What is the international baccalaureate for? Exploring educational purpose through the Middle Years Programme’s personal project

This article interrogates the purpose of the International Baccalaureate (IB), which is becoming an increasingly prominent feature of education systems worldwide. It specifically explores the enduring tensions between claims of a distinctively well-rounded education aimed at the whole person and the more instrumental function of enabling students to get ahead academically. Addressing “what the IB is for”, the article employs Gert Biesta’s writings on the need to reconnect with educational purpose across three domains: qualification, socialisation, and subjectification. To do so, it reports on a mixed-methods study of the Personal Project within the Middle Years Programme. First, quantitative data from over 40,000 students worldwide revealed that those with higher Personal Project scores also achieved higher scores in the Diploma Programme, indicating a synergy between the two in terms of qualification for high academic attainment. Second, qualitative data from 107 interviews conducted at schools in Hong Kong, Peru, Qatar, South Korea, the United States, and Zambia highlighted the Personal Project’s potential to serve broader educational purposes, including socialisation and subjectification. However, these prospects may be overshadowed by schools prioritising high academic scores. The discussion reflects on the possibility of fulfilling multiple educational purposes, the threat of educational purpose being skewed towards qualification, and the worthwhile risk involved in pursuing more comprehensive objectives. The article concludes by calling for the IB to reaffirm its commitment to a well-rounded education that counters a measurement culture permeating schools. Copyright © 2025 Educational Review.