A Discourse Analysis of the IB Program Through Four Windows

The need for changes in education can be summarized in four main areas: the challenges posed by future societies, shifts in the qualities and skills required of talent, a sharp decline in the school-age population, and the transition to a lifelong learning society. Despite significant efforts to reform education to meet these evolving demands, it is difficult to deem these changes successful. One reason for this is the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), which is heavily based on multiple-choice questions. The CSAT focuses on knowledge acquisition, often encouraging lecture-style teaching, where students have limited opportunities to express their thoughts. As a result, students may achieve high scores by simply memorizing the content delivered by the teacher. While the CSAT remains a standard due to its perceived objective fairness, it falls short in accurately measuring a student's true academic ability. In response to these challenges, the International Baccalaureate (IB) program has been proposed as an alternative educational model. While the IB program has sparked various debates, this paper analyzes the discourse surrounding the IB program through the lens of convergence education, dividing the discussion into four key areas: autonomy, relevance, equity, and realism. In the area of autonomy, we examine concerns that the introduction of the IB program may effectively outsource public education. In terms of relevance, we explore whether the IB program is accessible to the majority of students or if it primarily serves the top 1%. Equity is discussed in relation to whether the introduction of the IB program would widen or help bridge the educational gap among students. Lastly, in terms of realism, we assess the practical feasibility of implementing the IB program in public education. This study also includes zoom interviews with domestic IB experts to gather their perspectives on the introduction of the IB program in public education.