Mind the Gap. Furthering international mindedness of Dutch pupils by incorporating IB-elements into an existing Dutch bilingual curriculum.

Abstract

Abstract

A secondary school in the Netherlands with a long history in bilingual education and strong interest in internationalization efforts is looking into the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IBMYP) to find out what elements are suitable to implement within the Dutch educational system and curriculum. The school believes that the IB elements can provide a way to make learning more meaningful to their students. In practice, its focus is on providing the students with the means to connect the knowledge learned in school to the student’s personal world and the “real” world outside of school. The implicit goal in this process is to increase students’ intrinsic motivation for learning. Based on interviews with team leaders and teachers complemented by a student survey, recommendations are formulated on how the IBMYP can be useful to Dutch schools and which elements need to be included in order to make learning more meaningful to students in an international context.