July 18, 2014 [Edition 1, Volume 1]

International Baccalaureate Primary Years

Program
What is the IB Primary Years Program?
The International Baccalaureate (IB)
Program was created in Geneva,
Switzerland in 1968 (McKinley).
Since its creation, the
IB Program has grown
to include a Diploma
Program, a Middle
Years Program, and a
Primary Years
Program. There are a
total of 2,390 IB
schools around the
world in 129
countries. The United States is home
to 242 of those schools (McKinley).
The IB Programs encourage
students across the world to become
active, compassionate, and lifelong
learners who understand that other
people, with their differences, can
also be right (van Oord, 2007).
Regardless of the
location of the
school, the age of
the students, or
the student
population
served, IB strives
to provide the
same educational
experiences to all
of its students.
Through the IB Primary Years
Program, elementary aged students
are taught WHY the information they
are learning is important. Students
also make connections between the
information they are learning and
their own lives, as well as the lives of
others. With the IB Primary Years
Program there is also a high amount
of student choice and freedom in the
classroom because student inquiries
and curiosities serve as a foundation
for curriculum and teaching (Twigg,
2010).
International Mindedness
What does it mean to be internationally minded?
Based on the IB philosophy, an
internationally minded person
maintains a set of characteristics
that allows them to take on a
thoughtful, critical perspective
regarding how we communicate,
political awareness, cultural
understanding, celebrating
diversity, global awareness of
global issues, and a reflection on
how knowledge is constructed
and applied (McKinley). In the IB
Primary Years Program students
are introduced to international
mindedness through the Learner
Profile. Ideally, an internationally
minded person would have all of
the characteristics described in
the Learner Profile (see page 2).
According to the IB Program,
these characteristics are vital to
the creation of positive and
productive citizens of the world.
Young people today, more than
An Inquiry Brief for Parents and Educators
In What Ways Does the IB Program Provide Opportunities for Students to Become Internationally Minded?
International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Program
The essence of IB is
teaching children to be
internationally
minded!
~ IB Primary Years
Coordinator for a local
school district

THE REAL VOYAGE OF
DISCOVERY CONSISTS NOT
IN SEEKING NEW
LANDSCAPES, BUT IN
HAVING NEW EYES.
~ MARCEL PROUST


An Inquiry Brief for Parents and Educators

ever before, require the skills
necessary to work and
communicate from an
international and multi-cultural
perspective in our increasingly
dynamic, inter-connected world
(Hill, 2012).
A Review of Existing Research
What does research say about the IB Primary Years Program and
international mindedness?
As the possibility for international
communication and travel began to
reach larger populations of people
around the world throughout the
20
th
Century, the need for
international schools with the
capability of teaching a diverse
student body became a reality (Hill,
2012). The IB Program was the
answer to this need (Hill, 2012).
Now, in the 21
st
Century, schools
need a program built on
international mindedness that
promotes the principles related
toawareness of global issues and
international cooperation (Hill,
2012). The IB Organization claims
to foster international
understanding and appreciation of
the variety of cultures (van Oord,
2007). Existing literature supports
this claim, as there is much research
to confirm that IB Primary Years
Program focuses on developing
students who represent the Learner
Profile and international
mindedness (Kraft, 2005). However,
there is limited research available
that focuses on how students
become internationally minded
through the IB Primary Years
Program.
A Case Study
In What Ways Does the IB Primary Years Program Provide Opportunities for Students to Become
Internationally Minded?
In original research done at a K-5 IB
Primary Years School, the
aforementioned research question
was addressed. Research focused on
discovering the ways in which
international mindedness is
promoted in the school. During
research, three semi-structured
interviews were held with
individuals familiar with the IB
Primary Years Program. The
interview participants included a 1
st

grade teacher, a parent of two
students in the program, and the IB
Primary Years Coordinator for the
local school district. In addition to
the interviews, data was collected
through researcher observation at
the school site. Observations were
informal and took place five days a
week during school hours
throughout a three-month period.
Observational data was collected
during time spent in a 1
st
grade
classroom.

Content Area Curriculum
One way that the IB Primary Years
Program provides opportunities for
students to become internationally
minded is the integration of the
Learner Profile directly into the
content area curriculum. As
mentioned previously, the Learner
Profile consists of the characteristics
or traits of an internationally minded
person. Teaching with the Primary
Years Program model consists of six
units of inquiry, or themes, which
International Mindedness is:
The Learner Profile
Inquirer
Thinker
Communicator
Risk-Taker
Knowledgeable
Principled
Caring
Open-minded
Balanced
Reflective


