IBEN Webinar PYP C3.1.b.

General question and clarifications

1. Why is the IB broadening this requirement?

The PYP is now in 109 countries, with different contexts and teacher training models, all of which
the IB needs to consider and support.

This clarification is something the organization has evaluated and deliberated for a long time
based on IBEN consultations and school feedback.

This broadened interpretation is designed to provide more flexibility for school as a prelude to
building school agency and support schools in reaching excellence, rather than dictate how they
get there.

2. Why now?

As with the recent restructuring of IBWS, the IB is trying to be responsive and timely to schools'
needs without compromising the integrity of our programmes. So where we see we can make
improvements in support of our schools, we try to do it sooner rather than later. We believe that
delaying implementation of this reinterpretation to the end of the PYP review process would not
be in the best interests of our school community.

3. What is changing under the expanded interpretation of requirement C3.1.b?

The IB will now recognize multiple teaching models for subject integration to ensure
transdisciplinary learning:

a classroom teacher serving as a single teacher of multiple subjects (current model)

a classroom teacher co-planning and co-teaching with specialist teachers (some schools
already do this)
a specialist teacher supporting subject knowledge acquisition within the programme of
inquiry (currently appropriate)
a specialist teacher co-planning with the grade level teaching team to lead a unit of
inquiry either the specialist teacher or the grade level teacher can teach independently
through ongoing collaborative planning (a result of the broadened interpretation)

None of the teaching models can guarantee transdisciplinary learning if schools approach
subjects in isolation of the central idea in a unit of inquiry; OR if teachers do not come together
throughout the inquiry to reflect on what students are asking, thinking and considering through
their investigations of the subjects. Regardless of which teaching model, schools are still
committed to the transdisciplinary learning model and the collaborative teaching model
(Practices A3b, A3e, C2.1b, and C1).

This broadened interpretation also clarifies that transdisciplinary learning is not about one
teacher teaching, it is about the unity of knowledge and about supporting students making

1
 connections between, across and beyond subjects in an authentic manner to construct new
knowledge.

4. If we are currently operating under the single classroom teacher model, do we have to change?

The single classroom teacher being responsible for integrating all subjects remains a
recommended teaching model, especially for early-year learners. If your school is happy and
thriving under this model, we encourage you can stay with this model.

5. What is not changing?

The practice of departmentalization will continue to receive a matter-to-be-addressed.

A transdisciplinary unit of inquiry must incorporate more than one subject (Making the PYP
Happen, p. 14)
A high level of collaboration is required when planning transdisciplinary units of inquiry (The
PYP as a model of transdisciplinary learning, p. 9; Developing a transdisciplinary of
programme of inquiry, p. 7); (Practice A3e, B2.4, all the Practices under C1)
All teachers including single subject teachers have a responsibility for planning including the
development of planners to accompany the unit of inquiry (Developing a transdisciplinary of
programme of inquiry, p. 11); (All practices under C1)
Stand-alone teaching (Making the PYP Happen, p. 14) that is related to the unit of inquiry
Subject-specific teaching should still be purposeful inquiry that supports the development of
concepts and skills development (Developing a transdisciplinary of programme of inquiry, p.
11); (Practice C3.1a, C3.2a)
All stand-alone teaching must still be mindful that subject specific skills and knowledge can
be used and applied in the context of the units of inquiry
All social studies and science are to be taught within the transdisciplinary units of the
schools programme of inquiry (The PYP as a model of transdisciplinary learning, p. 15)

6. Will the documents on the OCC be in other access language aside from French, Spanish and
English?

Yes, they are being translated into Arabic, Chinese, Turkish and Indonesian. They will be
uploaded to the PRC when completed.

Questions about departmentalization

7. What is considered departmentalizing?

Departmentalization refers to subject specialists teaching their respective subjects 1) without

making connections to the POI or the UOI, 2) subjects are taught weekly/daily on a block
schedule that does not allow for connections to be made between, across and beyond the
subjects, 3) subject teachers do their own lesson plans and teach their lessons outside the POI, or
4) teaching the topic related to the POI is a fraction of the time teaching topics outside the POI.

