The impact of the IB continuum on student, teacher, and school outcomes: Preliminary findings of research in the Southeast Asian context

IB programmes have grown dramatically across Southeast Asian societies, with increasing numbers of schools offering the full IB programme continuum. This presentation is the outgrowth of a study in progress that has been commissioned by the International Baccalaureate Organization. The research project is exploring the impact that participation in the full IB continuum has on student learning outcomes, teacher professionalism and school organizational structures and cultures. Research data is being collected through qualitative case studies and a questionnaire designed to measure the impact of 5 areas of the learner profile on affective student learning outcomes. This presentation will explore hypotheses regarding the impact of the full continuum, report preliminary findings, and tease out plausible implications for teachers, school leaders and programme coordinators. As this presentation falls early in the research, a key aim is to inform schools about the project, the questionnaire and its potential use, and to stimulate discussion that can inform both research and practice.