International Mindedness Research Articles

Examining the effects of international mindedness among prospective teachers on intercultural competence in higher education institutions: an empirical analysis

PurposeThe purpose of this empirical study is to examine prospective teachers' international mindedness and intercultural competence, grounded in sociocultural theory. The research aims to understand the factors that foster these traits in prospective teachers and their significance in promoting competence in culturally diverse environments.Design/methodology/approachThe study utilized structured equation modeling with maximum likelihood estimation to analyze data from 425 participants of two higher education institutions. The participants were selected through simple random probability sampling. This methodology allowed the researchers to explore the relationship between international mindedness and intercultural competence in prospective teachers.FindingsThe results of the study demonstrated a positive correlation between international mindedness and intercultural competence in prospective teachers. The findings suggest that by cultivating international mindedness, educators can enhance their intercultural competence, thereby fostering more effective interactions in diverse settings.Practical implicationsThe present research holds practical implications for teacher education programs and higher education institutions. By understanding how international mindedness impacts intercultural competence, educators can implement targeted interventions and training to nurture these traits among prospective teachers. This can lead to the creation of culturally inclusive learning environments, promoting mutual respect and appreciation of diversity among students.Originality/valueThe originality of this study lies in its investigation of the link between international mindedness and intercultural competence in the context of prospective teachers enrolled in B.Ed. program in higher education institution. By establishing a causal relationship between these traits, the research adds to the understanding of how teachers can be prepared to engage effectively in culturally diverse classrooms. The findings hold value for educators and policymakers seeking to improve teaching practices and foster global citizenship among future educators and their students.

International Mindedness in Emerging Contexts of International Schooling. Cyprus, A Case Study

ABSTRACT International Mindedness (IM) has become an underpinning philosophy of the International Baccalaureate and schools which adopt its programmes. However, the concept of IM is relevant to any school that offers international education given its potential and importance to drive the school’s mindset and mission. The international school market has grown significantly in terms of the number of schools and their diversity. Increasing in popularity are schools that follow the British-based International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and A-level programmes. Moreover, the dgreatest expansion of international schools is now occurring in local markets, in which students are no longer predominantly expatriates but come from the host countries. This study explores the concept of international mindedness in six international schools in Cyprus. Based on data collected from headteachers and teachers, we argue that international mindedness is applicable in various contexts of international schooling and that factors other than the curriculum can affect its development within a school.

Educating the glocalised citizen: fusing Islamic values with Global Citizenship in an international school in Qatar

ABSTRACT This paper explores how Global citizenship supported by SDG Target 4.7 and the overlapping IB concept of international mindedness interact with the Islamic traditions in an international school in Qatar, where the majority of students are locals. The paper discusses how the studied school attempts to fuse Sustainable Development Target 4.7 and the International Baccalaureate’s concept of international mindedness with Islamic values. The paper deploys Basil Bernstein’s sociological work to analyse the dynamics and ways the school navigates its local and global objectives. The studied institution aims to forge Qatari students who can internalise the Islamic values and Global Citizenship commitments espoused by the UN’s sustainable development Goals. The paper will be divided into two main sections. The first will be theoretical and analyse the extent of convergence and divergence between Islamic values and SDG Target 4.7, accentuating the importance of Global Citizenship Education. Additionally, the study will elaborate on the IB concept of international mindedness and its similarity and differences to Global Citizenship, which is underpinned by SDGs. The second section will offer an ethnographic account of the school’s rituals in which GCE and Islamic values are conflated.

An overview of systematic reviews: International mindedness as a component of the IB Diploma Programme’s expansion

International mindedness (IM) is foundational to the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) and in theory, meets the challenges of a diversified demographic. The implementation of IM may vary depending on where the IBDP is situated. Although a core concept in the IBDP, research suggests that IM may be difficult to implement. Systematic reviews included in this study offer empirical research on ways in which IM might meet the needs of a diversified population, although findings suggest there may be challenges with IM curriculum implementation. The purpose of this overview of reviews is to explore the role of IM as a component in the growth of the IBDP worldwide. Research is reviewed with respect to the reasons for IM’s global relevance; the international needs, national concerns, and local tensions that exist with IM implementation; and the importance of a broader understanding of interculturalism and multilingualism within IM.

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.

Interpreting International Mindedness in Dutch State-funded International Schools: an educational leadership perspective

This article focuses on the challenges faced by educational leaders of international schools in conceptualising international mindedness. Further articles are planned which will focus on how the wider social and school context influence educational leaders’ promotion of international mindedness, and on why educational leaders are drawn to values-leadership models in its promotion. The use of the term international mindedness has grown significantly over the last thirty years. It is now in common usage in many international schools (Hayden et al, 2015), and is used specifically by both the International Baccalaureate and the International Primary Curriculum to describe the core values that underpin the educational programmes they offer. It is a broad concept whose advocates claim it encapsulates the values and ideals of international education that seek to promote greater global understanding and awareness (Hill, 2014). However, the value and appropriateness of the term remain contested (Haywood, 2015; Savva and Stanfield, 2018). There is also a growing body of literature that has highlighted the importance of educational leaders in promoting school-wide values (Hallinger and Huber, 2012; Day et al, 2016). If we are to better understand the significance of international mindedness to the wider field of international schools, we need to develop a greater awareness of what shapes educational leaders’ understanding of a core value such as international mindedness, and what it is they hope to achieve within the wider social and school context within which they are operating. The first section of this article explores how international mindedness is conceptualised and the current debates surrounding it, presenting a conceptual framework for international mindedness that draws on academic literature from the wider field of international education. The second section is based on empirical research carried out into educational leadership in a group of international schools.

