The implementation of international

mindedness in the IB Diploma Programme: A

qualitative case study of a Hong Kong second

language Chinese classroom

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IBAP Annual Conference 2013

LAU Kwok Ling

PhD candidate, Faculty of Education

The University of Hong Kong

22 March 2013

Aim of the study

This study aims at examining the concept of

ʻinternational mindednessʼ as it is evidenced in

the International Baccalaureate Diploma

Programme (IBDP) in a Chinese as a second

language classroom in an international school.

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Problem Statement

There are very few in-depth studies on examining

the IB philosophy of ʻ international mindedness ʼ in

Chinese as a second language in the IB Diploma

Programme in Hong Kong, thus this study will fill

the gap.

IB advocates promoting international mindedness,

however, the purpose of the assessment is mainly

focused on globally recognized university entrance

qualification.

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Research Methodology

The research methodology includes in-depth

semi-structured interviews, classroom

observation, classroom discourse analysis

(Christie, 2008), and text analysis of students'

work by using Systemic Functional Linguistics

(SFL) (Halliday,1994, 2000), Appraisal Theory

(Martin and White 2005).

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Research questions and Methodology

Research Questions Research methodology

• How do the teachers of

Chinese as a second

language of the International

Baccalaureate Diploma

Programme teach the

concept of international

mindedness in Chinese

lesson?

Classroom observation,

In-depth interview teachers with

semi-structured questions.

Classroom discourse analysis

(Christie, 2008) , Systemic

Functional Linguistics (SFL)

(Halliday, 1994, 2000) and

Appraisal theory (Martin and

White 2005) will be used.

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Research questions and Methodology

Research Questions Research methodology

• How do the students of Chinese

perform in class work and

individual writing after the

teaching and learning cycle?

Classroom observation,

In-depth interview students with

semi-structured questions.

Classroom discourse analysis

(Christie, 2008) , Systemic

Functional Linguistics (SFL)

(Halliday, 1994, 2000) and

Appraisal theory (Martin and

White 2005) will be used for

student text analysis.

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Literature Review

What is international mindedness?

Knowledge and understanding of the scientific

basis that identifies the earth’s environment as a

common entity of value to everyone

Recognition of the interconnectedness of human

affairs (in place and time) as part of the holistic

experience of life.

Human values that combine respect for other

ways of life with care and concern for the welfare

and well-being of people in general.

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Literature Review

What is international mindedness?

Hayden, Rancic and Thompson (2000, p.107) define

that international-mindedness, second language

competence, neutrality, open-minded flexibility of

thinking and action, attitude towards one’s value system

and culture, respect for others, and tolerance of the

behaviour and views of others are the key components

of international education.

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Literature Review

What is international mindedness?

McKenzie (1998:245-246) defined characteristics of

international mindedness as: world mindedness,

open mindedness, the promotion of a commitment

of world peace and development, respect for, and

tolerate of other cultures and cultural diversity,

leading possibly to ‘interculturality’.

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Literature Review

What is international mindedness?

Skelton (2007:380-388) defines international

mindedness as international cultural

understanding, the cultural connection, leaving

the self and institutionalisation, the awareness of

self in the West and East, and the awareness of

others co-existing in the world, the highest form

of good. He suggests that understanding,

appropriate knowledge and sharing these skills

with other subjects by authentic activities of

global issues.

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Literature Review

What is international mindedness?

Walker (2005) summarizes six important

characteristics of international education as

follows:

Communication: knowing how to access

information

Negotiation: the skills of persuading people to

comprise or change their minds

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Literature Review

What is international mindedness?

Political awareness: understanding why nations

have particular priorities

Cultural understanding: recognizing that different

groups have different mindsets.

