Chemistry teacher Ciara Gillespie, offers her experiences of how transitioning from IGCSE to MYP provides a unique freedom to bring creativity, relevance, and vision into the classroom.
"Assessment is not limited to traditional tests; instead, students have the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge through various formats"
After 15 years of teaching IGCSE Chemistry, I find myself venturing into a new educational framework: the MYP (Middle Years Programme). Initially, I thought, “Chemistry is Chemistry; how different could it be?” However, I soon realised that my assumptions were simplistic and naive.
Within the IGCSE framework, the final exam significantly shapes the learning journey. Students are often preoccupied with specifications, frequently asking, “Is this on the exam?” This focus on rigid requirements can stifle meaningful connections and limit the ability to teach Chemistry in a way that relates to the world around them. Teachers feel pressured to cover vast amounts of material, leaving little room to adapt lessons to meet diverse and evolving student needs. While this approach may prepare students for exam success, it often neglects the development of critical skills necessary for future studies and life beyond the classroom.
What if there were an educational framework that could motivate students to understand Chemistry as it applies to the real world through an inquiry based approach, better preparing them for further studies while cultivating lifelong skills?
The MYP offers a transformative framework that empowers teachers to tailor the curriculum to meet their students' needs. Through prescribed key and related concepts, as well as global contexts, the MYP fosters a deeper understanding that goes beyond isolated facts, formulas, and equations, making learning both interdisciplinary and relevant. Assessment is not limited to traditional tests; instead, students have the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge through various formats, such as debates, mini-extended essays, experimental designs, and service learning projects relating to Chemistry. This approach continuously nurtures essential skills (ATLs) like critical thinking, collaboration and reflection.
However, with this newfound freedom to create a curriculum that is relevant locally and globally, and meets the needs of our students, there are several key elements to consider for the MYP to fulfill its promise of “learning how to learn”:
- Curriculum Design: Start by reviewing a traditional high school chemistry curriculum with a focus on what MYP students need for success in IB Chemistry, then collaborate with fellow teachers to select, modify, or remove topics to create a strong, developmentally appropriate foundation. Shift toward an inquiry-based approach, designing lessons that encourage critical thinking and active engagement with real-world applications. Work to ensure alignment between MYP and IB expectations, sharing resources and refining lessons to make the curriculum robust and cohesive across both programmes. Regularly review outcomes and feedback to keep improving the curriculum. Remember, you have the freedom to explore and make choices that best fit the learning journeys of your students!
- MYP Resources: Since the MYP is a framework rather than a prescribed curriculum, teachers may find limited resources available to support their instruction, and more importantly, their students' independent learning. This requires educators to adapt traditional high school Chemistry materials for MYP, framing exercises within real-world contexts that align with global themes. It is vital to provide students with opportunities to practise and demonstrate their abilities across the four assessment criteria when using these resources, positioning them for success in assessments.
- Statements of Inquiry: These statements provide students with a ‘big picture’ perspective on their learning. Students should be encouraged to co-create these SOIs alongside teachers using the MYP concepts and global contexts for each topic. Assessments can be closely tied to these, and framed around real-world problems, such as acid rain. Starters and plenaries should be carefully designed to reinforce how each lesson is linked to the SOI and can contribute to solving the identified problem.
- Approaches to Learning (ATL): Certain topics naturally lend themselves to the development of specific ATL skills, of which there are five categories in total. For instance, energetics provides ample opportunities for cultivating critical thinking when discussing energy transfers in bond breaking or making. Teachers should identify and map out these opportunities at the start of the course, and ensure students have multiple chances within a topic to showcase their ATL skill. Communicating student progress in the ATLs to parents offers a holistic assessment of student development and encourages a growth mindset in students, aligning with the MYP philosophy.
- Assessment: MYP assessment criteria evaluate students' understanding, inquiry skills, and ability to apply knowledge in real-world contexts through four equally weighted criteria. It is crucial to plan these assessments at the course's outset, as certain topics are better suited for assessing inquiry and design (Criterion B) or processing and evaluating (Criterion C). For instance, kinetics may align well with these criteria, while a critical analysis of the environmental impacts of organic chemistry through case studies on solvent use in industry can better assess students' understanding of the societal impacts of science (Criterion D).
- Knowing and Understanding: Embracing the absence of a traditional mark scheme is crucial in assessing Criterion A, knowing and understanding. If students can demonstrate their grasp of a concept and communicate their understanding clearly, they should be awarded the highest achievement levels (1-8). Assessments should include questions that allow students to showcase their knowledge across various levels, ensuring that approximately 25% of questions challenge students to demonstrate higher order thinking. Students should clearly understand which questions correspond to each achievement level.
- eAssessment: If a school chooses to implement the optional on-screen eAssessment at the end of the MYP course, effective integration of technology is essential. This involves focusing on inquiry-based learning and preparing students through practice assessments and digital literacy training. Unlike more traditional external exams, the eAssessment does not dictate or limit the learning experiences throughout the course, promoting a more personalised and inquiry-driven approach to education.
Transitioning from IGCSE to MYP has opened my eyes to the possibilities within education. While MYP still calls for a robust educational experience, it offers the unique freedom to bring creativity, relevance, and vision into the classroom, an opportunity to teach chemistry in a way that feels impactful and engaging. It allows teachers the flexibility to explore how best to connect concepts with the real world, establishing a classroom environment that reflects both individual teaching philosophies and students’ interests.
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