Similarities and differences of PYP and CfE –

IB’s Primary years programme (PYP) focuses on the development of the whole child. It aims to help prepare students to become active and caring life long learners taking part in the world around them showing respect towards themselves and others. IB’s PYP is taught from ages 3 to 12, this is similar to CfE’s curriculm which covers ages 3 to 18 however the curriculm is split in two and so the board general education curriculm covering ages 3 to 14/ 15 meaning the areas covered and focuses for their learners in the IB’s PYP are similar to CfE’s Board General Education.

For example IB learn these aims through the six PYP subject areas; language, maths, science, social studies, arts and Personal, social and physical education. These subject areas are similar to the ones taught part of CfE, having expressive arts, health and wellbeing, languages, maths, sciences, social studies as well a religious and moral education and technologies. However the difference with IB’s PYP is that pupils learn more than one language from the age of seven. This shows IB’s focus on languages from a younger age helping broaden horizons and making their aim for pupils to participate in the world easier. CfE’s 1 + 2 language approach has been a newer addition to the curriculm with hopes of achieving a similar outcome with confidence in communication making world connections easier.

IB’s PYP curriculm is also encouraged on being very chid-centred having questions be the lead in their learning. They state they use this method to allow it to be the students job to find meaning in the lesson and learning themselves. This is similar to CfE’s principles Personalisation and choice which also allows and encourages the students to have more of an imput in their learning helping keep engagement and interest in the lesson, allowing pupils to walk away having taken more from the lesson.

CfE’s principle relevance is also key in IB’s PYP curriculum as it too has a focus on relating each subject to another. In both CfE and IB this can be seen by having a lesson outdoors learning about biology of the plants and species  as well as the geography of the land and social issue of pollution around the world or even as simply as using maths skills to count how many red flowers there are compared to yellow. This is an affective criteria to include in lessons and is something both IB’s PYP and CfE agree on the importance of it being in their curriculum.

Finally CfE’s Principles include coherence, this principle could also apply to having a cohering group where member are able to communicate and understand while working together. The importance of family involvement in both the IB’s PYP curriculum and CfE curriculum shows this encouragement of coherence in both the curriculums. Having family involvement not only allows the parents to have a better understand of their child’s learning but allows them to help contribute towards it having the knowledge of how to help out with school hours.

Overall CfE is very similar to IB’s Primary years Programme, both curriculum encourage the same values and morals in their courses as well as the same affective teaching styles which in turn has helped both courses to be successful in their pupils learning.

In the 1960’s traditional educational trends included a bigger focus on teacher centred teaching, where classrooms where more closed with a more didactic teaching approach which could come across as very patronising with only a right or wrong answer. In this situation pupils learned more by memorising facts and working from textbooks. Pupils were assessed through IQ tests, where there scores were then norm-referenced meaning their result was compared to an average pupil of same grade or age rather than reflecting on their past result and progress.   These traditional education trends began to progress and evolve for example instead of pupils being given all the same content, work was now more differentiated to suit the individual.

The focus on memorising formulas and information instead was encouraged on building the skills to critical think and analyse information. The classroom environment was encouraged on now being more child-centred with open plan rooms, with more of a student choice in their learning and constructive feedback given to help with their build in knowledge and skills as well as keeping morals higher in continuing to work to their best. Education progressed to testing a range of their pupils skills not just IQ and the learning became more transdisciplinarity meaning subjects relate to more than one area of knowledge. Results were then criterion referenced which instead built an average on what to expect in there individual progress rather than  comparing their score to an average pupil the same age.

Overall educations traditional trends expanded to become more broad and wider range encouraging multiple perspectives and a greater interest in learning more about other cultures such as languages by having the introduction of AV and AL languages.

The Curriculm for Excellence very much keeps with educations progressive trends. The progressive trend in helping make pupils learning more child-centred with having more of a student choice is seen in one of CfE’s Principles of curriculum of design. The Principle of Personalisation and choice in teaching gives pupils that input in their learning allowing them to take more of an interest and be more engaged in their learning. The personalisation also encourages differention in work load meaning pupils are working at a level and pace that suits their needs and ability. Instead of the class moving at too fast a pace and pupils losing their moral in being able to achieve, pupils are instead less likely to give up as the challenge given doesn’t feel out their reach therefore is challenging enough to keep pushing to achieve their best.

Progressive education introduced testing on a range of skills in order to make teaching more transdisciplinary. This aim is reflected in CfE’s Principles relevance and breadth. Teaching today in the curriculum for excellence is broad, not only covering various ways of thinking or problem solving but also various subject areas in a lesson. For example, a lesson outdoors may include elements of biology, maths, art etc. this shows pupils the relevance learning each subject has by showing the connections it has not only to other subject areas but also to the outside world. Giving examples to when pupils will use their knowledge outside of the classroom keeps pupil enjoyment and engagement.

Overall educations progressive trends focus on ways to keep pushing their pupils learning as well as keeping their engagement and interest this is also shown in CfE’s Principles a they too aim for learning to include the right level of challenge to also provide enjoyment.

What are the similarities and differences? Have you experienced or observed the development of any of the IB Learner Profile attributes in your own education or experience working with children?

The IB learner profile was created as a ways “to develop internationally minded people who, recognized common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better world, more peaceful world.” This aim is believed to be made possible through the use of their world wide learning community having educators, supporters, students and their families unite under the IB name as well as their mission statement which is action reflects the traits desired in IB learner.

IB learners are encouraged to be inquirers, Knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, reflective, principled, open minded, caring, risk takers and balanced. Through the use of high quality education and encouragement of IB learner profile traits, IB believe they are helping working towards creating a better world.

The CfE 4 learning capacities – Successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributor are similar aims, for their learners, that also reflect the IB learner profile.

The first learning capacity, Successful learner, links with IB’s learners becoming inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers and communicators. It too aims for its learners to be motivated and enthusiastic for learning and determined to reach their highest level of achievement. CfE also aims to enable young people to become communicators through using communications skills in literacy and numeracy and being able to apply different types of learning to new situations.

CfE’s aims of enabaling young people to become confident individual is reflected in the IB learner profile by encouraging learners to be reflective and risk takers. This aim is shown in some of the attributes of being a confident individual. For example having a sense of physical, mental and emotional wellbeing requires reflection on whether they, as an individual, understand that concept and feel that way. The ambitious drive, learners have, comes from being self aware and assessing risks in order to make informed decisions about achieving their success in each activity.

IB traits of being caring and open minded reflect the learning capacity of being a responsible citizen. CfE aim for their learners to be caring by having respect for others as well as open minded by being willing to learn and understand different cultures and beliefs, then using that learning in helping develop informed, ethical decisions or views on complex issues.

The final learning capacity, effective contributor aims for CfE learners to build resilience in problem solving when working together as well as at times taking initiative to take lead and apply critical thinking to new contexts. IB learner profile traits principled and balanced, partly reflect and agree wit CfE’s encouragement for learners to be effective in their way of thinking and contribution given in each activity.

This shows that many of the IB learner profile attributes are encouraged in CfE classrooms as they are very much apart of the 4 learning Capacities. Encouraging pupils to work effectively together as a team or building acceptance and respect for others with differences such as culture and beliefs or physical and learning disabilities. Building open mindsets to aim for your personal best and reflecting on past work to evaluate what the next steps could be for improvement, are all situations seen in the classroom almost daily. These situations also reflect both the CfE Learning Capacities as well as IB learning Profile attributes.