Global issues: studying issues that impact across

nations

Criteria for truth: how do we judge what is right or

wrong? (p.1)

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The core values and attitudes of IB School Curriculum

The core values and attitudes of IB School Curriculum for enhancing Education for Peace include:

1. Human Rights and democracy

2. Cooperation and Solidarity

3. Preservation of Cultures

4. Self and others

5. Internationalism

6. Protection of the Environment

7. Spirituality UNESCO International Education Bureau (1999: 4).

http://www.ibe.unesco.org/publications/Innovation/inno100e.pdf

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Goal of International Education UNESCO (2004: 95) advocates that the basic principles

of international education are human rights, peace,

culture and understanding the United Nations system.

UNESCO (2004) points out that the ultimate goal of

international education is:

‘The acquisition of knowledge is based on the principle

of mutual understanding between nations; of peaceful

coexistence; of international understanding and by

understanding the growing world interdependence of

States with different social political systems.’ (p.95)

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Research Methodology

3.21 Choice of the Case Study School C has been authorized to offer the IB Chinese B

Diploma Programmes. Since the choice of the

representative cases contributes much to the external

validity of the case study, it is important to show that the

school in question is typical example of the

implementation of an IB Chinese Diploma Programme. I

shall focus on classroom discourse analysis Curriculum

Macrogenre in the Year 12 Chinese curriculum IB

Diploma classroom. The average of students age is 17

year old.

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Curriculum initiation In the preparation, teacher gave an orientation

of the unit plan objectives in the first lesson.

Teacher set the task and gave the instructions

about the aims of tasks, students were

expected to listen and understand the focus on

the task by group discussion and research and

group presentation of their findings and then

they have to write an exposition essay by

independent construction.

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Curriculum initiation Teacher: Have you even paid attention……other than

Hong Kong, we have discussed the events in Japan,

Middle East, what is the name of this land in North

Africa? Libya, very good, just Libya? What has happened

in Libya?

A male student: Civil war

Teacher: The political situation in Libya? Political

turmoil…this means the situation of the political system.

Unrest. What is the meaning of unrest? Turbulence.

What is the meaning of turbulence? Stable or not stable?

Student: Unstable.

Teacher encouraged students to participate in the

discussion by using open-end questions.

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Curriculum initiation Teacher: I think one of the reasons that were being mentioned

earlier has slightly affected the oil price. One reason. Anyone

know? OK. But I know you must be aware of the instability of

political situation in Libya is associated with the rise of oil prices,

so Japan's nuclear radiation also related to the rising oil price,

how?

Is that any relation between these three points (one, two and

three) that I just mentioned and rising oil prices?

Teacher: In fact, the events in this world tend to correlate with

each other. One, two, three, yes , you three just say that these

three events are correlated with each other. So what makes them

correlate with each other?

A male student: Disaster.

Teacher asked a focus question and student propose a response.

Teacher encouraged students’ thinking about the correlations

among the events.

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Curriculum initiation Teacher: Right, OK. Therefore, How does rising oil

prices related to those three issues mentioned earlier?

What do those issues mentioned earlier have in

common? All of the issues are energy issues. Energy

issues, well, energy issues cause a lot of other

problems, including: what are the problems that nuclear

radiation will cause? Is that any effect on the society?

A male student: This is due to the desire (-ve judgment)

of that person in Libya. He wants to seize power. He

believes (-ve judgment) that he could control the

resource in Libya.

Teacher: Yes. After he gains control of the resource in

Libya, then he will do business with other countries.

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Scaffolding in Curriculum Negotiation

Students were developing international

mindedness by using Chinese as a second

language.

Teacher scaffold the students to expand their

vocabulary by detailed reading. They wrote

down the key words and learn about the

solutions of global issues.

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Collaborative learning

In the regulative register, teacher divided the

students into groups after the discussion.

Teacher indicated students have enough ideas

to start the discussion by collaborative learning

in order to cultivate students’ confidence and

abilities in developing inquiry skills and critical

thinking skills.

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Inquiry based learning Teacher applied inquiry based learning to explore the

information and seeking truth by questioning. She used

open-end questions and open mindedness strategies in

the students’ discussion which can encourage students’

engagement and critical thinking in the evaluation of

Libya civil war, and nuclear power plant and making

judgment on social justice. Teacher is a role model of

students as a researcher and life long learner to pursue

the knowledge and truth by research.