“I want to know more about the world”: A case study of international-mindedness as a means of professional development for music teachers in China

The purpose of this study was to understand music teachers’ experiences with an online professional development course focused on international-mindedness (IM). This course introduced the concept of IM by exposing xiaowai (out-of-school) music teachers in China to international music teaching methods. The results, which were based on interviews with the participants, journal entries, and teaching reflections, revealed the advantages and the difficulties these teachers identified when attempting to switch from their traditional teaching methods to a more international style. This research suggests that IM may be essential if xiaowai music teachers are to change their traditional way of teaching. The participants also experienced two types of limitations: some they saw and acknowledged themselves and others that they did not consciously perceive. The findings also suggest that it would be beneficial to explore a more “Chinese” way to implement IM.

Discourses of democratic education in the preparation of teachers for international contexts

This article offers a critical and comparative view of democratic education as expressed in curriculum documents of ten teacher education programmes aimed at educating teachers for international contexts. Democracy and democratic education are concepts with contested meanings, and I use the discourses of democratic education identified by Sant (2019) as an analytical tool for mapping the understandings or approaches present in the documents. Intercultural competence, global citizenship, and International Mindedness are contested and overlapping concepts which intersect with these democratic discourses. The tension between a neoliberal discourse and a traditional focus on international-mindedness and global citizenship is often described as characteristic of international schools. The “internationalist” ethos dominates course descriptions and learning objectives. While several discourses of democratic education are present, the focus is mainly individual and geared towards intercultural understanding rather than democratic competences. The idea of the student as a citizen beyond the limits of the classroom walls is not very visible, nor are concepts of power and privilege.

The major link in global politics

This paper will explore major political concepts such as equality, power, diplomacy, trade, etc. in a range of contexts and at a variety of levels. It widens the horizon of students in understanding of the local, international and global dimensions of political activity, as well as giving them the opportunity to explore political issues affect6ing their lives. The concept of global politics encompasses a lot of disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, it also help in the understanding the abstract political concepts as it ground us in real world Examples and case studies to ensure a transnational perspective. Generating international mindedness and an awareness of multiple perspectives is at the heart of this paper. It encourages round-table discussion and dialogue, nurturing the capacity to interpret competing and contestable claims. There are some core units in global politics which includes power sovereignty and international relation, human rights, development, peace and conflict, but these may not be necessary for now. This paper merely focus on the links in global politics, to this end the paper will only look at diplomacy, trade, justice and international organization alone. These will form the basis of this paper.

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.

Fields, Habitus and the International Baccalaureate’s Interpretation of International Mindedness

International Mindedness (IM) is recognised as being a key component of an international education (Hill, 2015). However, IM is also acknowledged as an ‘under-reported and under-researched aspect of elite [international] education’ (Bunnell et al, 2020). This has led to the concept being described as ‘enigmatic and under-defined’ by researchers (Poole, 2017) and ‘fuzzy’ by practitioners (Barratt-Hacking et al, 2016: 38). This paper will attempt to conceptualise IM by drawing on Pierre Bourdieu’s theories of fields and habitus. It will show that IM can not only be thought of in terms of a specific habitus but that the International Baccalaureate (IB) and the schools that offer International Baccalaureate programmes can, and do, also play a significant role in creating the field (and subsequent structures within the field) in which IM can take root in students. The data and analysis in this paper are taken from a more substantial, recent, mixed-methods case study focusing on IM. The case study was conducted in a Chinese IB international school (of the type described by Poole, 2019: catering largely for Chinese students) on the Chinese mainland that offers the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme and Diploma Programme. It is a private fee-paying school, which accepts students mainly from the local but also from the expatriate community.

Accessing the International Baccalaureate: class, growth and marketisation in Australian schools, 2008–2019

ABSTRACT The International Baccalaureate (IB) is a market leader in international education however, research suggests that it predominantly serves elite populations (Bunnell, T., M. Donnelly, H. Lauder, and S. Whewall. 2020. “International Mindedness as a Platform for Class Solidarity.” Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education. Published online: 24 August 2020. doi:10.1080/03057925.2020.1811639). Drawing on data from the IB and the Australian government, we explore the growth of the IB in Australia for a period of 11 years (2008 to 2019). Data analysis highlights the narrow growth of the IB amongst relatively homogenous schools, suggesting a period of ‘distinction and expansion’ that represents a troubling contradiction of the IB’s stated goal to increase diversity in IB schools and contributes to the reproduction of class disparity in Australia.

