Impacts of International Baccalaureate programmes on teaching and learning: A review of the literature

Abstract

International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes are growing rapidly worldwide, driven in part by their global reputation and concept-driven, inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning. This thematic review of a range of literature sources examines the impact of IB programmes on teaching and learning, highlighting trends, challenges, and benefits. Findings of the review revealed that most of the studies, both qualitative and quantitative, examined stakeholders' perspectives or self-reported experiences of IB programmes; a very small number used research designs that control for confounding factors or allow causal inferences to be drawn. A wide range of stakeholders report that IB programmes develop research and critical thinking skills, intercultural appreciation and global awareness, as well as cultivate collaborative working cultures and creative pedagogical practices among teachers. Challenges include extra demands on teachers for lesson planning and assessment, additional stress for teachers and students, and competing demands and expectations with national requirements. Recommendations are provided which may guide future research endeavours.

Challenges of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme: Insights for school leaders and policy makers

“…The MYP is the second oldest programme in the IB suite. Policy makers highly regard all IB programmes through which students develop 21 st century skills (Burdic, 2012;Rizvi et al, 2014), gain a foundation for university study (Doherty, 2012), be active, engaged learners (Hayden, 2006) and understand more about global awareness (Dickson et al, 2018;Hayden & Thompson, 2001). Researchers also acknowledge IB programmes for their interdisciplinarity and academic rigor (Burris et al, 2008).…”

Promoción de la Educación del Carácter mediante el CAS del Bachillerato Internacional

“…Brodie, 2014). Ya se ha puesto de manifiesto previamente la escasez de diseños de investigación en programas de IB que controlen los factores de confusión o permiten extraer inferencias causales, por lo que convendría que futuras investigaciones atiendan a los sesgos de selección (Dickson et al, 2018).…”

The evidence base for advanced learning programs

“…Research on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate provides ample positive data from surveys of teachers and students (Callahan & Hertberg-Davis, 2018), but the experimental research is mixed in quality (often failing to control for demographic and aptitude variables) and has mixed results regarding student outcomes (e.g., Dickson, Perry, & Ledger, 2018). Although it appears that students who were successful in AP classes are more likely to be successful in college, the predictive strength varies by course.…”