As more Romanian families weigh international education options, the IB Diploma Programme stands out for combining academic breadth with independent research and critical thinking. Romania Insider spoke with Doria Draghiciu, Deputy Head of Secondary High School at Verita International School in Bucharest, about how the IB's inquiry-based approach differs from traditional education, how universities view the diploma, and the school's recent highlights, including its strongest IB results in recent years, with a cohort average of 32.2 points and one student scoring 44 out of 45. How does the IB's inquiry-based approach differ from more traditional models of education?
Doria Draghiciu: The IB inquiry-based approach differs from more traditional models of education mainly in the way knowledge is constructed and used. In a traditional model, knowledge is transferred from the teacher to the student directly. The student uses it to solve some kind of exercise and is then assessed on whether they can reproduce that knowledge on a test.
The IB does not reject knowledge taken in this way or direct instruction. In fact, strong inquiry cannot happen without subject knowledge. Where the IB differs is that it asks students to go beyond the acquisition of knowledge.
Students are challenged to question, make connections, investigate and build models in unfamiliar situations, as well as reflect on the process of learning itself. In order to do this, the process starts from the practical experience and builds the abstract concepts afterwards. Students start with an applied example and find the general rules after identifying the patterns.
In this sense, the role of the teacher is central and shifts from the traditional model. The teacher is still an expert and provides knowledge, explanation, feedback, and assessment, but the lessons are transformed into learning experiences that require students to be conceptual learners and independent thinkers. The goal is not only for students to acquire knowledge, but that they look at what they know with more flexibility, judgement, and intellectual curiosity.
How do universities weigh the IB Diploma against A-Levels, AP, or national curricula in admissions decisions? Doria Draghiciu: Universities recognise the IB Diploma as a strong and challenging qualification, alongside A Levels, AP, and national curricula.
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