Contextual Interpretations of International Mindedness in International Baccalaureate Diploma Students
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine contextual interpretations of international mindedness by International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma students in a national and an international school in the Czech Republic. Three research questions were addressed in the study:
• How is international mindedness actualized by IB Diploma students?
• What is the experience of education for international mindedness for IB Diploma students?
• What is the role of context in developing international mindedness in IB Diploma students?
The conceptual framework was based on Wilber’s (2006) comprehensive integral theory, a novel application in the study of international mindedness. Through integral methodological pluralism, a form of mixed methods research, quantitative and qualitative data was collected and analyzed. Using an empirical methodology, the Global Perspectives Inventory (Braskamp, Braskamp & Engberg, 2014) was administered to IB Diploma students. Descriptive statistical analysis of the results revealed no significant difference between participants from the two schools. Using a hermeneutic phenomenological methodology, interviews were conducted with IB Diploma students and experienced IB Diploma teachers. Findings revealed the experience of international mindedness can be characterized by the development of an intercultural identity, the ability to take alternate perspectives and the capacity to resolve disconnection from important others. Contextual factors of privilege, parent influence and exposure to diversity also characterized the experience of student international mindedness. Implications for improving the education for international mindedness at the level of the school and IB organization are discussed.
Description
Keywords
Education--Curriculum and Instruction
Citation
Beek, A. (2016). Contextual Interpretations of International Mindedness in International Baccalaureate Diploma Students (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/25439