Aspirations and tensions in developing international mindedness: case study of two students in an IB school in an Indian Ocean Island Nation

International mindedness is considered by many educational researchers and organizations as a determining feature in international education. This article used data as part of a PhD case study inquiry to explore how international mindedness is developed by two students in an IB school in an Indian Ocean Island Nation. Through a qualitative approach within an interpretivist paradigm, it provides insights into the complexities of the students' development of international mindedness through the following questions: Why do the students aspire to develop international mindedness? What are the tensions they experience in developing it through the theory of knowledge programme in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP)? Using socio-cultural frameworks, the article discusses theories on knowledge development, identity and post-colonialism. Data were collected through a survey, journal entries and interviews. The analysis was conducted using theoretical sampling, categorization and coding. The findings revealed that students' cultural backgrounds and identities are critical factors determining their sense of engagement with the development of international mindedness in the IBDP. They indicated also that the Diploma Programme (DP) knowledge content needs to be carefully addressed by the International Baccalaureate (IB) host school, which also must consider the socio-cultural and historical factors of the country in which it is found, in negotiating a locally meaningful implementation of the IB's international mindedness.     

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in post-colonial Mauritius: reaffirming local identities and knowledges

The world becoming a global village is a recurrent notion, but for the learner, where to situate oneself intellectually and culturally remains a crucial issue. The challenges are complex for former colonized states of Africa in the quest of a national identity after colonial rule. The transition from a national educational programme to a (more) recognized internationalized programme, the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, is a demanding task. Yet, to achieve this necessitates going beyond one's geographical location and assimilating a dominant culture through knowledge. The paper presents a review of the existing research on the International Baccalaureate Programme and its impact on local students' identities and knowledges in former colonized states in Africa with a focus on Mauritius, a former French and British colony. While also arguing that the International Baccalaureate functions in the matrix of the Westernized knowledge industry, privileged knowledges and identities in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme are discussed.