PYP (PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAMME)
PYP, one of the programmes of International Baccalaureate Organization that develops world standard education programmes has been implemented by our school since 2004. PYP begins from the age of 4 and continues till the end of the 5th grade.
PYP which is developed for children of 3–12 age group is an international and trans-disciplinary programme that lay stress on the students’ social, physical, cultural and emotional development besides their academic knowledge acquisition, therefore aim at the whole development process of the child.
PYP is a framework programme designed according to researches and implementations carried out on national and international curriculum programmes in numerous countries. The schools implementing the PYP form their original curriculum within a particular framework.
In Marmara Education Institutions, the teaching of all the courses and units that are obligatory according to the teaching programme of the Ministry of National Education is fundamental. All the units within the programme of the Ministry of Education are organized as “PYP units of inquiry” under 6 themes, and the students’ access to knowledge through the method of inquiry and the approach of full learning is provided.
In this way, obligatory units are enriched in line with the PYP’s international perspective and objective of accessing universal values.
PYP clearly indicates that knowledge does not suffice in itself, and the students need to develop proper skills and attitudes within the frame of certain concepts as well.
PYP is a programme which aims at obtaining the above-mentioned teaching results assigned through the attitudes, skills and concepts intended for the students’ acquisition of an international perspective.
PYP LEARNER PROFILE
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INQUIRERS
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They nurture their natural curiosity. They have the necessary skills necessary for making purposeful and constitutive research. They actively enjoy learning. And pursue learning throughout their lives.
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THINKERS
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They use critical and creative thinking skills and take initiative to analyze, to make sound decisions and take responsible action on complex problems.
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COMMUNICATORS
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They can access knowledge and express themselves confidently in more than one language including that of mathematical symbols.
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RISK-TAKERS
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We approach uncertain situation with determination and they have the confidence and autonomy necessary for inquiring new roles, ideas and strategies. They are brave and do not hesitate to openly express themselves when arguing for something they believe.
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KNOWLEDGEABLE
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They spare time for inquiring globally important matters and acquire a significant know-how.
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PRINCIPLED
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They grasp the principles of morality quite well. They act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice.
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CARING
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They care for others’ needs and emotions. We have a personal commitment to service and action for others.
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OPEN-MINDED
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They have respect for the opinions, values and traditions of different people and cultures. They seek and evaluate a range of points of views, not confining themselves with a monolithic perspective.
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BALANCED
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They well grasp the importance of physical and mental health.
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REFLECTIVE
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They carefully observe their teachers and analyse their weaknesses and strengths.
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PYP CURRICULUM MODEL
Configuration of interrogation lies at the center of the PYP philosophy. Students access knowledge via interrogation configured in 6 trans-disciplinary themes. In this process they learn how to grasp important concepts, acquire the necessary skills, developing the target attitudes while accessing knowledge and taking social responsibilities in a framework of interdisciplinary collaboration.
PYP brings 5 basics into forefront for the provision of this balance:
BASICS
- Concepts
- Knowledge
- Skills
- Attitudes
- Action
CONCEPTS
What do we want students to understand?
The eight basic concepts expressed with key questions orientate the students to interrogate and help them to acquire a trans-disciplinary perspective.
- Form: What is it like? How?
- Function: How does it work?
- Causation: Why is it like it is?
- Change: How is it changing?
- Connection: How is it connected to other things?
- Perspective: What are the points of view?
- Responsibility: What is our responsibility?
- Reflexive Thought: How do we know?
KNOWLEDGE
What do we want students to learn?
PYP specified several themes instead of constituting a stable teaching programme. These themes of universal importance provide that the students reach major ideas by inquiring. In these inquiring units configured under these themes, students realize the intended learning results (PYP profile) and acquire the attitudes and skills specified in the programme.
PYP INQUIRY PROGRAMME
TRANS-DISCIPLINARY THEMES
- WHO WE ARE
An inquiry into the nature of the self; beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental, social and spiritual health, human relationships including families, friends, communities, and cultures; rights and responsibilities; what it means to be human.
