In this study, we used an extreme case approach to examine the facilitators and barriers of cognitive engagement among freshmen in Advanced Placement (AP) or Pre-International Baccalaureate (IB) courses. Twelve ninth-grade AP/IB students participated in semistructured interviews focused on cognitive engagement. After analyzing the data using a…

International mindedness (IM) is foundational to the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) and in theory, meets the challenges of a diversified demographic. The implementation of IM may vary depending on where the IBDP is situated. Although a core concept in the IBDP, research suggests that IM may be difficult to implement.…

In recent years, the Asia-Pacific region has experienced unprecedented expansion in the adoption of the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. The IB Middle Years Program (MYP) features interdisciplinary curriculum design, concept-based curriculum development, and multiple assessments, which significantly differ from the traditional structures…

There has been a trend of increased statistical expectations for students and calls for increased statistical preparation for their teachers in recent years, but preparation has not yet reached recommended levels. A similar preparation gap existed at the inception of the Advanced Placement Statistics program, and this study examines a group of…

This article focuses on the challenges faced by educational leaders of international schools in conceptualising international mindedness. Further articles are planned which will focus on how the wider social and school context influence educational leaders' promotion of international mindedness, and on why educational leaders are drawn to…

The underlying assumption of this study is that writing as a process has profound implications for success and fulfillment both in and beyond the classroom. A second assumption is that electronic portfolios provide students a space to write, revise, reflect, share, and explore themselves as writers. Students who engage with and embrace the writing…

As a Black Southern woman with a personal history of overcoming systemic barriers, I, the researcher, serve as an Implementation Director for Pre-AP, assigned to support districts in the Midwest and Southwest regions. Implementation Directors for Pre-AP serve as the main points of contact for Pre-AP districts/sites across the nation, acting as…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of open access policies for Advanced Placement (AP) courses on student participation and performance, particularly focusing on minority and low-income students in a rural school district in Central Florida. The study addressed significant barriers to equitable access to AP courses, including…

With the changes in the educational landscape, holding students' attention has become an even more crucial point. Educators are having to find creative ways and means to engage students and make learning 'fun'. There have been numerous research studies to show that gamification can be used to drive student engagement, achievement, and reinforce…

The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) endeavors to promote both challenging academic instruction and more holistic aims--namely, intercultural understanding and respect. Throughout its history, the IB system has managed at least three ongoing tensions, which stem from its multifaceted aims and which the system has evolved to manage.…

Students from low-socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds are underrepresented in Advanced Placement (AP) courses. This underrepresentation in the AP program denies students of the documented benefits experienced by enrolling in rigorous courses, such as AP, while in high school. This phenomenological qualitative study examined the perception of…

It is evident that more qualitative research on Advanced Placement [AP] classrooms for students from marginalized backgrounds is needed to uncover how AP practices and pedagogies might better serve students who had been historically excluded from the AP Program. I asked my former calculus students (32 total - 22 participated) from my last three…

This robust mixed-methods study examines ninth-grade advanced course placement in Arkansas, revealing disparities rooted in race and socioeconomic status. Utilizing a logit analysis for a five-year pooled sample (n = 163,616), we find persistent enrollment gaps for Black ninth-grade students after controlling for prior academic achievement,…

Advanced coursework opportunities provide high school students with the chance, in theory, to earn college credit while they are still in high school. Common examples of advanced coursework opportunities include Advanced Placement (AP) courses, dual or concurrent enrollment in classes that count for both high school and college credit, and…

In 2012, Ecuador signed an agreement to introduce the International Baccalaureate into the country's public-schools. Once considered an emblematic policy of former president Correa's administration, the initiative is now questioned and its future uncertain. This ethnographic study strives to write against the commonly invoked deficit narratives…