Global Studies and Global Perspectives and Inquiry

Global Studies and Global Perspectives and Inquiry are offered as subjects in the IP Programme.

Aims

The Global Perspectives and Inquiry programme aims to enable Sec 1 and Sec 2 IP students to acquire knowledge and understanding of significant events and issues from around the world while seeing that there are varied perspectives that people have regarding related human actions and behaviours.

Global Studies is a multi-disciplinary approach to the study of political, economic, social and cultural relationships of the world through the use of various disciplinary lenses or perspectives. The essential disciplinary content will also aid students’ understanding of their respective nation’s (Singapore or otherwise) place within the global community and to prepare them to be “glocal citizens” for an increasingly interconnected world.

Curriculum

The syllabus has been created to be in alignment with the International Baccalaureate Group 3 Subject Options. The issues and case studies are related to:

• Business and Management

• Environmental Systems and Society

• Geography

• Global Politics

• History

This course will lay the foundation for the Integrated Programme students to take any of these subject options when they begin their studies for the International Baccalaureate diploma.

Pedagogical Approach

The Global Studies (GS) curriculum is designed with the New Pedagogies for Deep Learning (NPDL) in mind. The Global Competencies focused on are Critical Thinking and Citizenship. The GS unit plans, with lesson activities and assessments are planned in accordance to the NPDL Lesson Design framework which comprises: Pedagogical Practices, Learning Partnerships, Learning Environments and Leveraging Digital. The curriculum is also enhanced by Lynn Erickson’s Concept-based Teaching and Learning. Unlike traditional two-dimensional coverage models of facts and skills, Concept-based Teaching (CbT) is a three-dimensional curriculum design model that frames the factual content of GS with disciplinary concepts and generalizations. CbT is an important enhancement to the UbD Framework because it emphasises on the transferability of the enduring understandings, and at the same time highlights the various disciplines behind the global issues through the use of discipline concepts.

The GS curriculum is designed with an interdisciplinary backdrop. The traditional disciplinarian baggage is alleviated as disciplines transcend traditional subject boundaries or schools of thought, as new needs have emerged in today’s increasingly globalised and complex world. The GS curriculum provides students with these exciting opportunities to understand and attempt to resolve global issues vis-à-vis interdisciplinary lens.

Assessment

The students will be assessed in a variety of modes besides the traditional examination.

For GPI, the students will be assessed on their Critical Thinking and Collaboration skills through their participation in a series of Community of Inquiry discussions throughout the year. They will also be required to write a self-reflection on the content and skills they have learnt.

In Global Studies, the students  will have to complete one Authentic Problem Task where they will be asked to write a research paper in a small group. They will also tackle case studies where they will apply what they have learnt about the concepts taught to analyse the case and form a point-of-view about the issue / situation. There will also be other performance tasks such as, oral presentations and quizzes.