A scoping review of international mindedness and related concepts in music education, 2000–2020

AbstractInternational mindedness (IM) is a term often used by the International Baccalaureate (IB), international schools and researchers in the field of international education. However, within the discipline of music education, this concept remains relatively unexplored. Conducted as a scoping review, using Arksey and O’Malley's (2005) framework, this study charts the research literature that explores IM and its related concepts within music education settings. A broad definition of music education was adopted, incorporating both formal and informal learning environments. Related concepts to IM, used as search terms, were taken from two IB commissioned reports (that is, Castro, Lundgren and Woodin, 2013; Singh and Qi, 2013). Only primary studies, with a publication date between 2000 and 2020, were included. In total, 218 studies satisfied the inclusion criteria, the majority of which addressed the concepts of multicultural education, intercultural competence, cultural awareness and social inclusion. No primary studies were included for the concepts of common humanity, human rights education, language rights, omniculturalism, transcultural competence and world mindedness/citizenship. Only four primary studies were found that address IM, conducted by the same two researchers, leading the author to question whether future research exploring IM in music education settings is a worthwhile endeavour. In sum, although a significant amount of literature was found through this scoping review, several concepts remain underdeveloped, or completely unexplored, within the field of music education.

Defining and Cultivating International Mindedness: Perceptions and Perspectives of Students in the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program

This article explores how international-mindedness is defined and cultivated in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Program (MYP) schools in different regions of the world as young adolescents face their main developmental task of identity development. An online survey that contained demographic and open-ended questions was administered to MYP students. Mixed methods design and data analysis provided insight into the ways international-mindedness is experienced and developed within the IB community. Open-ended responses were analyzed using thematic analysis from which a grounded theory emerged. The most frequently mentioned themes in defining international-mindedness were understanding, awareness, and acceptance of different others. Respondents emphasized that family and school experiences were the main factors that influenced their international-mindedness with travel being frequently mentioned in both. Factors, such as make-up of participants’ families, their history of moving internationally, and the advice and modeling provided by parents and extended family as well as school experiences (e.g., field trips, debates, multicultural classrooms, curriculum focus) significantly contributed to their high self-ranked stance on the developmental continuum of international-mindedness. Consistency in responses across the regions demonstrate a paradigmatic understanding of international-mindedness among the respondents.

International schools, international mindedness, and the development of global citizenship: Reflections from a case study of international schools in Cyprus

International schools, international mindedness, and the development of global citizenship: Reflections from a case study of international schools in Cyprus

How Does the Focus of International Mindedness in International Baccalaureate Vary with Stages of Students’ Development

How Does the Focus of International Mindedness in International Baccalaureate Vary with Stages of Students’ Development

Being and becoming internationally minded: Snapshots of novice Canadian teachers in international schools

This paper examines the experiences of three Canadian teachers beginning their formal careers in international schools. International mindedness is taken up as a sensitivity that international schoolteachers both bring to their international teaching assignments and further develop in the transnational spaces of international schools. As such, the internationally minded teacher is able to respond and learn from the intercultural complexities of teaching and living overseas. Findings suggest some elements of international mindedness are more readily appreciated and practiced by these novice teachers while others require greater awareness and effort to attain. The findings also suggest that ‘cosmopolitan learning’ (Rizvi, 2009), foregrounding the importance of critically reflecting upon one’s ‘locatedness’ in the world, represents a generative orientation for teachers wanting to deepen their international mindedness.

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.

Global Competency and International Mindedness in LIS Education

This article discusses the role of the global competency framework within library and information studies professional education, explores the relevant literature, and places the framework in context of equity, diversity, and inclusion as well as other relevant areas of the field. The author posits that the knowledges, skills, and attitudes of the global competency framework contribute through international mindedness to equity-centered education within library and information studies.

Transnational governing for the pedagogical ideals of K-12 international education: contrasting PISA and IB

ABSTRACT In 2018, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) added to their PISA regime the assessment of “global competence”. Given this novel, data-driven approach to governing the internationalisation of K-12 education, this study compares this recent intervention to a longer-standing mode of governing for the pedagogical ideals of international education – the approach of the International Baccalaureate (IB) across its 50-year lifetime. It employs a comparative, critical discursive analysis of how these two influential transnational organisations advance the pedagogical ideals of international education in neoliberal times. It illuminates the history and development of the IB’s soft governing for “international mindedness” and the OECD’s more recent approach to governing for “global competence” via PISA. As an entity without state authority, the IB has used a regime of centralised examinations for curricular control and quality assurance in the international schools where it was first adopted. However, IB has never attempted to use formal assessment as a direct technique of governing for international mindedness. Arguably, its liberal-humanist foundations and the need for “malleability” of IB across its many sites of adoption has mitigated from taking a too direct approach to its idealist ambitions. Whereas OECD’s testing for “global competence” is more ambitious and problematic. Despite the OECD’s use of liberal and social-justice vocabulary, its human capital development orientation remains active in its neoliberal conception of global competence. Contrasting these two transnational modalities of governing for the pedagogical ideals of international education, offers insights into the trends and prospects of internationalisation of K-12 education.