An Inquiry Brief for Parents and Educators

follow students through the program
(Twigg, 2010). The six units are:
1. How the world works
2. Sharing the planet
3. Who we are
4. Where in place and time
5. How we organize ourselves
6. How we express ourselves
During these units, not only do
students learn content area material
(math, science, language arts), but
they are reminded of, and provided
opportunities, to practice the
characteristics of the Learner Profile,
as is also mentioned in Twigg (2010).
For example, observations in the 1
st

grade class revealed a unit on the
country of India which, not only
taught the students about another
culture, but also engaged students in
rigorous content area learning. This
is done by allowing students to
explore [content] knowledge that
represents shared human
experiences (Twigg, 2010).
According to Kauffman (2005), the
units of inquiry have global
relevance and importance, which is
directly related to the idea of
international mindedness.
In an interview, a parent of two IB
students stated, my boys learn that
other places think and do things
differently, as well as the same. They
are more aware of other cultures
and want to know more about them.
This type of learning, which blends
content information and the social
curriculum is a strength of the
program and allows students to
practice the components of
international mindedness in their
daily lives.
Positive and Negative Consequences
A second way that students have the
opportunity to become
internationally minded is through
the classroom management system
used by the school. Based on data
collected in this study, the
positive/negative consequences
used by teachers support the
Learner Profile. Classroom
observations revealed teachers
referencing the Learner Profile
during social conferences with
students to discuss misbehaviors.
Additionally, the school holds
monthly assemblies during which
select students receive awards
based on their continued exhibition
of one or more of the characteristics
from the Learner Profile. A 1
st
grade
teacher discussed how she finds
each students strength in some area
of the Learner Profile and uses this to
build the foundation of their
international mindedness.
Interviews also reveal that students
have the opportunity to reflect on
their actions (good and bad) and
identify which areas of the learner
profile they might be able to improve
upon. When interviewed, a parent
shared a story regarding how her 3
rd

grade student (who frequently
misbehaves) has started to reflect on
his own behaviors and the Learner
Profile at home.
The results of this study prove similar
to research done by Kauffman (2005),
in which teachers at three IB Primary
Years schools were surveyed about
the most important characteristics
of the program. The results of this
study showed that the most
common response concerned
character development and that all
three schools use thestudent
profile to exemplify the model
student (Kauffman 2005)

Collaboration
Lastly, students have the
opportunity to become
internationally minded by
collaborating with peers. The IB
Primary Years Coordinator for the
local school district discussed how
students not only learn about
communication, social skills, and
self-management, but they also have
WITH THE UNITS OF INQUIRY,
WE ARE MAKING [STUDENTS]
CRITICALLY EXAMINE THE
WORLDAND GAIN AN
UNDERSTANDING AND
APPRECIATION FOR HOW IT
WORKS.
~ 1ST GRADE TEACHER

An Inquiry Brief for Parents and Educators

the opportunity to put these skills
into practice. She stated, These
skills, which also relate to
international mindedness, are
practiced and developed through
collaboration in the classroom.
Based on data collected from
interviews and observations,
students have frequent and diverse
opportunities to collaborate
throughout their time in the IB
Primary Years Program. Students
begin working with small groups and
partners during kindergarten, and
will eventually work with a team of
students to create an independent
research project focusing on a global
or local issue for the culminating 5
th

Grade IB Exhibition. Classroom
observations revealed 1
st
grade
students collaborating with peers
during research reports, the morning
calendar routine, theatre
productions, and math games and
activities.

Implications
As mentioned previously, young
students today are entering a world
in which international relations and
communications are beneficial, if not
necessary, for success. The IB
Primary Years Program is designed
to teach academics, as well as to
develop students into internationally
minded and productive citizens of
our global society. The IB Program
allows students to become
internationally minded by
integrating the Learner Profile
directly into the content area
curriculum, using a consequence
system based on the ideals of
international mindedness, and
providing students opportunities to
collaborate with peers in the
classroom. In terms of the larger
society, individuals who display
international mindedness will be
essential as conflicts continue to
arise around the globe (Hill, 2012).



Kiley Buffington



COLLABORATION IS A
HUGE PART OF THE
PROGRAM!
~ IB PRIMARY YEARS
COORDINATOR FOR A
LOCAL SCHOOL
DISTRICT
References:
Hill, I. (2012) Evolution of education for international mindedness. Journal of Research in International Education, 11(3),
245-261.
Kauffman, N. (2005). Variations on a theme: Implementation of the international baccalaureate primary years programme.
Journal of Research in International Education, 4(3), 243-261.
McKinley Parent IB Handbook.
http://www.sandi.net/cms/lib/CA01001235/Centricity/Domain/18105/McKinley%20Parent20IB%20handbook.pdf
Twigg, V.V. (2010). Teachers practices, values and beliefs for successful inquiry-based teaching in the international
baccalaureate primary years programme. Journal of Research in International Education, 9(1), 40-65.
van Oord, L. (2007). To westernize the nations? An analysis of the international baccalaureates philosophy of education.
Cambridge Journal of Education, 37(3), 375-390.