IB Programme: Theory of Knowledge (TOK): Exploring Learning Outcomes, Benefits, and Perceptions

Abstract

This study examines one of the central elements of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, the Theory of Knowledge (TOK) course. Four case study schools in Sydney, Australia have collaborated with the research team in 2013 in order to share their perceptions, implementation strategies and evaluation of the TOK course. The case study schools have contextually varied situations, locations, histories and philosophies, which collectively provide information on how the TOK has been taken up, interpreted and adapted by particular school communities. All data arising from these case studies has been coded and thematically analysed by the research team. In addition to the case studies, the University of Western Sydney research team have prepared two online surveys, one for teachers and one for students of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP), which all Australian IB DP schools were invited to complete. Data from these surveys were analysed using bivariate and multivariate statistical analysis. In a further quantitative component of the study, the research team examined mixed cohorts of first year International Baccalaureate (IB) and non-IB university students from a number of Australian universities using the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI). Together these data sources provide an analysis of the current functioning of the TOK course in Australia and in relation to academic self-concept and critical thinking