8. If you move a special subject teacher from room to room, isn't that a form of
departmentalization?

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 Yes, if the specialist teacher does not take part at all in the transdisciplinary unit of inquiry in any
of the following activities collaboratively with other members of the teaching team including:
planning, facilitating, observing, documenting and reflecting on students understanding and
connections they make across the subjects in the units of inquiry.

Questions about teachers in the classroom

9. The broadened interpretation still talks about The classroom teacher so in a school where all
the subject areas are taught by specialists they would still need to name one of the specialists as
the classroom teacher?

The IB recommends that schools name a specialist teacher as a classroom teacher even though
he/she will not be teaching all the subjects. This is for the well-being of the students. Strong
teacher-student relationship predicts early and primary year students positive social and
academic development1. A negative teacher-student relationship, defined by a lack of closeness,
filled with conflict, or over-dependent students, hinders students ability to cope with
adjustments in school2. Having a teacher acting as a classroom teacher ensures that there is one
teacher who can tend to that relationship and know the students as whole people3.

10. Can specialists teach in different grade levels?

It is the school decision how specialists are distributed across grades. We encourage teachers
that teach different grade levels to be mindful of the quality of relationship with students and the
risk of losing the transdisciplinary experience. If specialist teachers are teaching across all the
different grades, they will need to devise strategies with the classroom teacher to create
opportunities to know the students as whole people. Additionally, they will also need to devise
strategies to make time to collaborate and to reflect with every grade levels teaching team
regarding each grades respective programmes of inquiry.

11. The broadening of the interpretation of C3 1b does not require schools to change their current
teaching structure but it seems that the new practice actually suggests that having specialists
benefits the students. Does this mean that having a classroom teacher that teaches multiple
subjects is less beneficial for students?

Not at all. The broadening of the interpretation takes into account that if there are specialist
teachers on the teaching team, these teachers expertise can add depth and perspectives to
students inquiries and therefore should remain welcome and integrated into students learning
experience.

12. Is it ok for a science specialist teacher to continue to teach about a science concept that was part
of a unit of inquiry after the unit has ended? For example she/he continues to teach about the
human body. Can she start teaching about it before the unit starts?

Yes. That is currently acceptable and will continue to be acceptable to add depth and
connections to students understanding.

1
Davis, HA. 2003. Conceptualizing the role and influence of student-teacher relationships on children's social and
cognitive development. Educational psychologist. 38(4). Pp. 207-234.
2 Roorda, DL, Koomen, HM, Spilt, JL and Oort, FJ. 2011. The influence of affective teacherstudent relationships on

students school engagement and achievement: A meta-analytic approach. Review of educational research. 81(4). Pp.493-
529.
3
Davis, HA. 2003.

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13. Please define exactly what you mean by single subject vs special subject teacher?

There is no difference in single subject or specialist teacher. These terms are used
interchangeably. An art teacher is an example of a single subject or specialist teacher.

14. The concept of specialist teachers for mathematics and science etc., somehow questions the
notion that the classroom teacher is a lifelong learner who is constantly developing her skills and
knowledge in order to satisfy her students needs.

The IB believes that every teacher and administrator is a life-long learner. The broadened
interpretation acknowledges that IB schools in different regions of the world have specialist
teachers on staff and clarifies that they, too, have a similarly valuable role as the classroom
teacher in the transdisciplinary programme of inquiry. All teachers bring to schools different and
valuable skills, experience and training to enrich both the learning experience for students and
the professional learning community for their peers.

15. Simple question. If there are 2 teachers in the same year (grade) level, can teacher A teach both
classes English and the other teacher B teach Math for both classes?

Yes, provided that they also teach in context of the transdisciplinary units of inquiry.

16. Can a support teacher be alone with the students as the main teacher for a period of time?

We interpret support teacher in this question as learning support teachers, i.e., English as a
second language teacher, and not a teachers aide.

It depends on the definition of a period of time. If a period of time is a few hours a day and is
persistent, then that is streaming or separating students by ability which the IB does not support.
If a period of time is a pull-out period of 30 60 minutes for support on a specific area of need,
preferably when the need arises as opposed to a scheduled time-table, that would meet the
requirement.

