This mixed-method study, grounded in critical pedagogy, explored teachers of the
International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) in Costa Rican public and private
schools and examined the growth of the IB there. It surveyed the global mindedness of
the teachers to understand their perceptions of the IB. The study also aimed to understand
the IB’s Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS) as a form of global education.
Furthermore, neoliberalism was explored as a force driving the IB’s growth in Costa
Rica.
The study collected quantitative data from the Global Mindedness Scale (GMS)
(Hett, 1993) from teachers of the IB in Costa Rica, assessing their level of global
mindedness, factors that may have contributed to their score, and what differences, if any,
existed between public and private school teachers. In the qualitative phase, four teachers
were interviewed to explore how they perceived the IB in Costa Rica. It also critically analyzed the CAS requirement of the IB, as well as the neoliberal forces that have driven
the growth of the IB in Costa Rica.
The findings show that the type of school does not affect teachers’ global
mindedness. Participants’ age and whether they have lived outside their country had a
positive but weak relationship to teachers’ global mindedness. Teachers of STEM courses
had slightly lower GMS scores. The interviews showed that teachers had positive
perceptions of the IBDP and saw benefits for themselves, their students, and Costa Rica.
The teachers were mostly uncritical in their responses, but the highest GMS scoring
interviewee did express critical ideas. An analysis of the CAS requirement of the IB
concluded that it reflects both soft and critical approaches to global citizenship education.
Finally, the document analysis confirmed neoliberalism as a force behind the IB’s
expansion in Costa Rica.
Several recommendations were offered. First, an instrument is needed that can
measure global mindedness on an international scale. Second, teacher education should
incorporate issues related to global education. Third, implementation of the IBDP and
other global education curricula requires ongoing support from policymakers,
organizations, and schools. More research should examine the growth of the IB in other
countries. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2018. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fau.edu/oai:fau.digital.flvc.org:fau_40785 |
| Contributors | Carvalho-Mukherjee, Eliana (author), Baxley, Traci P. (Thesis advisor), Florida Atlantic University (Degree grantor), College of Education, Department of Curriculum, Culture, and Educational Inquiry |
| Publisher | Florida Atlantic University |
| Source Sets | Florida Atlantic University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation, Text |
| Format | 246 p., application/pdf |
| Rights | Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder., http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
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