Overview: What is the IB’s Middle Years Programme (MYP)?

The IB Middle Years Programme, or MYP, is a five-year programme designed for students between grades 6-10 from the ages of 11-16. It can be implemented in IB World Schools for the full five years, or structured for two, three or four years. The MYP is one of the 4 programmes which make up the IB Continuum. The programme aligns with the Diplome Programme (DP), and prepares students for success in higher level education.

Skills the MYP Builds

The MYP builds essential skills through the Approaches to Learning (ATLs), groups of skills built through all MYP subject groups. ATL skill groups include self-management, social, thinking, communication, and research skills. They are developed throughout the five years to encourage higher-level thinking and application of concepts in the programme. These skills well-equip MYP students to succeed in higher level education. The mind-map below details each group and its sub-skills.

(fig. 1: The ATL Skills by Toddle)

The MYP Subject Groups

The MYP aims to develop learners proficient in a variety of fields, to prepare them for higher education. There are 8 subject groups in the MYP curriculum which also align with the Diploma Programme:

1. Language and Literature – similar to Language A: Language and Literature.
2. Language Acquisition – similar to Language B (e.g. French B).
3. Individuals and Societies – encompassing subjects like History, Geography, and Integrated Humanities.
4. Sciences – includes Physics, Biology, and Chemistry.
5. Mathematics – there are two types of Math, Extended and Standard.
6. Arts – subjects like Dance, Visual arts, Media arts, and Theatre.
7. Design – includes Product and Digital design.
8. Physical and Health Education – includes health-related and physical knowledge, as well as international, team, and individual sports.

Along with these subjects, an interdisciplinary unit (IDU) takes place every year in the programme. IDU combines concepts from two or more subject groups to promote transferring concepts and real-life application.

MYP projects are also an integral part of the curriculum, helping students develop their ATL skills and facilitate independent, in-depth learning. The MYP Community Project allows students to develop their understanding of service learning. In the MYP Community Project, students complete a community service project centered around an MYP Global Context (explained below). The MYP Personal Project is completed in Year 5, with it being counted as a subject for the overall grade. It involves exploring a personal passion and framing it around an MYP Global Context, with a final end product and report being marked.

The MYP Subject Groups

The IB says ‘Students learn best when their learning experiences have context and are connected to their lives and their experience of the world that they have experienced’.The MYP Global Contexts serve as foundational themes upon which curriculum can be anchored. They allow learning to be contextualised, making it easier for learners to understand what they are learning and apply it in real-life. There are six MYP Global Contexts:

1. Identities and Relationships
2. Personal and Cultural Expression
3. Fairness and Development
4. Orientation in Space and Time
5. Globalisation and Sustainability
6. Scientific and Technical Innovation

Service in the MYP

Service as Action in the MYP is an integral part of the programme, and is showcased in many forms. As a key IB value, service is demonstrated through integrations with subjects as well as MYP projects, like the MYP Community Project. While the IB doesn’t set a specific amount of hours for completion of this component, individual schools usually set their own thresholds, in between 6-9 hours.

Service in the MYP allows students to become caring learners and allows them to empathise with others by taking action to create meaningful change. Rather than emphasising hours, it’s important to focus on the 7 Service Learning Outcomes, which need to be met by the end of the programme for completion of this component:

1. Awareness of Strengths and Growth
2. Undertake Challenges
3. Initiative and Planning
4. Perseverance
5. Collaboration
6. International Mindedness
7. Ethical Implications

MYP Assessments

To assess learning in the MYP, schools can opt for either school-based assessments or the MYP e-Assessments, which are externally evaluated. If you are taking the MYP e-Assessments, then you’ll be awarded the MYP Certificate, certified by the IB upon passing.

There are two types of assessments:

1. On-screen examinations: These assessments involve you taking a timed final exam for the respective subject (e.g. Standard Mathematics)
2. ePortfolios: for subjects like Visual Arts, Design, or the Personal Project component, you make a final submission of documents which are internally marked and then externally moderated by the IB.

The assessments’ results are scaled to a final grade out of 7, similar to the grading system in the Diploma Programme. MYP School-based Assessments are structured on subject-specific criteria, usually A, B, C, and D. These assessments are internally evaluated by individual schools based on the criterion and Task Specific Criteria. On the other hand, the MYP eAssessments are externally evaluated by IB examiners, and the total achievable score is 56. The overall minimum passing score is 28/56 and per subject is 3/7. Other than the 8 subjects, Service as Action must be completed based on school requirements as a component for the award of the MYP Certificate.

Throughout the programme, summative and formative assessments are conducted depending on school requirements to assess learning.

5 Things I wished I’d known before starting the MYP

Many times when students start the MYP, they feel stressed because of what they hear about the programme from seniors in the DP. Here are some tips you should keep in mind if you’re starting the MYP or are currently an MYP student:

1. Staying consistent in the MYP is important so that you remember content and understand command terms and patterns in questions. Practicing daily, especially for subjects like Mathematics, can be the difference between a 6 and a 7.
2. Pay attention in class. You’ll be able to complete much more work and develop skills in class than at home without the help of an experienced teacher.
3. Ask questions to your teachers. This is important because I’ve also had many doubts, but never cleared them, leading to gaps in knowledge. Asking for help is really important in subjects you struggle with so that you can improve with guided learning. For instance, I always clarify my doubts for Mathematics, because it’s not a strong subject for me.
4. Learn from your classmates and seniors. Group learning can help you and others learn more efficiently and fill in any knowledge gaps. Seniors can also teach you different techniques for answering questions and what patterns are most common in assessments.
5. Prioritise your final exams, not formatives. This is arguably the most important one. Don’t stress too much about one bad grade or comment on a summative or formative. You need to prioritise your work so that you’re able to focus on the important tasks.

Final Notes

At the end of the day, the MYP isn’t about passing tests or checking off boxes. It’s designed to help you understand how you learn best, along with how you can use what you study to make an impact in the world. While the projects and inquiry process may feel like a lot, they teach you how to think for yourself. The MYP isn’t just about middle school; it’s about figuring out what you want to do in the future too.

You can find out more at: MYP curriculum – International Baccalaureate®

Citations:

https://www.ibo.org/programmes/middle-years-programme/curriculum/

https:://www.toddleapp.com/learn/blog-post/introduction-to-atls-in-the-myp/