Chapter 3: IB Education — A Continuum of the Four Programmes


This section focuses on the IB education continuum, which provides a path for student development. Each programme builds on elements from the previous programme, making this continuum a holistic development plan for students.

IB Education: a continuum of four programmes



fig.1 The Four IB Programmes
https://www.mcpsmt.org/Page/11703

The four programme models in the IB continuum are purposefully designed to be age-appropriate in guiding students to become internationally minded individuals. The guidance is evident in the construction of each programme, which highlights distinct key aspects of students’ development. The PYP programme, an IB framework for young learners aged 3–12, focuses on the development of students’ identity formation as individuals who live in a community. Additionally, students are encouraged to make connections between what they know and the world around them. As learners reach the ages of 11–16, they proceed to the MYP programme, where learning is explicitly linked to students’ responsibility in the world around them, such as learning a second language, participating in projects that require their commitment to service, and other experiences that incorporate global-local perspectives to promote intercultural understanding. The formation of international-minded individuals is, again, highlighted in the IB DP and CP programmes, the last two years of high school. At this stage, students who have developed a sense of the world around them will pursue further expertise which will grant them access to the world’s leading universities.

The four programmes are aligned with the principles of progressive education, especially when it comes to the student-centred approach to teaching and learning. Inquiry-based learning, engagement with the learning environment, active collaboration with others, and moving beyond one discipline are some features in the IB programmes that also echo Dewey’s progressive education principles (learning by doing, discussion, interactive, and interdisciplinary).

To my knowledge, IB continuum is very comprehensive, catering to student development from one stage to another while considering age-appropriateness. If we compare various education systems, particularly in my context of Indonesia, these programs fit well within the system. Moreover, each program provides a clear framework that is value-based, while the content of teaching can be flexible, following national standards. This is why I say that IB education is indeed a value-based framework. Instead of telling educators what to do, the IB provides frameworks within which educators can explore and inquire. It is rigid yet flexible, taking local context into account.

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