Exploration of Cultivating Critical Thinking through the Extended Essay: Strategies for High School IB Students in the Age of Generative AI

The widespread application and rapid development of Generative Artificial Intelligence(AI) are reshaping teenagers' paradigms of knowledge acquisition and their cognitive environments. High school students are confronted with multiple challenges including the verification of information authenticity, ethical judgment, and original thinking. The Extended Essay (EE), a core component of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP), offers a systematic inquiry-based educational approach to cultivate students' critical thinking and research literacy. This paper investigates how EE promotes the development of critical thinking among IB learners and identifies the obstacles faced by IB schools, teachers, and students during the EE implementation and proposes targeted strategies for improvement. This research provides both theoretical insights and practical guidance for cultivating high school students' critical thinking through EE and adapting IBDP education to the demands of an AI-mediated educational landscape.