17. The school is bilingual and both languages are taught by specialist teachers and students are
divided into the language levels. Therefore "class teachers" are teaching only science and social
studies. Are they allowed to do it under the broadening C3.1.b?

If the question suggests that languages and other subjects are taught in parallel without any
opportunities for authentic integration, this scenario does not meet the requirement and would
result in a matter to be addressed

Even when languages are taught separately, students are given opportunities to inquire about
and through language within their transdisciplinary units of inquiry.

18. Would you speak further on a mathematics specialist teacher? If a school needs to accelerate
mathematics for some students - can this be done outside the programme of inquiry by a single-
subject teacher?

The IB encourages schools to meet students where they are, whether through more challenging
work or through further support. This is best done in the following manners:

That the mathematics experience aligns with the skills associated with the programme of
inquiry. For example, if statistics are not part of the learning goal in the programme of
inquiry, learning the concept in isolation of the programme of inquiry to advance a group of

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 students will not allow students to make connections and to apply their knowledge in an
authentic manner. If it, in fact, supports a group of students who is ready to take the inquiry
further, then the extension work would be beneficial for these students.
That schools assess and reassess students knowledge and skills in mathematics on an
ongoing basis to truly meet students where they are, and to acknowledge that knowledge
and skills are not fixed4. The ongoing assessment will inform teachers grouping and
regrouping decisions.

19. Does it mean that one can have a team that consists of different subject specialists (language,
math, social studies, and science) and they teach in all classrooms?

Yes, if that is how the school currently organises its teaching staff, provided that this team truly
operates as a team for the transdisciplinary units of inquiry. They plan together; collaborate
throughout the unit of inquiry to share; and to reflect on where the unit could improve and go
next.

Social studies and science will continue to be taught as an integral part of the units of inquiry
regardless of who is responsible for teaching the subjects (see Q5).

At the end of the day, schools are still required to carry out the required number of
transdisciplinary units of inquiry every year that aim to seamlessly and authentically incorporate
multiple subjects so that students are not experiencing subjects and acquiring subject knowledge
in isolation. The goal is still for students to make connections between, across and beyond
subjects which is achievable only through the transdisciplinary units of inquiry.

We also remind schools to consider how the teaching team can ensure the well-being of students
with the increased number of relationships (see questions 8 & 9).

20. Is it still now required for both the single subject and home room teacher to be in the classroom
together? E.g. if there is a teacher to teach the units of inquiry (science and social studies) and
another for mathematics.

No, the specialist teacher no longer needs to be accompanied by the classroom teacher. The
mathematics lesson and investigation should support the transdisciplinary unit of inquiry, which
the classroom teacher is responsible for coordinating/facilitating.

21. If a middle school mathematics teacher teaches a PYP class, would you expect the PYP classroom
teacher be present in the classroom for all lessons?

How will the middle school mathematics teacher support PYP students in their transdisciplinary
learning experience? Unless he/she has been trained specifically on transdisciplinary learning as
PYP teachers have AND unless he/she becomes a core part of the teaching team who can plan,
collaborate and reflect with the team on all the units, the IB does not support middle school
teachers teaching mathematics in the PYP. If these conditions cannot be met, then the PYP
classroom teacher will be present when the middle school teacher is facilitating a mathematics
unit.

22. So does that mean that Science can be taught outside the UOI as a stand-alone?

4
Rose, TL, Rouhani, P and Fischer, KW. 2013. The Science of the Individual. Mind, Brain, and Education. 7(3). Pp.
152158. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/101111/mbe.12021/pdf.

5
 No. Science is taught within the units of inquiry.

23. Are the single subject teachers supposed to have their own units of inquiry?

Yes, they will have their own subject specific units of inquiry outside the six transdisciplinary units
of inquiry, assuming that they also teach and/or contribute to the six transdisciplinary units of
inquiry.

24. Do the single subject teachers (Art, PE) need to have their curriculum but ensure that the written
curriculum should support learning in programme of inquiry anytime during the year?

Correct. It is assumed that the curriculum supports both inquiries outside the transdisciplinary
units of inquiry as well inside the units.

