Below you’ll find information on additional research resources that support IB practitioners and researchers.
Research essentials for IB leaders
“Research essentials for IB leaders” is a practical tool, providing IB heads and coordinators with ready-to-use, powerful research findings, and figures that demonstrate the value of an IB education. Findings and figures are designed to be easily selected and used for presentations and meetings to present sound evidence of the impacts of IB programmes.
Download research essentials from this IB WeTransfer link
The Jeff Thompson Research Award
From 2009–2021, the Jeff Thompson Award offered small grants to IB practitioners, graduate students, and early-career university professionals, enabling them to conduct research studies on a variety of IB-related topics. Final reports from these studies are available on the Jeff Thompson Award winners’ studies page.
Annotated bibliographies – IB research
You may also be interested in our annotated bibliographies, which look at:
- Research on the IB from 2024 (PDF, 775 KB)
- Research on the IB from 2023 (PDF, 527 KB)
- Research on the IB from 2022 (PDF, 768 KB)
- Research on the IB from 2021 (PDF, 815 KB)
- Research on the IB from 2020 (PDF, 804 KB)
- Research on the IB from 2019 (PDF, 1.3 MB)
- Research on the IB from 2018 (PDF, 1.2 MB)
- Research on the IB from 2017 (PDF, 750 KB)
- Research on the IB from 2016 (PDF, 441 KB)
- Research on the IB from 2015 (PDF, 463 KB)
- Research on the IB from 2014 (PDF, 661 KB)
- Research on the IB from 2013 (PDF, 209 KB)
- Research on the IB from 2012 (PDF, 598 KB)
- Research on the IB from 2011 (PDF, 373 KB)
- Research on the IB from 2010 (PDF, 131 KB)
College readiness and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in the United States
This summary presents recent research that compares the Diploma Programme (DP) curriculum to rigorous K‑12 academic standards and shows that DP students in the US have higher rates of postsecondary enrollment, persistence, and graduation than non-DP students—demonstrating that the DP provides strong preparation for college success.
University readiness and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in Australia
This summary presents two recent studies: one comparing the content and academic demand of Diploma Programme (DP) courses in history, mathematics and the sciences with equivalent courses in the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), and another examining higher education outcomes for six cohorts of DP students in Australia relative to students nationally. Together, these studies suggest that DP students are well prepared to succeed at Australian universities.
Post-secondary readiness and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in Canada
This summary highlights two recent studies: one comparing Diploma Programme (DP) and Ontario provincial mathematics and science courses, and another comparing DP and non-DP student outcomes at two major Canadian universities. The findings show that DP courses are more demanding and that DP students achieve higher post-secondary grades and graduation rates, suggesting strong preparation for post-secondary success.
The Science of Reading and the Primary Years Programme in the United States
The Primary Years Programme (PYP) is a flexible curriculum framework that is compatible with the Science of Reading. This brief describes the Science of Reading and how such expectations can be implemented alongside and through the PYP.
