Criticism
As part of the Learner Profile in the IB, international mindedness is part of its foundation. However, there is much critisicm to how "international" the IB actually is.
As defined by the IB, international mindedness is an "understanding that by working together individuals can improve their world through developing a shared understanding of realities and acting responsibly to take appropriate action."
During our cohort, it was brought up that the IB and its take on international mindedness comes from a very Western point of view and it's necessary to think about how international mindedness "might now be interpreted and operationalized in different ways." The influence of non-western cultures is becoming increasingly important.
In George Walkers article East is East, West is West he brings up the point that the IB is largely European in origin and that as it expands to the East, its necessary to realize the differences in the schools of though and their influence people's preceptions.
Walker states that studies have identified significant cognitive differences between Westerners and East Asians. As an example, he argues that language plays an important part. The same word can translate into different meanings for different cultures." 'Compassionate', for example, which occupies a key position in the IB’s mission statement, would have a quite different significance for a Buddhist group compared to a Western audience." In addition to language, even congnitive organization differs with the East preferring relationships while the West prefers to think in taxonomic categories.
This difference in thought was very eye-opening to me as I never took into consideration the differences in thought and preception in my teaching. Even now as a language teacher, I have many students from South East Asia. It's important to consider how their upbringing in an Eastern school of though many impact their learning.
For the IB three conceptual tools are identified as being integral to international mindedness: Multilingualism, Intercultural understanding, Global engagement. By focusing on these three tools and also common problems to the human experience, Walker states it's possible to allow students to use their background and experiences, whether Eastern or Westener, to make new meaning and become successful in the IB.