25. Can you further clarify the question in regards to a grade level having one teacher responsible
for language arts and one for mathematics? If we are talking about skills in particular and not
necessarily the unit of inquiry, is this ok?

It is fine to support students in gaining mathematics or language skills with the assumption that
these skills benefit students investigation into the programme of inquiry. For example, teaching
language convention such as grammar enables students to write their research and
communicate their findings from their inquiry effectively.

26. With the broadened interpretation of C3.1b, is it possible for a classroom teacher to teach the
language of instruction, science and social studies and the co-teacher teaches mathematics as
long as they collaboratively plan?

Yes. The teachers not only collaboratively plan, but also facilitate, observe and reflect together
throughout the inquiry. Transdisciplinary is about the unity of knowledge from different subjects.
If teachers only collaboratively plan in the beginning, and teach their separate subjects without
coming together to consider how students unify the knowledge, it does not constitute
transdisciplinary learning.

27. If I understand this - a mathematics specialist can host stand-alone mathematics outside of the
POI, but it cannot be the majority of a student's mathematics teaching?

Correct. Effective implementation of the PYP balances mathematics teaching inside the
transdisciplinary units of inquiry to support students making connections between mathematics
and other subjects and the transdisciplinary themes as well as outside to support the acquisition
of mathematics skills.

28. Learning support, so if the scheduled pull-out type of support, such as EAL lessons, are not
recommended, how can those support be held practically? Push-in type only? Or, only
occasionally?

As stated in Q 16, 30-60 minutes pull-out support is part of differentiating support for students
who might need the support. However, the IB encourages schools to do push-in support
whenever possible.

Persistent pull-out support or enrichment is streaming or separating students by ability which the
IB does not support. Learning support or extension is preferably done when the need arises as
opposed to a scheduled time-table.

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29. How about the summative assessment for the unit of inquiry, which teacher will administer the
assessment if there are four different teachers for each of the core subjects.

Just as the process of knowledge integration, assessment should also be administered

throughout the unit. Summative is best administered in a coherent approach where students can
demonstrate their understanding of subject knowledge in relation to the central idea. Since all
four teachers have been planning and reflecting together throughout the unit of inquiry, any of
the teachers, regardless of their subject expertise, is able to facilitate the assessment as every
teacher will have been very familiar with the unit if they have authentically integrated the
subjects. The teaching team could also consider evaluating students conceptual understanding
of one concept across different subjects to see how students understanding evolves from one
context to the next.

Questions about transdisciplinary learning

30. How does the broadened definition strengthen transdisciplinary learning and/or provide
opportunity for authentic learning?

This broadened interpretation provides flexibility for schools that have specialists to leverage
their expertise in each of the subjects to add depth and breadth to the connections students
make to the transdisciplinary themes through the programme of inquiry. Bringing in subject
knowledge experts can help transform understanding and enable lateral, imaginative, and
creative thinking about questions or solutions in the real world5.

31. Can you explain your interpretation of the difference between transdisciplinary learning vs.
interdisciplinary?

Transdisciplinarity concerns that which is at once between the disciplines, across the different
disciplines, and beyond all disciplines. A key imperative of transdisciplinary learning is to unite
knowledge for the understanding of the present world6.

Interdisciplinarity concerns with the transfer of knowledge, methods and concepts from one
discipline to another. It generally involves two disciplines and its goals still remains within the
framework of the discipline-specific base7,8.

Transforming subject knowledge through transdisciplinarity is at the heart of the Primary Years
Programme (PYP) and integrating knowledge through interdisciplinarity is central to the Middle
Years Programme (MYP). Through transdisciplinary learning, the goal of the PYP is for students
with guidance from both classroom teachers and specialist teachers to create new
understanding to address human commonality.

5 Clark, B and Button, C. 2011. Sustainability transdisciplinary education model: interface of arts, science, and community
(STEM). International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. 12(1). Pp. 41-54.
6
Nicolescu, B. 2014. Methodology of transdisciplinarity. World Futures. 70(3-4). Pp 186-199.
7
Nicolescu, B. 2014
8
Padurean, A and Cheveresan, CT. 2010. Transdisciplinarity in education. Journal Plus Education. 6(1). Pp 127-133.

