emancipatory potential. My analysis shows that while the international school community members agree with the fundamentals of the IB’s frameworks, they note the challenges of IM practice influenced by the steering powers of IB corporatism. This article will interest educators, leaders and policymakers seeking penetrative interpretations of international education and critical praxis.

Self-Regulated Learning in the IB Diploma Programme: A qualitative comparison of strategy use by IB Diploma students with learning difficulties and those with a history of high achievement

This investigation set out to explore the self-regulated learning strategies implemented by high-achieving International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (DP) students and those with learning difficulties in a context in which teachers were developing their practice to better align with IB philosophy. Specifically, I aimed to determine whether the strategies used by students in the two categories differed and, if so, what accounted for these differences. The sample included four DP students with diagnosed learning difficulties and six high-achieving DP students. Methods included collecting samples of independent work that reflected their strategy use; accompanying written reflections; and semi-structured interviews utilising a combination of stimulated recall and open-ended questions. Results suggest that only slight differences existed in the number and type of strategies used by participants in each category, but there were some important differences in strategy quality. These differences appeared to be related to the epistemic awareness students demonstrated, rather than their categorisation as having learning difficulties or being high-achieving. Although the IB Diploma Programme is widely considered an appropriate secondary programme for high-achieving students, its potential to enhance self-regulated learning suggests this programme may also be an appropriate option for some university-bound students with learning difficulties. As the literature review for this investigation uncovered only one previous study pertaining to IB Diploma Programme students with learning difficulties, this is a significant contribution to knowledge with implications for admissions as well as teaching and learning in IB schools. The investigation also indicates that epistemic awareness may play a more significant role in self-regulated learning than contemporary theories suggest.

International Baccalaureate schools as islands of educational resistance. A case study of Poland.

ABSTRACT This study discusses International Baccalaureate schools in Poland from the perspective of their educational function to serve as a resistance to counterbalance trends toward nationalisation in the Polish educational landscape. To address this aim, a review of the relevant legislation has been carried out, accompanied by interviews with teachers and students from 9 IB schools in Poland. Results show that during the 30-year history of IB in Poland, international schools seem to have become places where international education is not opposed to its national education programme, however, they do demonstrate their potential to break away from intra-national education in this country. IB programmes have come to represent a counter-revolutionary force that supports grassroots initiatives in schools. International schools potentially remain safe from any authoritarian interference from the government and become ‘islands of educational resistance’ against intra-national tendencies in education.

The silent expansion of internationalisation: exploring the adoption of the International Baccalaureate in Madrid

ABSTRACT The growth of the International Baccalaureate (IB) worldwide is part of a global trend towards the internationalisation of education (IE). Its implementation, nonetheless, takes different forms depending on national and local contexts. This paper examines the recent expansion of the IB in Madrid, drawing upon the sociology of education policy enactments and recontextualisations and the Cultural Political Economy approach. Combining in-depth interviews, document analysis and secondary quantitative data, this paper shows why Madrid has led the expansion of IB schools in Spain in the last decade, an expansion, which has nonetheless remained relatively unnoticed. Our findings suggest that the growth and penetration of private international education initiatives such as the IB may be related to particular social factors, education system characteristics and education policy ensembles, with a particularly intense manifestation in decentralised systems where neoliberal and neoconservative policies foster autonomy, competition, internationalisation and ‘excellence’.

Tensions with international mindedness: teaching in the international baccalaureate program

PurposeInternational mindedness (IM) is a core element of International Baccalaureate (IB) programs. Implementation of IM varies with the type of international school and where the IB school is situated. This article seeks to understand the tensions that three teachers experienced while teaching the IB Diploma Program history curriculum.Design/methodology/approachFor this study, three IB teachers examined their experiences teaching the history curriculum. This article offers relevant research on the difficulties in implementing IM and the following tensions: (1) situating the IB curriculum; (2) with hegemonic privilege and (3) in high-stakes testing.FindingsIM can be integrated into the history curriculum to make the history curriculum relevant for the global community. While each interviewee enjoys teaching in the IB program and believes the IB history curriculum offers opportunity for IM, they also feel the history curriculum would benefit from modification. Each interviewee's points of view bring a relevancy and an authenticity for why tensions exist when teaching IB diploma history.Originality/valueThere is a gap of research in how and to what extent teachers implement IM into the IB high school history curriculum. Further, teachers' views regarding the IB history curriculum and whether the history curriculum facilitates one's teaching IM is largely anecdotal. Thus, this study is unique in its offering three interviews by IB high school history teachers on IM and the tensions they feel when teaching about and attempting to implement IM.

‘Don’t Say It’s Going to Be Okay’: How International Educators Embrace Transformative Education to Support Their Students Navigating Our Global Climate Emergency

Many education professionals are looking to Environmental and Sustainability Education as a guide to incorporate curricular lessons and activities into school classrooms and other learning environments. Building upon the framework of Jickling and Wals (2008) of identifying how to teach about environmental education in transformative ways, this study examined how the experiences and perspectives of seven faculty and staff members at a K-12 International Baccalaureate school in Singapore impacted how they taught about sustainability issues. It also investigated how they work to empower students to become change agents by employing concepts and strategies such as hands-on learning, systems thinking, and service learning. Qualitative interview data revealed four overarching key themes: (1) importance of local context (both the school and the broader socio-political context), (2) pedagogy in relation to student psychology, (3) teacher and staff views on effective pedagogy for teaching about climate crises, and (4) mental health, as experienced by both students and their educators. Teachers and their students regularly struggled with tensions of authority (e.g., school/government, parent/child, teacher/student) and outlook (e.g., “doomism”/hope, empowered/disempowered). Nonetheless, they expressed a variety of thoughtful ways to cultivate their students’ lifelong advocacy for the environment and other related social justice issues.