Jeff Thompson Research Award winners' studies

In-progress studies

Mary van der Heijden, United World College (Singapore)

A Research Project into the Current Best Practice in the Teaching of Chinese as an Additional Language to Inform the Development of our Methodology, in Line With the Standards and Practices of the IB

Natascha Thomson, Kongsberg International School (Norway)

Language Teaching Strategies and Techniques Used to Implement the Programme of Inquiry

Brendan Kean, Canadian International School of Hong Kong (Hong Kong)

Investigating the Development and Implementation of Effective Formative Assessment Strategies for Students in the Primary Years Programme

Chad Carlson, Colegio Internacional de Educación Integral (Colombia)

The Benefits of Criterion Based Assessment in the MYP

Peter McKenzie, Hiroshima International School (Japan)

IB Programmes in Japanese Private Schools

Julie Wilson, Salisbury High School (Australia)

Evaluation of Attributes and competencies in South Australian International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program Students

Tom Brodie, Skagerak International School (Norway)

The perception and practice of Creativity, Action and Service in the IB DP for students, teachers and schools

Ellen Manson, Renaissance College Hong Kong (Hong Kong)

Writing to enhance learning and infomr teaching in mathematics

Jayson Williams, International School of the Gothenburg Region (Sweden)

Free School laws in Sweden and the impact they have on the implementation of the IB program

Johnnie Wilson, Munich International School (Germany)

Teaching every student mathematics: The roles of language and culture in the mathematics education of students at an international school

Dona Pursall, United World College Red Cross Nordic (Norway)

To explore ways in which three Learner Profile attributes (principled, caring, open-minded) are conceptualized by students in the context of a residential IB-UWC programme

Completed studies

Distributed Leadership and Social Networks in the School-Based Development of the International Baccalaureate’s Middle Years Programme in a Venezuelan K-12

Jose Bolivar, Instituto Educacional Juan XXIII (Valencia, Venezuela)

Deep analysis of the collective work of teachers and school administrators as they develop innovative programs, such as the International Baccalaureate’s Middle Years Programme (MYP), is essential to build models for 21st century education. Two theoretical frameworks, distributed leadership and social networks, have emerged in the educational research literature that present school leadership for change and innovation in terms of actions and emphasize the importance of social interactions for their enactment. This study draws upon these theories to describe and understand leadership in action during the school-based design and implementation of the MYP as well as the social networks underlying their enactment. In terms of practice, the study highlights several findings key to the successful development of the MYP: (1) the importance of coherence-building, collaborative design tasks for a systemic instructional vision, (2) the critical role of teacher support tasks in providing key resources for the successful enactment of design tasks, (3) the promotion of certain school-level and team-level conditions that support collaborative processes, and (4) the existence of certain school-level and team-level conditions that constrain teacher collaboration. The study shows that when schools undertake major changes special attention needs to be given to the multiple tasks that will need to be accomplished to achieve these initiatives. Findings indicate that these tasks require unique, varied, and fluid social network configurations that channel collaborative processes and that they are shaped by contextual factors that impact collaboration and communication flow.

Executive summary

The Impact on Students of Programs Such as the PYP Indigenous Bunuba/Walmajarri Unit of Inquiry Within the Transdisciplinary Theme ‘How Do We Express Ourselves’ and With the Central Idea of ‘We Discover More When We Reflect Upon Other Ways of Knowing’

Annette Rome & Kim Anderson, Wesley College Institute for Innovation in Education (Melbourne, Australia)

This project investigated the impact on students of programs such as the Primary Years Programme (PYP) Indigenous Bunuba/Walmajarri Unit of Inquiry within the trans-disciplinary theme ‘How we express ourselves’ and with the central idea of ‘we discover more when we reflect upon other ways of knowing’ through the Research Question: How effective are programs such as the Wesley College Year 4 PYP Bunuba/Walmajarri unit in terms of changing understandings of Indigenous ways of knowing by non-Indigenous students? The methodology included a survey administered to the students as part of regular feedback gleaned on the unit, along with analyses of reflective 2007- 2010 reports. The findings indicated that as a result of this unit students: know there is a difference between non-Indigenous knowledge and Indigenous knowledge; really enjoyed getting to know (Indigenous Leader) Annette Kogolo; think their understanding of Indigenous people has improved after doing this unit of inquiry; felt their learning about indigenous ways was better because of Annette Kogolo; understand more about Indigenous ways of knowing; felt having a Bunuba/Walmajarri Leader made their learning about Indigenous people more real; know where to find information about indigenous ways of knowing that they did not know before; and think that they now know more about their own culture by learning about Indigenous culture. The research uncovered that there are two important aspects to this unit: the power of the story teller as well as the story itself. The stories are considered a valid form of accessing significant, if specialised, knowledge. The research also indicated that students developed in relation to the IB PYP Student Learner Profile, especially regarding the open-minded and caring attributes. The metric used to determine responses was considered an effective one in terms of assessing impact of unit in relation to developing cross cultural awareness.

Executive Summary

A Tale of Two Cities: Chinese teachers vs. Western Teachers on Pedagogic Behaviours in an IB World School in China

Yue Zhang, Guangdong Country Garden School (China)

The purpose of this study is to investigate any differences existing in pedagogic behaviours between Chinese teachers (CTs) and non-Chinese teachers (NCTs) in and outside the English and Science (English-medium) classrooms in an International Baccalaureate (IB) context in mainland China. It also explored potential cultural influences, students’ perspectives and issues arising from any differences in pedagogic behaviours. It provided an in-depth and systematic interpretation of the reasons that cause the differences with the aim of contribution to an amelioration of the co-constructed pedagogy. The study adopted a comparative approach and employed qualitative methods of observation, teacher-researcher diary, individual interviews, focus group, narrative inquiry and document review to obtain data from a case study school in China. The findings indicate that firstly there were differences in pedagogic behaviours according to the key factors of: lesson timing, lesson structure, activities, students’ participation, management, differentiation, assessment, language, materials and information and communication technology. Differences also existed in communication and teacher-student-relationships outside of the classrooms. Secondly, the pedagogic behaviours were influenced by culture. Thirdly all differences were partly attributable to cultural influences. Fourthly, certain issues arose from the differences, such as misunderstandings and mistrust between NCTs and CTs and students. Finally, students on one hand welcomed the differences for they were inspired by the differences which they also considered as a good preparation for their further study overseas; on the other hand, they believed that there should be an international standard of IB approach.

Executive Summary