An Evaluation of International Mindedness as a Curriculum Aim: the case of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme at Fenton Hall

An essential role of a school is to prepare students with the skills necessary for life in a globalised twenty-first century. In response to this, international mindedness (IM) has emerged in Western education systems as an aspirational skill to help students navigate interactions with those from other cultures. The International Baccalaureate Organisation is a leading curriculum provider offering an education focused on developing skills that enable learners to better understand and interact with those from a different culture. The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is an internationally focused pre-university course, but the literature suggests a need for further research into the efficacy of the programme’s delivery within local school contexts. This study utilised an evaluation case study to explore the perception, practice and promotion of IM at an all-girls independent school in the UK. The findings revealed that stakeholders regard IM in students as being expressed through their intercultural understanding and open-mindedness. Mixed-method data from both teacher and student perspectives indicated that the IBDP has the capacity to deliver IM as a curriculum aim. This research concludes that IM is best defined democratically at a local level and that students should be encouraged to reflect upon their own self-perception which later influences their view of other cultures