IB approaches to teaching

Transdisciplinary unit planning in the Primary Years Programme (PYP) can be a dynamic and complex endeavour. There are many facets to the collaborative planning process, all intended to result in relevant, challenging and engaging learning for students.

Regardless of where PYP learning is situated, the IB approaches to teaching can serve as a guide for providing meaningful experiences for students.

The approaches to teaching are deliberately broad, designed to give teachers the flexibility to choose specific strategies that work for their particular context(s). Across all International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes, teaching is to be:

• based on inquiry

• focused on conceptual understanding

• developed in local and global contexts

• focused on effective teamwork and collaboration

• designed to remove barriers to learning

• informed by assessment

Whether you are planning instruction within a unit of inquiry, or as stand-alone learning engagements, consider how your implementation is grounded in these approaches to teaching.

IB planning documents and templates support this reflective practice and aim to ensure that learning and teaching align with the philosophy and framework of the Primary Years Programme (PYP).