The implementation of international mindedness in the IB Diploma Programme: A qualitative case study of a Hong Kong second language Chinese classroom
IBAP Annual Conference 2013 LAU Kwok Ling PhD candidate, Faculty of Education The University of Hong Kong 22 March 2013
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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
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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.
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?
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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. 7
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. 10
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 13
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. 17
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 18 among the events.
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. 28
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.â€?
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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? ” 32
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. 33
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. 34
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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