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 Transdisciplinary moves beyond integrative to a holistic understanding of an issue. It is
imperative that specialists and classroom teachers come together to develop a shared
conceptual framework of the central idea based on their knowledge and observations of
students understanding and reframing of subject specific knowledge. Therefore, researchers
consider collaboration as a hallmark of transdisciplinary learning9. Collaboration enables
members from different disciplines to fuse knowledge from a number of different disciplines and
engage with stakeholders in the process of generating knowledge10.

If a science teacher comes in a classroom and teaches about the concept of adaptation within a
unit of inquiry and does not share her views and reflect with the teaching team about how
students understand, consider and connect the knowledge, not just from science but from other
subjects to the larger central idea, she is neither contributing to or supporting students in the
process of fusing knowledge. Instead, she only has delivered subject knowledge.

32. Comparing a classroom teacher model versus a single subject teacher model, which is more PYP?
And which do you think promotes more authentic, conceptual, and transdisciplinary learning?
And which pragmatically speaking is more successful at teaching and learning inquiry?

None of the teaching models can guarantee transdisciplinary learning if schools approach
subjects in isolation of the central idea in a unit of inquiry; OR if teachers do not come together
throughout the inquiry to reflect on what students are asking, thinking and considering through
their investigations of the subjects. As researchers have found, collaboration is a necessary
ingredient to support transdisciplinary learning11. Authenticity requires that investigation about
a subject or acquisition of subject knowledge is relevant and relational to other subjects relevant
to the larger question or central idea. If the classroom teacher or the single subject teacher
facilitates subject knowledge acquisition in isolation of the central idea of a unit of inquiry, then
students will not have any opportunities to make connections beyond and across the subjects.

33. In Whats changing? you mention: Specifically any one teacher, a pair of teachers, or all
teachers in the year level teaching team can take the responsibility for ensuring that the PYP
model of transdisciplinary teaching and learning is implemented in schools. Can you further
explain?

Any one teacher refers to either the current model of the one classroom teacher or a specialist
teacher acting as a classroom teacher.

A pair of teachers refers to a co-teaching model. For example, in a bilingual programme, the
classroom teachers consist of the English teacher and the Spanish/Arabic/Chinese etc. teacher.
They support student learning together.

All teachers in a year level refers to a teaching team consisted of the classroom teacher and all
the specialists. They collaborative plan together to facilitate the delivery of the subjects under
consideration for each unit of inquiry. A unit of inquiry might be taught by more than one
teacher. However, the teaching team comes together during the inquiry to reflect and revise the
unit as necessary to support students making connections across all the subjects to arrive at their
own understanding of the central idea.

9
Wickson, F, Carew, AL and Russell, AW. 2006. Transdisciplinary research: characteristics, quandaries and quality. Futures.
38(9). Pp.1046-1059.
10
Ibid.
11
Wickson, F, Carew, AL and Russell, AW. 2006.

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Questions about language learning

34. Would you define a teacher who teaches 10 periods a week of additional language (in contrast
to the classroom teacher who teaches the main language of instruction for 20 periods) and fully
integrates within the unit of inquiry a single subject specialist?

How a school hires and calls different members of its teaching staff is a school decision. What
the IB aims for, is that teaching practices support transdisciplinary learning.

35. We are a school with English as a language of instruction but also have the host country
language as an additional language for the students. The host country language teachers stream
line the students as per their abilities and have year-long groups of different levels. E.g. ability
level, standard and core and students are grouped as per their abilities for the whole year. How
does this work in context to this?

This has less to do with the broadened interpretation for C3.1b than it is with the PYPs belief in
the benefit of grouping and regrouping students throughout the year. Teachers stream line the
students as per their abilities and have year-long groups of different levels suggests that schools
see students ability as fixed, and this contradicts new understandings in neuroscience which
recognizes that brain networks are variable12. Proficiency in any domain or skill can be supported
and changed through the deliberate use of techniques and strategies, feedback and challenge13.