- HERE WE ARE IN PLACE and TIME
An inquiry into orientation in place and time; personal histories; homes and journeys; the discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind; the relationships between and the interconnectedness of individuals and civilizations, from local and global perspectives.
- HOW WE EXPRESS OURSELVES
An inquiry into the ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs and values; the ways in which we reflect on, extend and enjoy our creativity; our appreciation of the aesthetic.
- HOW THE WORLD WORKS
An inquiry into the natural world and its laws; the interaction between the natural world (physical and biological) and human societies; how humans use their understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.
- HOW WE ORGANIZE OURSELVES
An inquiry into the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities; the structure and function of organizations; societal decision-making; economic activities and their impact of humankind and the environment.
- SHARING THE PLANET
An inquiry into rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and with other living things; communities and the relationship with
TRANSDISCIPLINARY SKILLS
What do we want students to be able to do?
Students acquire basic skills which they can use throughout their lives, while accessing knowledge by making expedient inquiries within the framework of eight concepts.
SOCIAL SKILLS
- Accepting responsibility
- Respecting others
- Cooperating
- Resolving conflict
- Group decision-making
- Adapting a variety of group roles
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
- Listening
- Speaking
- Reading
- Writing
- Viewing
- Presenting
- Non-verbal communication
RESEARCH SKILLS
- Formulating questions
- Observing
- Planning
- Collecting data
- Recording data
- Organizing data
- Interpreting data
- Presenting of research findings
SELF-MANAGEMENT SKILLS
- Gross motor skills
- Fine motor skills
- Spatial awareness
- Organization
- Time management
- Safety
- Healthy lifestyle
- Codes of behaviour
- Informed choices
THINKING SKILLS
- Acquisition of knowledge
- Comprehension
- Application
- Analysis
- Synthesis
- Evaluation
- Dialectical thinking
- Metacognition
ATTITUDES
What do we want our students to feel?
On the basis of the idea that mere conceps, knowledge and skills are not adequate for raising international individuals, PYP argues that learners should develop positive attitudes towards their envionment and towards learning in general. According to PYP, these attitudes cannot be developed in roundabout ways as in some other education programmes. For this reason, these attitudes are clearly stated in the written teaching programme and are take into consideration in learning activities and assessment & evaluation strategies.
THE ATTITUDES THAT SCHOOLS SHOULD PROMOTE ACCORDING TO PYP
The attitudes that we expect our students to acquire
- Appreciation: Appreciation of the wonder and beauty of the world and its people.
- Commitment: Commitment to their learning, preserving and showing self-discipline and responsibility.
- Confidence: Feeling confident in their ability as learners, having the courage to take risks, apply what they have learned and make appropriate decisions.
- Cooperation: They strive to cooperate, collaborate, and lead or follow as the situation demands.
- Creativity: They strive to be creative and imaginative in their thinking and in their approach to problems and dilemmas.
- Curiosity: They understand that is important to be curious about the nature of learning and the world, its people and cultures.
- Empathy: They strive to imaginatively project themselves into another's situation, in order to understand his/her thoughts, reasoning and emotions.
- Enthusiasm: They show an understanding of the enjoyment of learning.
- Independence: They think and act independently, make their own judgments based on reasoned principles and are able to defend their judgments.
- Integrity: They understand the importance of having integrity and a firm sense of fairness and honesty.
- Respect: Respect for themselves, others and the world around them.
- Tolerance: They work towards feeling sensitivity towards differences and diversity in the world and being responsive to the needs of others.
ACTION
How do we want our students to act?
The students’ ability to put the knowledge they acquire through the method of conceps-based inquiry into practice, their making conscious choices in the light of this knowledge and reflect it into life as practive are among the basic elements of PYP. Action, in short, is the students’ transforming what they learn from school to daily life attitudes.