This article originally appeared in IB Global News and in the Latest News and Announcements on ibo.org.
“IB teachers are themselves lifelong learners who aim to develop the same keen interest in their students.” – Judith Fabian, Chief Academic Officer
Researchers at the International Baccalaureate (IB) recently set out to learn what ingredients go into making an IB teacher an IB teacher. Their findings support the assertion that IB teachers approach the whole student with inquiry-based instruction and the intention of shaping their students into socially responsible citizens.
“This study supports what we in the IB community have long known: IB teachers are themselves lifelong learners who aim to develop the same keen interest in their students. IB teachers approach their students with creativity, flexibility, openness, care and compassion,” says International Baccalaureate Chief Academic Officer Judith Fabian.
The survey sample included 3,184 IB teachers who completed a widely used instrument of self examination, the Teaching Perspective Inventory, which allowed for comparison with a group of non-IB teachers. A profile of the average IB teacher identified dominant and recessive perspectives from five perspectives characteristic of teaching practice: transmission, apprenticeship, developmental, nurturing and social reform.
The research summary and the full research report are available online.