PYP Column

Key Concepts

by Ibu Ratna Putri

The key concept is one of the elements of the PYP. As parents of PYP students, you may be familiar with the term "key concepts". You certainly read the term everytime you read newsletters or a new unit update from Year Level Lead Teacher. What is the PYP key concept? Before we begin with more explanation of the PYP, let's see the definition of a concept.

Concepts

A concept is a "big idea"—a principle or notion that is enduring and is not constrained by a particular origin, subject matter, or place in time (Erickson 2008). Concepts represent ideas that are broad, abstract, timeless, and universal. Concepts may be subject-based or transdisciplinary. Government, for example. As a concept, "government" is broad, abstract, timeless, and universal. On the other hand, the name of the first president of a country or monarchy as the governmental type of the United Kingdom, are some examples of facts.

The inquiry in the PYP is a concept-based inquiry. It is a powerful vehicle for learning that promotes meaning and understanding, and challenges students to engage with significant ideas. Purposeful inquiry is supported by a concept-driven curriculum (Wiggins, McTighe 2005).

Key Concepts

Seven key concepts drive the teachers and/or student-constructed inquiries at the heart of the PYP curriculum. The key concepts provide a lens for conceptual understandings within a transdisciplinary unit of inquiry.

In each unit of inquiry, three to four key concepts are used to drive the inquiry. PYP students will use all the seven key concepts as lenses for conceptual understanding in each grade. Throughout the PYP years, from K1 to grade 6, PYP students will use the same key concepts in approaching each inquiry unit. The key concepts help students think conceptually and connect one subject to another.

Differentiating concept- and fact-based learning

Concept-based learning moves beyond facts and leads to breadth and depth of understanding. Simply said, concepts are BIG IDEAS that help us UNDERSTAND. Knowledge, on the other hand, is related to FACTS that help us KNOW.

The table below shows the distinctions of facts and concepts.

In conclusion, key concepts provide a lens for conceptual understandings associated with a transdisciplinary theme. Concepts facilitate depth and complexity in learning and provide a structure for conceptual understandings. Conceptual understandings build upon the knowledge and skills to extend and deepen student learning. Compared to simply learning or memorizing isolated facts, locked in place and time, conceptual understandings are changeable, contextual, and may be elaborat- ed or reinterpreted (Milligan, Wood 2010).

The key concepts help PYP students to unlock the door to their inquiries.

The content of this article was taken from the IB Learning and teaching. IBO. 2018. Learning and teaching. Geneva, Switzerland. International Baccalaureate Organization.