Students studying the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme are more likely to have positive attitudes towards global and civic mindedness, a study has found.
The five-year programme, for pupils aged 11-16, spans eight subject groups and requires a personal project to be completed in the final year. It covers similar content to GCSE and IGCSE courses but has a more integrated curriculum, offers more flexibility to teachers and includes thinking skills.
While the International Baccalaureate diploma programme for 16- to 18-year-olds has grown in popularity in the UK, the primary and middle years programmes have so far proved less popular. Just 11 schools in the UK are authorised to offer the Middle Years Programme, but it is available at more than 1,000 around the world.
The National Foundation for Educational Research study, involving 309 pupils and 74 teachers in the UK, found that the programme was valued for developing independent learning skills but that it lacked public recognition.