How do we prepare for an IB visit?
How might your leadership team use the ideas of activity theory and knotworking to prepare for an IB evaluation visit?
Rather than treating evaluation preparation as the responsibility of the Head of School or programme coordinators, think of it as an opportunity to bring together different people, perspectives and areas of expertise around a shared purpose: understanding how well the school is developing its IB programme(s) and, most importantly, the impact on student learning.
Engeström's concept of knotworking offers a useful way of thinking about this. Imagine different threads coming together to form a knot. Each thread represents a different person, role, experience or perspective, bringing its own understanding of how the school works. A knot is formed when these otherwise separate threads become temporarily connected around a shared challenge or purpose. As people share their perspectives, question assumptions, explore differences and negotiate meaning, new connections are made and a more complete understanding begins to emerge. The knot is not fixed: threads may be loosened, reconnected or brought together in different ways as the challenge evolves. The strength of the process lies not in everyone thinking alike, but in bringing different perspectives together to create something that no single person or group could achieve alone.
Reflect
As you prepare for the evaluation visit, consider the following:
- Connecting people: Who needs to be involved in the preparation? Are we bringing together programme coordinators, senior leaders, teachers, students and other members of the school community?
- Connecting perspectives: Where might different people have different understandings of how the IB programme is implemented? How can we explore these differences constructively?
- Connecting evidence: How do we bring together what our policies and documents say, what leaders and teachers actually do, and what students experience?
- Identifying tensions: Where are there contradictions, inconsistencies or challenges in our practice? What might these tell us about opportunities for development?
- Creating shared understanding: How can we use professional dialogue and collaborative enquiry to develop a common understanding of our strengths, challenges and priorities?
The important question is not simply whether we are ready for the evaluation visit, but whether the process of preparing for it is helping us become a better learning organisation. The evaluation should not be something that happens to the school, but an opportunity for people across the school to connect, learn and contribute to meaningful programme development.
