Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2020 Educators’ Perspectives of the International Baccalaureate Program OLIVIA McDonald-Lane Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.edu/dissertations Part of the Educational Administration and Supervision Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact ScholarWorks@waldenu. Walden University College of Education This is to certify that the doctoral study by Olivia McDonald-Lane has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made.
Review Committee Dr. Ella Benson, Committee Chairperson, Education Faculty Dr. Anastasia Metros, Committee Member, Education Faculty Dr. Mary Givens, University Reviewer, Education Faculty Chief Academic Officer and Provost Sue Subocz, Ph.
Walden University 2020 Abstract Educators’ Perspectives of the International Baccalaureate Program by Olivia McDonald-Lane MA, Walden University, 2005 BS, University of the West Indies, 2000 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Walden University August 2020 Abstract The school districts face many challenges when incorporating and utilizing the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program (IBPYP) framework. The success of IBPYP depends on how these challenges perceived by the teachers. The purpose of this study was to explore and highlight challenges associated with the IBPYP and the influence these challenges may have in shaping teachers’ perceptions of the program. The central research questions focused on gathering data on the challenges teachers face as they utilize the program and whether or not these challenges shape their perception of the program, or affected their ability to utilize the program standards and practices effectively.
Growth mindset versus fixed mindset was the conceptual framework underlying this study. The study employed purposeful sampling that included 18 educators with various years of experience in education and with the IBPYP. Telephone interviews were the main source of data collection. Open coding and inductive analysis identified emerging patterns that led to themes such as professional development and training, lack of resources, time, and standards integration.
Findings revealed that teachers did not feel equipped to engage effectively in the inquiry learning process due to the challenges they faced. Based on the findings, recommendations include the need for districts and school leaders to be better informed about the IBPYP before its adoption. Positive social change may occur once district leaders are able to provide the necessary resources, training and professional development that will empower teachers as they utilize the IBPYP. Educators’ Perspective of the International Baccalaureate Program by Olivia McDonald-Lane MA, Walden University, 2005 BS, University of the West Indies, 2000 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Walden University August 2020 Dedication I would like to dedicate this study to my amazing parents, Emil and Lloyd McDonald who will never be able to read it but will always be here with me in spirit.
Thank you both for setting me on a path of achieving my goals and for instilling the value of a good education and what it means to be a lifelong learner. Without you, I would not be the ambitious scholar that I am today. Although you both earned your wings many years ago, your love, support, humility, encouragement, words of wisdom and courage have never left me. It is those qualities that you blessed me with which have allowed me to be a blessing to others and in your absence, others have taken on the role of mother and father to me.
Thank you both for the time you shared with me and for the abundance of love you gave to me during our short time together. Acknowledgments I would like to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who has been the driving force in my life and who has brought me to this point of self-actualization. I also want to thank my friends who have been great supporters and my sources of inspiration. I have seen so many changes during the years spent writing and conducting this study and I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge my wonderful husband, Dewan Lane who graced me with his presence in 2018 and has not left me one day since.
I am grateful for his friendship, love, and overwhelming support. Thank you for undertaking this journey with me, my love. Table of Contents List of Tables. iv List of Figures .v Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study.5 Purpose of the Study .9 Nature of the Study .13 Scope and Delimitations .15 Chapter 2: Literature Review .17 Literature Search Strategy.18 Literature Review Related to Key Concepts and Variable .22 Summary and Conclusions .36 Chapter 3: Research Method .38 Research Design and Rationale .39 i Role of the Researcher.
42 Procedures for Recruitment, Participation, and Data Collection. 42 Data Analysis Plan .45 Chapter 4: Reflections and Conclusions .52 Evidence of Trustworthiness.66 Chapter 5: Discussion, Conclusions, and Recommendations .67 Interpretation of the Findings.68 Limitations of the Study.83 Appendix A: Interview Questions .90 ii Appendix B: Invitation to Participate .91 iii List of Tables Table 1. Study Participants' Demographics…. Emerging Themes………………………………………………………………53 iv List of Figures Figure 1.
IB programs……………………………………………………………26 Figure 2. Planning, time, and resources embedded in the PYP…………………. Data analysis process …………………………………………………52 v 1 Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study Since the 2000s, accountability measures such as No Child Left Behind (NCLB), Common Core, and recently, the Every Student Succeeds Act have led school leaders in the United States to look for more creative, research-based ways of promoting teaching and learning, and developing the whole child (Korsmo, Barrett, Friesen, & Finnley, 2012). Schools have been under increasing pressure to turn around failing schools or face loss of funding and other sanctions (Hemelt, 2014).
