The IB Teaching Style and Its Benefits Decoded

Did anyone know that International Baccalaureate (IB) is one of the rigorous international formats of education? Yes, initiated in 1968 in Geneva, Switzerland, the IB programme is one of the most well-known and popular curricula imparting international education to students across 140 countries of the world. With its wide presence in more than 3000 schools globally, IB is designed to offer a comprehensive learning experience for students aged between 3 to 19.

So, what are the programs offered by the International Baccalaureate?

• Primary Years Programme (PYP): The PYP is designed for students aged between 3 to 12. PYP utilises the approach of inquiry-based learning to foster a child’s emotional, cognitive, academic, social, and physical well-being.
• Middle Years Programme (MYP): The MYP programme is for students aged between 11 to 16. With an approach focused on interdisciplinary learning, this framework encourages students to become creative and critical thinkers by addressing the different issues and ideas prevalent locally, nationally and globally.
• Diploma Programme (DP): The DP is a comprehensive two-year program explicitly structured for students aged between 16 to 19. This programme offers a broad range of subjects, including languages, sciences, mathematics, and humanities. Its inclusiveness makes it one of the highly recognised pre-university courses of study and widely accepted by universities around the world.

The IB Teaching Style

One of the most interesting facts about an IB curriculum is that teachers act as facilitators rather than just lecturers. Along with focusing on covering the component of a pre-defined syllabus, the teachers focus on empowering students to think critically, analyse information, and implement their learnings in real-life situations. They also encourage the students to take an active role in their education and guide them through the learning process through inquiry and practical approach towards education.

Wonder how? Come, let’s understand how the IB teaching style works.

• Inquiry-based teaching: IB educators focus immensely on helping students explore information on their own and derive their understandings. The teachers encourage students to ask questions, and engage in critical thinking, thereby emphasising inquiry-based learning.
• Conceptual-based teaching: In the IB programme, teachers believe that students should understand the fundamentals of the concepts so that they can build a strong foundation of the subjects, link a connection between these concepts, and transfer the learning to real-life contexts. Teachers design their lessons and instructional activities with a focus on conceptual learning. They guide students to explore how these concepts apply to different contexts, analyse their significance, and develop a conceptual framework for understanding the subject
• Focused on effective teamwork and collaboration: IB’s ‘Creativity, Activity, Service’ (CAS) project, encourages students to engage in creative endeavours, physical activities, and community service. These experiences provide opportunities for students to build collaborative relationships while making a positive impact on their communities.
• Breaking barriers to learning: During a student’s IB journey, they experience inclusive teaching styles that preach diversity across students of different cultures, religions, ethnicities, races, and socio-economic backgrounds. This style of teaching allows students to face the global world without prejudice and ignorance.

Benefits of IB Curriculum

We are slowly witnessing an increase in demand for the IB curriculum in India. Wonder why?

It is because parents want their children to adopt more practical-based learning that will equip them with real-life skills to face the world. The IB board in India envisions providing global exposure to the future citizens of the country by making them future-ready with appropriate skills and competencies.

Let us look at the benefits offered by the IB curriculum!

Learning beyond the four walls of the classroom

The educational framework of the IB is broad and balanced, allowing students to strike a connection between theoretical and practical experiences. The learning strategy is based on real-world situations that not only make the learning experience enjoyable but also ensure that students know what they are learning. This style of teaching stimulates students to develop critical and analytical skills to apply them in ‘real life situations’.

Global citizens of tomorrow

We all know that today’s children will be our country’s future. As the world is constantly evolving, this future must be globally competent to face the change and also be the change. As it is essential to ensure their holistic development, the IB board in India helps students develop emotional intelligence, and interpersonal communication in students. This helps them to think out of the box and adapt to multiple environments. The IB programme encourages the students to mingle with students of different cultures, races and nationalities, allowing them to push their boundaries, kindle their curiosities and expand their learning fundamentals.

International recognition

IB’s global presence across 140 countries makes it a familiar and respected choice for students seeking an internationally recognised education. Universities around the world recognise and value the IB diploma and certificates. The students can participate in active discussions, research and professional development initiatives developed by the IB curriculum in association with international organisations, communities, government, and other stakeholders.

Way Forward

So, we learned that IB surpasses the common fundamentals of what a ‘conventional education’ is all about. It tests the students’ perseverance and motivates them to break the barriers of traditional methods of education and adopt a practical-based learning approach. IB’s comprehensiveness, inclusiveness, and global perspective make it a suitable curriculum for students of all age groups across the world.