Ongoing assessment will inform teachers grouping and regrouping decisions. This practice
supports students where they are and creates a dynamic learning environment, with the
students moving from individual work to group work in response to their needs and the needs of
the inquiriesboth transdisciplinary and subject specificto which they have committed, or that
have been designed for them.14

36. Can students be pulled out of their homeroom groups for beginner language development
beyond the programme of inquiry?

Yes. All students need to build a good language foundation in order to effectively engage in the
transdisciplinary unit of inquiry. However, we encourage schools to use the push-in whenever
possible.

37. Would you recommend having 2 language classes: Say Language A (with language background)
and Language B (with no language background)?

This response is based on our understanding that this question refers strictly to language
learning and not that the students are divided all year round for all learning experiences based
on language background.

We encourage schools to do mixed-ability grouping to cater to ability, interests, line of inquiry,

etc. through ongoing assessment to group and regrouping decisions. Even in language learning,
students can benefit by being exposed to learners of various backgrounds. Research finds that
exposure to foreign language through media and movies has a positive effect on foreign

12
Rose, TL, Rouhani, P and Fischer, KW. 2013. The Science of the Individual. Mind, Brain, and Education. 7(3). Pp.
152158. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/101111/mbe.12021/pdf.
13 Toshalis, E and Nakkula, MJ. 2012. Motivation, engagement, and student voice. The Student at the Center Series.
Retrieved from www.studentsatthecenter.org
14
The Primary Years Programme as a model of transdisciplinary learning. 2010. P. 16.

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 language fluency15. The same benefit could arise from exposing students with no language
background to peers with the language background.

38. Can students go to different 'levels' for learning additional language if they are able to switch
between groups?

Yes. Please see answers to questions 28 and 29 for further guidance.

Questions about planning

39. Practice B2.4 mentions: the school provides dedicated time for teachers collaborative planning
and reflection. The French translation even mentions that these meetings should be timetabled
in the teachers schedules. In a school where all teachers are specialists, how can they meet this
requirement? (While it was possible to free classroom teachers, I don't think that is possible for
all the specialists in the team)

Every schools context is different, schools may consider these collaborative planning time:

Releasing students early or starting school later one day out of the week
Allocate extra budgetary resources for bringing in substitute teachers to release teams
for collaborative planning and reflection
Alternate the focus of staff meetings so that some are for professional development,
some are for collaborative planning
Release some teachers during assemblies
Members of the leadership team (e.g. principal, coordinator) take classes to enable
teachers to work together
Supplement face-to-face planning with the use of technology

40. Based on reply about separate programme of inquiry for the specialist teachers. What about the
standalone planners? It used to be recognized that some subject areas at times can be taught
outside the POI, but they have to be planned following the same planning model.

Correct. Specialist teachers plan additional subject-specific units of inquiry outside the POI using
the PYP planner.

41. How do you see this change impacting on the way that schools may interpret working with 3-6
year olds? Can this mean that children in this young age group can now be taught by different
specialist teachers as long as they plan together and link to the POI?

If the school has specialists for this age group, this interpretation suggests that these teachers
can teach alone. However, we highly encourage that one of the specialists serves as a dedicated
classroom teacher for these young learners. In the early years, childrens secure and warm
attachment with a teacher and the quality of their relationship build the foundation for

15
Lindgren, E and Muoz, C. 2013. The influence of exposure, parents, and linguistic distance on young European learners'
foreign language comprehension. International Journal of Multilingualism. 10(1). Pp.105-129.

10
 constructive cognitive and social development16,17,18. They learn best when they feel valued and
loved by a teacher and strong relationships with a teacher also serve as a buffer in times of
stress19. PYP early years students would be denied this type of quality relationship if different
specialists come in and out of the classroom throughout the day.

Questions about visits

42. Will this be effective immediately? How would this affect the timings percentage for homeroom
teachers as per the self-study questionnaire?

Yes, this change is effective immediately. Interested, candidate, and IB World Schools have
received messages; staff are following up with schools who have received C3.1.b-related matters,
and educator feedback tools have been updated accordingly.

