Mary Hayden

International Schools and International Education: a relationship reviewed

Abstract Although used currently in common educational parlance, the term ‘international education’ is neither particularly extensively documented, nor well‐defined. The history of international education as a formal area of study within the wider educational sphere is a recently short one and the evolution of the concept is consequently at a relatively early stage. Similarly, the concept of the ‘international school’ is one which has developed rapidly over the past 40 years and is still relatively thinly researched. This paper summarises some of the most significant literature sources in relation to the development of our current understanding of international schools and international education and documents a range of interpretations which arise in the process. The notion that the term ‘international education’ is concomitant with the term ‘international school’ is challenged as an assumption, by examining the concept of what it means to be ‘international’ and its application both to the school as an i...

Transnational spaces of education: the growth of the international school sector

One area in which the impact of globalisation can be seen is that of education. This article suggests that there are currently two main aspects of the growing internationalisation of education at school level: the internationalisation of national systems of education and the growth in numbers of international schools worldwide. It is the latter that forms the main focus of the article, beginning with consideration of the background to the development of international schools. A discussion of the changing nature of international schools then follows, as this form of education proves increasingly attractive not only to the globally mobile expatriates for whom such schools were originally founded, but also to those seeking a competitive edge for their child in a globalised market.

The International Baccalaureate: International Education and Cultural Preservation.

Summary The International Baccalaureate (IB) is an internationally accepted pre-university qualification which, since its origins in the 1960s, has increased in popularity to the point where it is now offered in more than 70 countries worldwide. As a university entrance qualification accepted internationally, it aims not only to provide an appropriate academic curriculum, but also to support geographic and cultural mobility and to promote international understanding. It claims to do so by both inculcating international attitudes in its students and by encouraging the maintenance and development of their cultural identities. This study examines the extent to which the IB actually appears to achieve these aims, by exploring the views of an opportunity sample of ex-IB students, IB teachers and staff at the University of Bath who have direct experience of the IB programme. The findings indicate that the IB can clearly facilitate mobility and can contribute to the development of international understanding, wh...

Parental Priorities in the Selection of International Schools

The issue of choice of schooling for their offspring is one which exercises many parents based in different parts of the world. For parents whose employment takes them away from their home country and whose children accompany them on such postings, the issue—while different from the experience of parents based solely within national systems—is no less important or complex. This paper investigates the issue of parental choice and priorities within the context of three international schools in Switzerland, where a study was undertaken to establish the basis on which parents had elected to send their children to one or other of the schools in question. Based on a survey model of questionnaires and follow-up interviews with parents, the research concludes that a major factor influencing parents is the perceived importance of an English-medium education. Interesting similarities in perceptions to emerge from the study are found amongst parents from the different schools and amongst parents of primary and secondary age children, while differences in perceived levels of importance clearly emerge between fathers and mothers, and between parents from different geographical backgrounds. The paper suggests some preliminary explanations for such differences, and highlights areas which could form the basis for further pieces of research in this growing and increasingly important context.

Student Perspectives on International Education: a European dimension

ABSTRACT As a contribution to research in the field of international education, this study investigated the views of a number of 18‐year‐old students based in ‘international’ schools around the world. In considering responses with a view to identifying the key features of such an education from the student perspective, the views of students at six of the European Union‐funded European Schools were analysed and compared with those of students at international schools both within Europe and in the rest of the world. Results showed, in some areas, marked differences in what is valued by European School students and what is valued by students at international schools: in other areas there were no differences at all, suggesting support for the argument that there are a set of ‘universals’ valued by international students worldwide. In still other areas there were clear similarities in responses of students at schools within Europe (European Schools and international schools), which were different from those fr...

Globally-Mobile Children: The Sense of Belonging

The movement of families around the world is becoming increasingly common, whether involuntarily (as a result of war or famine, for instance) or voluntarily (resulting from economic migration or a parent’s occupation). Though one of the effects of globalization is the growing number of professional parents whose occupation causes them to move their families around the world on a fairly regular basis, little is known of the effects of such global mobility on the children. This paper describes a small‐scale study undertaken with 120 globally mobile Botswana‐based children between 9 and 11 years of age, which explored their perceptions of what it means to belong to a home country. Findings highlighted the many different factors that influence such perceptions (including length of stay, country of birth, country of passport, country of parents’ passport or birth), as well as the need for further research to be undertaken in this increasingly important area.

The International Baccalaureate Diploma and student attitudes: An exploratory study

This article presents a summary of the findings of a recent study that points to the importance of informal, out of classroom, interactions in effecting change in student attitudes as they pass through the two-year International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, designed as an internationally recognized pre-university programme for students worldwide. Possible reasons for the changes in attitudes that were found, and the major factors that students claimed were responsible, are discussed.

Parental Choice in the Buenos Aires Bilingual School Market.

The issue of parental choice of school for their child has been a topical one in many contexts worldwide, and work has been undertaken in a number of national contexts to investigate the many factors at work in influencing such choice. This article considers parental choice within the specific context of bilingual (Spanish/ English) schools in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and, on the basis of questionnaires and interviews with parents in two such schools, draws conclusions about the factors which lead to a particular school being selected for the education of children in this context.

A review of curriculum in the UK: internationalising in a changing context

The present article focuses on the growing emphasis on international dimensions of the curriculum in the UK. Educators and policymakers increasingly grapple with the thorny issue of how best to prepare future generations for life in a world changing so rapidly that no-one is able to predict precisely what knowledge and skills will be relevant for the adult of tomorrow. Overlapping with debate relating to the national context is that pertaining to the global environment, which manifests itself in current educational discourse relating to a growing number of concepts such as global citizenship education, international education, development education, world studies, and education for international understanding. Beginning with consideration of the curriculum context, this article highlights the growing number of international curriculum programmes being developed and offered worldwide, and in the UK in particular, before considering some of the reasons behind this growth and the implications of increased interest in programmes with an international focus.

Student Perceptions of International Education Stitle a Comparison by Course of Study Undertaken

This article is based on analysis of responses to a questionnaire seeking views on the experience of international education from students in the final (pre-university) year of attending an international school. Responses have been analysed by course of study being followed (International Baccalaureate, European Baccalaureate, French Baccalaureate, Advanced (A) Level, Advanced Placement (AP) and those who were not working towards external examinations) with a view to arriving at a clearer indication of the possible influence of course of study on the perceived importance of various dimensions of an international education.