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Teacher conceptualisations and enactments of international-mindedness in PYP programmes in Australian and Singaporean IB World Schools
report
posted on 2019-07-01, 00:00 authored by Trevor MccandlessTrevor Mccandless, Julianne MossJulianne Moss, Mark RahimiMark Rahimi, Harsha ChandirInternational-mindedness (IM) is a foundational concept to all International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes, including the Primary Years Programme (PYP). This study seeks to understand how IM is conceptualised by PYP teachers and how they integrate IM into their pedagogical practice. This research conducted interviews and observations of teachers in two maximally different schools: one in Singapore and the other in Melbourne, Australia. It also surveyed teachers in PYP schools in Singapore and Victoria, Australia. The research employed a mixed methods design including both qualitative and quantitative elements. A quantitative survey based on a research instrument designed to assess teacher engagement with IM and intercultural understanding (Denson, Ovenden, Wright, Paradies & Priest 2017) was sent to all PYP teachers in Singapore and Victoria. Teachers from 24 Victoria schools and 2 Singaporean schools responded, providing 126 responses.
The quantitative components of the research included visits by the research team to two maximally distinct IB schools: one an international school in Singapore serving the children of expatriate families; and the other a Catholic systemic school in an affluent Melbourne suburb.
Findings
One of the major findings of this research is that PYP teachers frequently held a narrow definition of IM, one much narrower than that anticipated by the IB itself. The IB sees IM as being developed throughout a student’s engagement with all aspects of the learner profile (LP) and therefore should be evident across all aspects of the curriculum. Nevertheless, this broad interpretation of the nature of IM was rarely adopted by any of the teachers interviewed in either school, nor was it necessarily evident in the responses received from the survey.
The quantitative components of the research included visits by the research team to two maximally distinct IB schools: one an international school in Singapore serving the children of expatriate families; and the other a Catholic systemic school in an affluent Melbourne suburb.
Findings
One of the major findings of this research is that PYP teachers frequently held a narrow definition of IM, one much narrower than that anticipated by the IB itself. The IB sees IM as being developed throughout a student’s engagement with all aspects of the learner profile (LP) and therefore should be evident across all aspects of the curriculum. Nevertheless, this broad interpretation of the nature of IM was rarely adopted by any of the teachers interviewed in either school, nor was it necessarily evident in the responses received from the survey.