In the self-study questionnaire when completing the homeroom teacher timing percentages, the
homeroom teacher is still responsible for completing the chart and making sure the information
represented is correct. Students are allowed to have increased time with the single subject
teachers, provided this does not include any streaming or setting. In addition, these teachers
must all be planning together to ensure the students have a transdisciplinary experience and
have collaboratively developed the programmes/units of inquiry.

43. What are some look-for that site visitors may seek on a visit to find strong transdisciplinary
teaching and learning with schools that have adopted new scenarios? What questions could we
ask to help us clarify understanding and implementation of school members using broadened
definition?

Planning and reflection is an intrinsic part of the initial and ongoing implementation of the PYP in
the school. Time is set aside throughout the school year for ongoing consideration of how the
teachers and pedagogical leadership team are planning, implementing, and continuously
improving the provision of a PYP transdisciplinary experience for the students.

Each unit of inquiry has been collaboratively designed and planned among all teachers to deliver
the subjects included in each unit. Delivery of the unity of inquiry is facilitated among all involved
teachers through frequent conversation and ongoing planning and reflection.

44. During a school visit how does one plan an agenda? Is it necessary to observe all the subject
teachers of the grade or any teacher teaching in a grade?

Agenda planning should be done as it always has; specifics will depend largely on the way in
which the school has opted to implement requirement C3.1.b with the new reinterpretation.

In relation to C3.1.b, the goal of the visit should be able to structure the agenda, including
observations, so as to get as strong an understanding as possible of both the way the school is

16
Copple, C, Bredekamp, S, Koralek, D, and Charner, K, Eds. 2014. Developmentally appropriate practice: focus on
kindergarteners. NAEYC Books: Washington DC.
17
Pianta, RC and Stuhlman, MW. 2004. Teacher-child relationships and children's success in the first years of
school. School psychology review. 33(3). Pp. 444-457.
18
Hatfield, BE, Burchinal, MR, Pianta, RC and Sideris, J. 2016. Thresholds in the association between quality of teacher
child interactions and preschool childrens school readiness skills. Early Childhood Research Quarterly. 36. Pp.561-571.
19 Copple, C, Bredekamp, S, Koralek, D, and Charner, K, Eds. 2014.

11
 planning to provide students with a transdisciplinary PYP education and the actual experience a
student is having (through observation).

If the school has opted to have multiple teachers plan and provide the students transdisciplinary
experience, the observations should aim (within the constraints of a relatively brief visit) to
replicate those students experience of the PYP.

Question about Research

45. In explaining what led to the shift in thinking concerning transdisciplinarity you mention leading
research, what exactly in this research led to the shift in thinking?

Bringing in subject knowledge experts transforms understanding and enables lateral,

imaginative, and creative thinking about questions or solutions in the real world20.
Transdisciplinarity is not so much about who teaches but the fertile complementarity between
the disciplines21 and about the understanding of the present world through unifying knowledge
from relevant subjects22.

It is helpful for students to have an understanding of subject matters to effectively integrate

knowledge from multiple subjects. For example, becoming literate and numerate enhances
students communication skills. The acquisition of literacy and numeracy, in their broadest sense
is essential, as these skills provide students with the tools and confidence to engage in and
contribute to the inquiry. However, subject knowledge is not an end, rather, it is a means to
illuminate larger, more integrative ends23.

Therefore, bringing in subject experts to transform understanding requires that each of these
specialists look at their respective subject in relational terms rather than in isolationist or
oppositional terms24 to the issue or central idea being explored. If that is not the practice, then
what specialist teachers practice in essence is multidisciplinary, not transdisciplinary. As they will
simply be viewing the central idea from different perspectives, and not so much with the goal of
unifying knowledge or creating new understanding.

In transdisciplinary learning, participants develop this shared conceptual framework by drawing

together subject-specific knowledge. Its more than integrative, it is holistic, and it transcends the
original subject25.

20 Clark, B and Button, C. 2011.

21
Nicolescu. 2014.
22
Morin, E. 1999. Seven complex lessons in education for the future. UNESCO. English translation by Poller, N. Original title:
Les sept savoirs necessaires a Ieducation du future.
23
Boyer, EL. 1995. The basic school: A community for learning. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
0-931050-48-0.
24
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