Armağan Ateşkan, Öykü Dulun and Jennie Farber Lane—Graduate School of Education, Bilkent University
The purpose of this study was to investigate the implementation and outcomes of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP) in Turkish schools. The study involved an analysis of the MYP implementation process and the alignment of programme materials from the Turkish Ministry of National Education Program (MoNEP) and the IB. Researchers employed an embedded multiple case-study approach to conduct an in-depth analysis of three schools that have been implementing the MYP for at least two years. Study respondents described their MYP students as reflective and inquirers who also have very good communication, research and organization skills. Even for experienced teachers, participants reported that the MYP helped them to hone their skills and incorporate new, creative strategies into their practice. Results from a national examination indicated that, on average, 42% of the grade 8 MYP students were among the top 4% ranked students in Turkey, suggesting that the MYP is supporting student academic achievement. Lastly, although MoNEP is more content based than the MYP, the document analysis found many areas of alignment between the two programmes that facilitate integration.
