in Ontario Public Secondary Schools

155 Pages·2017·0.91 MB·English

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Wendy J. Baker, The University of Western Ontario
Supervisor: Dr Goli Rezai-Rashti, The University of Western Ontario
A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Education degree
in Education
© Wendy J. Baker 2014
Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd
Part of the International and Comparative Education Commons
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Baker, Wendy J., "‘Curricular Choice’ in Ontario Public Secondary Schools: Exploring the Policy and
Practice of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme" (2014). Electronic Thesis and
Dissertation Repository. 1969.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/1969
This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted
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‘Curricular Choice’ in Ontario Public Secondary Schools: Exploring the Policy and Practice of
the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

(Thesis format: Monograph)

by

Wendy Baker

Graduate Program in Education

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Education

The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
The University of Western Ontario
London, Ontario, Canada

© Wendy Baker 2014
Abstract
This study applies the concept of ‘curricular choice’ to the International Baccalaureate Diploma
Program (IBDP)—a 2-year pre-university program—as it operates as an alternative curriculum
in Ontario public secondary schools. The adoption of the IBDP by public schools is considered
within a larger context of neoliberal educational reform which sees schools pressed to distinguish
themselves from other schools in order to attract academically-able students and maintain
enrollment (Tarc & Beatty, 2013). This study draws upon critical policy studies to interrogate
how policy and practice affect equitable access to the IBDP in Ontario. A single-case study
methodology with multiple units of analysis was deployed. This study confirms the IBDP to
operate as a product of distinction in the Ontario education market—predominantly serving
middle-class students. Findings of this research suggest a ‘policy vacuum’ regarding the IBDP in
Ontario, in that the IBDP operates without any official policy to govern it at the provincial level.
This is significant as it leads to an array of local interpretations on program enactment and
resourcing, which contributes to a systemic problem of inequitable access. This study calls upon
the attention of policy-makers to address this issue at the provincial level.

Keywords: International Baccalaureate, international education, globalization, neo-liberalism,
critical policy studies, school choice, curricular choice
ii
Dedication
This thesis is dedicated to my parents, Wendell and Barbara. Thank you for the love, support,
and encouragement that you have given me throughout my educational journey. At no point was
it more meaningful than in the final few months of this thesis. Thank you for always believing in
me, even when I was not so sure of myself. Thank you for instilling in me the values of hard-
work and perseverance. Thank you for the sacrifices you have made to ensure that I could have a
good education. Thank you for loving me enough to let me find my own way, and being patient
with my decisions, even when I have not made it easy. I love you.

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Acknowledgments

Thank you to my friends and family who have supported me and provided me with words of
encouragement over the past two years.
A big thank you to my thesis supervisor, Dr. Goli Rezai-Rashti, for her encouragement to
complete this thesis in the first place, and her support in seeing it through to the end. Thank you
as well to Dr. Wayne Martino for his support as my committee member.

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Table of Contents

Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii
Dedication .......................................................................................................................... iii
Acknowledgments.............................................................................................................. iv
Table of Contents ................................................................................................................ v
List of Tables .................................................................................................................... vii
List of Figures .................................................................................................................. viii
List of Appendices ............................................................................................................. ix

CHAPTER ONE: Introduction and Conceptual Framework .............................................. 1
1.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 1
1.2 The International Baccalaureate - A Metonym for International Education .............. 3
1.3 Positioning the Researcher .......................................................................................... 4
1.4 Focusing In: The IB in Canada and Ontario ............................................................... 5
1.5 Framing the Research Problem ................................................................................... 8
1.5.1 The Evolution of Ontario Education in Neo-liberal times ................................... 9
1.5.2 Problem Statement and Research Questions ..................................................... 11
1.5.3 Purpose of the Study ......................................................................................... 13
1.6 Conceptual Framework ............................................................................................. 14
1.8.1 Neoliberalism, Globalization and the Marketization of Education ................... 14
1.8.2 Critical Policy Studies ....................................................................................... 17
1.9 Chapter Summary ..................................................................................................... 19

