I recently found myself in conversation with an alumni of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme and they expressed a vehement dislike of the programme, to the extent that I was quite taken aback. Even more so when I informed them that I was in my current position of employment due to my belief and advocacy of the International Baccalaureate education model. I was amazed at the depth of animosity felt by my acquaintance. I decided to discuss with the IBDP students at BCB about their feelings toward the course. There was, as you would expect, a spectrum of responses; some wincing with pain in reflection of late nights working on Extended Essays; others joyfully recalling Theory of Knowledge lessons that blew open their understanding of reality; and admittedly one who felt at least a strong dislike for the programme. The reason I believe the IBDP can elicit such a strong reaction is because it asks more from the students than any other programme.
As a teacher and a practitioner I have reflected and continue to reflect on why I am convinced the IBDP is the best programme of study for students in Key Stage 5, it is quite simple: students are expected to think critically. In a previous life, I taught in England under a very different educational model. Understandably, I found it difficult to generate enthusiasm with my students for studying the different voting systems that are used in elections around the world. They were merely words to be memorised and regurgitated in an exam. Whereas, for an IB student the content is just the start. This focus on critical thinking has been recognised in recent Oxford University research that has shown DP students had significantly higher critical thinking than their non-DP peers. The research suggests that the instructional approach that focuses on teaching critical thinking skills explicitly, as well as allowing students to think critically within each subject, may enhance the development of critical thinking skills.
The importance of critical thinking skills cannot be overstated. As the career opportunities of the future rapidly change, the media becomes increasingly partisan and our access to knowledge is seemingly limitless, critical thinking is always cited as the most vital skill our young people are going to need to survive and thrive.
https://ibo.org/globalassets/publications/ib-research/dp/dp-critical-thinking-summary-en.pdf
