Katie Wright at the University of Melbourne conducted 23 in-depth interviews with IB graduates between the ages of 20 and 63, from 14 countries.
The interviews explored the ways in which IB programmes may have influenced their professional pathways, attitudes toward learning as well as personal beliefs and overall view of the world.
“It gave me a perspective that I would never have had otherwise. I would not be the person that I am today … there’s nothing that was more important and more influencing on me than that two year period.”—Jessie completed two Diploma Programme (DP) courses in her public high school in Canada more than twenty years ago. Her quote illustrates one of the many perspectives of IB alumni from this study.
IB alumni suggested that one of the key impacts of the programmes was how they helped them to develop dispositions and skills that have served them well both in further education and in life beyond. Among them, IB graduates cited the development of international-mindedness, love of learning, analytical and writing skills, and notably, critical thinking skills.
A number of students suggested that it was not until many years later that they were able to see the full benefit of courses such as theory of knowledge (TOK). As one student commented on his DP experience in the mid- 1970s: “You know, I benefited more from [TOK] after I did it than when I was doing it … I think I was a bit immature from the academic perspective, I mean that was a very interesting subject, and I probably now get more out of thinking about the things that were presented at that time than I did when I was a student there.”
Read the summary of this study plus the full research report.
