The development of the International Baccalaureate in Spanish speaking countries: a global comparative approach

ABSTRACT

This paper compares the development of International Baccalaureate (IB) schools in four different settings: Argentine, Chile, Spain and Ecuador. The global comparative approach used in this study, based on actor-network theory (ANT), allows us to analyse the connections and interactions between global actors and the plurality of national, regional, municipal actors in a common conceptual frame – the IB network. The IB network includes mainly global actors, such as the Diploma Programme (DP), IB schools and the IB organisation, IB schools associations but also a myriad of local actors such as political leaders, national education administrations and local authorities. The paper examines two central assemblages: the institutional assemblage and the curricular assemblage. The institutional assemblage relates to who promotes and funds the DP in each country. While in Argentina and Chile an IB-private school assemblage prevails, in Spain it was an IB-public/private schools assemblage and in Ecuador an IB-government one. These assemblages condition the main point of passage of the IB network – the DP as a means to access to university – which further necessitates new assemblages between the DP and the official curriculum – the curricular assemblage.

Keywords:

• Global comparative approach
• actor-network theory
• assemblages
• International Baccalaureate (IB)
• Spanish-speaking countries

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. The aim of the CP is to provide students with both an academic and practical foundation to support both their further studies and specialized training, thereby ensuring their success in the workforce. (http://www.ibo.org/announcements/2014/ibcp.cfm ; http://www.ibo.org/ibcc/).

2. See: http://ibo.org/programmes/pd/qualifications/findacourseofstudy/.

3. Associations of IB World Schools are groupings of IB schools who come together in order to provide mutual support in a variety of ways and who have been recognised by the International Baccalaureate® (IB). These associations are organised in various ways, sizes and constituencies, depending on their local circumstances. Associations provide a forum for school collaboration, hold periodic meetings and share best practices among members (http://www.ibo.org/associations/).

4. Running an IB program is very expensive: in 2011 the annual school affiliation fee for the DP reached DP 10,000 US dollars. In addition, each student needed to pay a total of USD 717 that included a registration fee as a DP candidate of USD 141 and examination fee USD 96 for each subject ( 96 × 6 subjects = USD 576).

5. Usually, I contact the IB coordinator or the principal and ask for permission to visit the school and interview members of the staff. Interviews included the IB coordinator, the principal or deputy principal, and one to three teachers involved with the DP for a few years.

6. Incluye cuatro instrumentos independientes: Dos pruebas obligatorias: una de Lenguaje y Comunicacióny otra de Matemática. Dos pruebas electivas: una de Historia y Ciencias Sociales y otra de Ciencias, con un módulo común y módulos optativos de Biología, Física y Química. Por acuerdo del Consejo de Rectores, la elaboración y aplicación de las PSU continuó a cargo de la Universidad de Chile, a través de su Departamento de Evaluación, Medición y Registro Educacional, DEMRE. La primera vez que se aplicó esta nueva batería de preguntas fue en diciembre de 2003 para el Proceso de Admisión del año 2004 (http://www.demre.cl/historia_psu.htm ).

7. The IB has two dates for the DP exams, May usually for countries in the hemisphere north and November for countries in the southern hemisphere.

8. “El nuevo Bachillerato busca romper con ese esquema y propone uno que considera que el aprendizaje no consiste, como señala el modelo anterior, en absorber y recordar datos e informaciones. Más bien, es una formación que apunta a la adquisición de conocimientos, habilidades y actitudes. El aprendizaje, bajo esta visión, debe ser duradero, útil, formador de la personalidad de los estudiantes y aplicable a su vida cotidiana.” (http://educacion.gob.ec/bachillerato-general-unificado/).

9. El grupo de asignaturas comprende:

(1) Estudios de Lengua y Literatura, en idioma materno (en nuestro caso, Literatura en Español).

(2) Adquisición de Lenguas (en este caso, Inglés).

(3) Individuos y Sociedad (aquí se ha elegido Historia).

(4) Ciencias Experimentales (aquí se elige entre Biología, Física y Química).

(5) Matemáticas e Informática (la mayoría de colegios ecuatorianos ha elegido Matemáticas y Estudios Matemáticos).

(6) Artes (esta se puede obviar y tomar una asignatura de cualquiera de los otros cinco grupos). Source: http://educacion.gob.ec/bachillerato-internacional/.