CHAPTER TWO: A Review of the Literature ................................................................. 20
2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 20
2.2 Getting to Know the IBDP: Mission and Curriculum .............................................. 21
2.3 Understanding Tensions within the IBDP and International Education ................... 24
2.4 Curricular Choice: The IBDP as an option in public schools ................................... 27
2.4.1 Who Chooses the IBDP? .................................................................................... 28
2.4.2 What makes the IBDP a choice option? ............................................................. 30
2.4.3 Marketing and Choice Rationales ..................................................................... 33
2.5 Accessing the IB: Issues for Consideration .............................................................. 36
2.6 Stumbling Blocks to operating the IBDP.................................................................. 38
2.7 Success Stories of the IBDP Experience .................................................................. 43
2.8 Chapter Summary ..................................................................................................... 45

CHAPTER THREE: Methodology ................................................................................... 47
3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 47
3.2 Research Design........................................................................................................ 47
3.2 Justification of Methodology .................................................................................... 51
3.3 Recruitment ............................................................................................................... 54
3.4 Data Collection ......................................................................................................... 56
3.4.1 Document Analysis ........................................................................................... 57
3.4.2 Participant Interviews ....................................................................................... 57
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3.5 Analysis of Data ........................................................................................................ 60
3.6 Ethical Considerations .............................................................................................. 62
3.7 Strengths and Limitations of the Research Design ................................................... 63
3.8 Chapter Summary ..................................................................................................... 65

CHAPTER FOUR: Findings of the Document Analysis .................................................. 67
4.1 Introduction to the Document Analysis .................................................................... 67
4.2 The Global Lens: IBO Documentation ..................................................................... 68
4.3 The Provincial Lens: Canadian provincial policy documentation ............................ 73
4.4 The Local Lens: TDSB and THS documentation ..................................................... 78
4.4.1 TDSB Policy and Practice on the IB ................................................................. 78
4.4.2 THS Policy and Practice of the IBDP ............................................................... 81
4.5 Chapter Summary ..................................................................................................... 82

CHAPTER FIVE: Findings from the Interview Data Analysis ........................................ 84
5.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 84
5.2 Theme 1: The IBDP as a ‘Curricular Choice’ .......................................................... 85
5.2.1 The Vocabulary of Choice ................................................................................ 86
5.2.2 Enrollment, Re-Invention, and Keeping Up with the Jones’ ............................ 87
5.2.3 The IBDP: A Point of Difference for Students and Parents ............................. 89
5.3 Theme 2: Accessing the IBDP in Ontario ................................................................. 94
5.3.1 Financial Access................................................................................................ 94
5.3.2 Geographical and Spatial Access ...................................................................... 97
5.3.3 Academic Access .............................................................................................. 99
5.4 Theme 3: The Impact of the IBDP on the Whole School Community ................... 102
5.4.1 Caring Communities and IB/Non-IB Student Interactions ............................. 103
5.4.2 Impacts on Academics, Resources, and Learning ........................................... 104
5.5 Theme 4: ‘Unbundling’ the Ontario Education Space ............................................ 106
5.5.1 Satisfying IBDP and OSSD Requirements ..................................................... 107
5.5.2 Recognition of the IB by Ontario Universities ............................................... 108
5.5.3 Acknowledging the IBDP ............................................................................... 110
5.6 Chapter Summary ................................................................................................... 112

CHAPTER SIX: Conclusion........................................................................................... 116
6.1 Understanding the IBDP as a ‘Curricular Choice’ in Ontario ................................ 116
6.2 Understanding the IBDP Policy Vacuum in Ontario .............................................. 119
6.3 Significance of the Research ................................................................................... 122
6.4 Implications for Future Research ............................................................................ 125
6.5 Summary ................................................................................................................. 126

REFERENCES ............................................................................................................... 129

vi
List of Tables

Table 3.1: Summary of Participant Interviews ................................................................... 58
Table 4.1: Summary of themes 1 – 3 contained in IBO document sample ........................ 70
Table 4.2: Canadian Provincial Policy and Practice of the IB ............................................ 77

vii
List of Figures

Figure 1.1: Percentage Population of IB Schools in Canada, by Province, in 2010………..7
Figure 3.1: An Illustration of the Case and Units of Analysis ............................................ 53

viii
List of Appendices
Appendix A: Letter of Information .................................................................................... 137
Appendix B: Letter of Consent ........................................................................................... 139
Appendix C: Interview Guide ............................................................................................. 140
Appendix D: Email Script for Recruitment ........................................................................ 141
Appendix E: Western Research Ethics Approval ............................................................... 142
Appendix F: TDSB External Research Review Committee Approval ............................... 143
Appendix G: Toronto District School Board High School Specialized Programs ............. 144
Curriculum Vitae ................................................................................................................ 145

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