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Self-reflection on personal beliefs and moral values

Teacher has open mindednenss to

encourage students to learn from the

peers through discussion and critical

thinking. Teacher uses probing questions

to engage students in self-reflection on

personal beliefs and values.

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Individual Construction

Independent writing: First, the economic system in many countries is based on energy,

such as Arab countries and Russia. If the energy resources in

these countries are used up, economic depression will occur and

cause unemployment as result. Social and health care services

will be lost and schools will be close. (negative appreciation)

Students analysis the reasons of overuse the natural resources,

which caused social and economic problems. A causative

process indicates the energy crisis caused economic recession,

unemployment, and cut the funding of social services and

medical care services, school closed. It also caused global food

crisis which caused violent protests and riots.

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Individual Construction:Independent writing:

Students analysis the reasons of overuse the natural resources,

which caused social and economic problems. A causative

process indicates the energy crisis caused economic recession,

unemployment, and cut the funding of social services and

medical care services, school closed. It also caused global food

crisis which caused violent protests and riots.

Essay Analysis of Student A

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Curriculum Closure

Peer Assessment

Teacher had marked the student essays before

the lesson and gave some essays to students for

peer assessments by groups. Students have to

explain the assessment reasons. Teacher

explained that student had shown different

opinions on social issues with good organisation

by using a lot of key words in exposition essay.

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Results and discussion

Assessment

This study provided evidence that students were

not only learning language but also developing

international mindedness, problem solving and

critical thinking skills through the research of

energy crisis and in different countries. Students

make negative judgements on social sanction in

ethics and they make positive recommendation:

caring and understanding.

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Results and discussion

In curriculum closure, students and teacher

give feedbacks

Students have:

global views to compare energy crisis with

different countries.

makes negative judgements on social sanction in

ethics.

positive recommendation: caring and

understanding.

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Results and discussion

It is very important that teacher to be a role

model to promote international mindedness.

She encourages students to learn and respect

different point of views on social issues. As

teacher is open-minded which will help students

to develop international mindedness and critical

thinking by inquiry based learning.

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Results and discussion

Vogotsky (1978: 86) indicated that “Zone of

proximal development as follows: is the distance

between the actual development level as

determined as by independent problem solving

and the level of potential development as

determined through problem solving under adult

guidance or in collaboration with more capable

peers.”

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Results and discussion

Christie (2006:166-167) indicated that teacher

and students shared the judgment on the

significant of the event in the pedagogic device.

Halliday points out (2007:187) that the second

language learning likes the first language

learning is a problem solving activity and

information processing.

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Results and discussion

In quality assurance, the IBO has to make sure that all IB schools follow the mission statement and promote the spirit of international education in the school authorization and evaluation processes. One IBO curriculum officer said.

“The school must have a mission philosophy that lies well with IB mission philosophy. When we go into a school for the authorization and evaluation processes, we talk to the school and ask them the questions. How do they ensure that the mission statement is included in the school mission statement? Are the schools promoting internationalism? ”

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Results and discussion

How do we promote international mindedness in

the school in teaching and learning?

The classroom learning atmosphere was opened

and positive with mutual respect and mutual trust.

Teacher and students need the ability to:

think globally;

cultivate intercultural understanding;

supported by the school leaders and parents

work co-operatively and take responsibilities in

society;

think in a critical and systemic way.

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Conclusion

Teacher and students need the ability to think

globally, work co-operatively and take

responsibilities in society; cultivate intercultural

understanding; think in a critical and systemic

way; resolve conflict in a non-violent manner.

The teaching and learning tradition and been

shifted to conceptualized the international

mindedness, global citizenship knowledge

acquisition as well as a shift towards

autonomous learning.

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Eastern and Western values of peaceful world

IBO’s mission statement is to create a better and

more peaceful world through education.”

As Liu (2000) argues that Neo-Confucian

philosophers promotes respecting different cultures,

multiculturalism, humanity’s “ultimate concern” or

compassion by sustainable development and

intercultural dialogue in a global village.

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