Beliefs” and “Collective Thought”:

Aligning the National with the

International Curricula: The Indian
Experience

21st IBAP International Conference, Hanoi - Vietnam,

October 2006

P.Swarnalatha
Dhirubhai Ambani International School
Mumbai, India
Globalization and the internationalization of
education
Concerns regarding implanting of international
education into national systems
Do host country nationals impede international
education in international schools?

Indian experience of International Schools:

necessity of co-opting both National and
International Curricula strands?
Objectives of the study
1. explore issues and challenges encountered by
emerging IB schools in India in conceptualizing
and conditioning curricula for transmission of
universal values and beliefs
2. Understand fashioning of curricula that aim to
position the school into the fold of international
schools
Concept of international education: perspectives
and debates

“internationalism and international –

mindedness”
pragmatic globalist international education

Balanced curriculum and internationalism

Curriculum and “thought collectives”
The Indian experience with international education

Categories Primary Middle School Secondary Post Secondary

1-4 5-7 8-10 11 - 12
One Primary Years programme Middle Year Programme Middle Year Programme International
of International of International of International Baccalaureate
Baccalaureates organization Baccalaureates Baccalaureates Diploma (IBD)
(IB) organization (IB) organization (IB)
Two Primary programme of Integrated Curricula International General International
Cambridge international (National and certificate of Secondary Baccalaureate
Examination International) Education, CIE / Indian Diploma (IBD)
And Council of Secondary
National Education (ICSE)
Three Central Board of Secondary Central Board of Central Board of International
Education Primary Secondary Education Secondary Education Baccalaureate
CBSE Middle (CBSE)/ International Diploma (IBD)/
CBSE General certificate of Indian Council of
Secondary Education
Secondary
Education (ICSE)
Four Indian Council of Indian Council of Indian Council of International
Secondary Education Secondary Education Secondary Education / Baccalaureate
Primary Middle International General Diploma
certificate of Secondary
Education
Need to understand meaning and nature of
concepts - internationalism and values (as
perceived by students, teachers, parents, and
school administrators)

In India: multicultural student bodies are rarely

found; school’s ambience is conditioned by the
presence of host country / one country nationals.

How do students and teachers in Dhirubhai

Ambani International School perceive
international education?
Research Method and tools:
•Sample survey: teachers and administrators (29), and
secondary school students (34)
•Questionnaire: semantic-differential type scale {Mary
Hayden, Jeff Thomson, and Geraint Williams (2003)}
•Items seeking views on global awareness, values, and
pedagogies and methods related to delivery of
curricula in the classroom
•Respondents asked to comment on each item on a
five - point scale of importance ranging from not
important to extremely important, or to rank items on a
particular theme
Important findings and conclusions

1. GLOBAL AWARENESS
 Human rights, sustainable development,
social justice’, and diversity accorded more
importance
 Concepts of interdependence, and conflict
resolution received little attention from
students
Important findings and conclusions (contd.)
2. VALUES
 ‘Sense of responsibility’ quite important
 ‘Sense of spirituality’ least response
 Individualistic responses, no significant trend on
other values: sense of achievement, sense of
independence and freedom, sense of belonging
and identity, sense of usefulness to community,
cooperation and team work
 Students more in favour of critical pedagogical
approaches than teachers
Important findings and conclusions (contd.)
3. INTERNATIONALISM: PEDAGOGIES AND
METHODS RELATED TO DELIVERY OF
CURRICULA IN THE CLASSROOM
 Multicultural faculty: Both students as well as
teachers recognized the importance
 Role of Language: Important to learn a non-
native language; but constraints in learning
subjects in a different language (non-English)
Important findings and conclusions (contd.)

3. INTERNATIONALISM (contd.)

`Globalist’ Education: responses indicate

commodification of education dictated by ongoing
processes of globalization, and a pragmatic
attitude towards education.

`Thought Collectives’: Catalyst for

Internationalism
‘thought collectives’ imbibed through formal
curriculum as a powerful force towards
developing sense of internationalism
Important findings and conclusions
(contd.)

3. INTERNATIONALISM (contd.)
 Items related to learning beyond boundaries of
national culture are as significant aspects of
education in an international school by students
Role of Critical Pedagogies: construction of
knowledge from a critical perspective - Theory
of Knowledge and Extended Essays seen as
very important
Important findings and conclusions
(contd.)

3. INTERNATIONALISM (contd.)
Value of Diversity: given much weightage by
teachers and students
Balanced curriculum: critical pedagogies and
approaches considered very crucial in
promotion of international mindedness
more than 50% gave highest importance to school
curriculum aiming at integrating the school
vertically in subject areas, and horizontal
integration aiming at interdisciplinary approaches
Conclusions
internationalism increasingly recognized and
embedded into the national system
reinforcement and resilience of enduring
values through “thought collectives” and beliefs
in the classroom
more powerful approach for appreciation
and assimilation of universal values and
traditions
Conclusions (Contd.)

Despite fears of commodification,

international education offers opportunities
to incorporate concerns regarding women’s
equality, empowerment and social justice
within the educational system