With the threat of government take-over or school closings, schools throughout the United States have had to find new programs that can develop students' skills in math and reading, critical thinking, and collaboration (Korsmo et al. Other schools' reform may not be solely academic, but may also involve the transformation of their organizational leadership models, curriculum, teaching staff, and instructional practices to promote improved teaching and learning (Hemelt, 2014). According to Buckley (2016), school reform is not only a way to close the achievement gap but also a way to strengthen and support marginalized students both academically and socially (Buckley, 2016). Buckley (2016) observed that inquiry-based research of instructional practices was helpful in improving academic achievement while allowing classrooms to become student-centered and less teacher directed.
Over two thousand schools across the United States have begun to invest in the constructivist IB program (Law, McDowall, & Feder, 2012). The IB program provides teachers a curriculum framework for use along with the state and district curricula (International Baccalaureate Organization, 2015). The purpose 2 of the IB framework is to provide students with educational experiences which allow for student-centered learning, global awareness, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking skills (International Baccalaureate Organization, 2015). Research shows that there are several challenges that teachers encounter as they utilize the IB standards and practices simultaneously with state and local standards.
Savage and Drake (2016) found that educators interpreted the concepts of the program differently and therefore utilized it differently. This led to a lack of consistency in program use in classrooms. Teachers’ teaching and learning philosophies as well as their attitudes also led to program challenges. The IB program calls for a constructivist mindset shift while many teachers were comfortable with the prescriptive nature of teaching and learning (Savage & Drake, 2016).
Other researchers in their studies also noted that administrators were a hindrance to the success of the program as they did not schedule time for collaborative planning which the program called for nor did the school’s timetable reflect the minutes necessary for inquiry-based instruction. Steffen and Bueno-Villaverde (2018) also discovered similar challenges. They noted that inquiry- based learning called for a shift from traditional teaching and learning practices. Teachers, therefore, needed to change their mindset to be able to utilize the IB program successfully.
Additionally, inconsistencies with teachers’ interpretation of the concepts and the way they utilized the program came across as challenges to effective program practice (Steffen & Bueno-Villaverde, 2018). In the state of Georgia, there are 26 public and private elementary schools that are currently educating students using the IB curriculum framework. Twenty-three schools 3 are state or charter schools and three are private schools (International Baccalaureate Organization, 2017). In this study, I examined one elementary school to explore the problem and address the research questions.
This elementary school is a public charter school that received authorization to become an IBPYP World school in 2008. It is a co- educational school that was designed to serve an intentionally diverse population made up of native, immigrant, and refugee children. This school’s mission is to educate children holistically while preparing them to become 21st century global citizens who can take responsibility for their own learning (International Baccalaureate Organization, 2017). Background I chose to conduct my study in an IBPYP school to examine teachers' perceptions of the IBPYP and the challenges they face as IBPYP practitioners.
This school presented as a suitable option for this study because of its diversity. Students and staff represent thirty nationalities and twenty-five languages (International Baccalaureate Organization, 2018). There is limited current empirical research that examines the perceptions elementary teachers have of the IBPYP or the challenges they face. The IB program is gaining strength and popularity around the world (Law et al.
There is still, however, a gap in the research of teachers’ perceptions of the IB program and the challenges they face during practice of the program standards. There is limited data on the perceptions of IB educators regarding the program as well as the challenges they face as they utilize the program (Law et al. Various researchers have examined the IB program, its history, and benefits, and have identified or described in limited fashion the 4 views held by educators regarding the program and how it is implemented or utilized in schools specifically elementary schools. A lot of the research is outdated and does not address current views held by teachers especially those who use the IBPYP standards and practices.
The bulk of research found on the IB program was carried out by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), creators and sponsors of the IB program. The research conducted by the IBO is subject to bias. In this study, I sought to add an alternate perspective or a different voice to current research conducted on the IB. Researchers of the IB program agree that teachers are critical to the success of the program in schools that utilize the IB program (IBO, 2017).
It is essential that teachers not only be passionate or invested in the IB program, but can utilize the program with fidelity (IBO, 2017). The use of the IBPYP curriculum framework in IB schools signals a shift in strategies and practices (Cook, 2017). Teachers are now facilitators, mentors, and at times observers in the classroom while students have to analyze, synthesize, think critically and creatively, and take more ownership of their learning (Cook, 2017). IB teachers not only need significant training they must utilize the IB curriculum materials and pedagogy effectively as well as work diligently, collaboratively, and creatively to instruct their students in an inquiry-based setting (Jones, 2014).
Although the IB program has become increasingly popular, researchers argue the point that there is room for unintended issues to arise with its use (Limitaco, 2013). These issues may include misaligned teacher interpretations of the program, blurred teacher expectations, and the values and ideals which educators themselves hold (Limitiaco, 2013). During my tenure as an IB teacher, coordinator, and assistant principal, I observed 5 decidedly lackluster and uncoordinated use of the program in classrooms.