Your IA queries
The IA is now an IA proposal for research that the student is not expected to carry out, but is expected to plan carefully. It involves designing research to investigate a relevant issue for a chosen population of interest to the student. Unlike the class practicals, it may not be teacher-led, but the intiative comes from the student. They will be expected to choose an issue or problem, explain its impact on a certain population and choose an appropriate method to investigate this.
Queries from teachers have mainly focused on distinguishing this new approach from the IA as a group experiment that existed in the previous curriculum. The FAQs document in MyIB addresses some questions; here are a few additional ones, with answers.
Q: What is the teacher's role in the new IA?
A: To explain the new IA structure, support students in identifying their topic, teach the principles of designing a research question, direct the students towards relevant journals for their background research and construct an appropriate timeline for the process. This is the student's individual IA and teachers should be focused on supporting them in choosing a research question that really interests and excites them.
Q: What is the relationship between the IA and the class practicals?
A: The class practicals are a good opportunity to teach how research methodology has to be suitable for a particular aim and enable a researcher to answer their research question. It must also be ethical and appropriate for the population of interest. This page can help you guide them regarding matching a method to their aim and to their population. The requirement in the IA Discussion section to “discuss an additional research method for the same aim or research question” is similar to the requirement on Paper 2A to “design a __________ to investigate the same topic you investigated in your class practical.”
Q: Why is there no informed consent form needed in the Appendices?
A: Informed consent forms are not needed as the research is not to be carried out, and it is much more important that the student spends the available time designing their data collection tool carefully.
Q: How are concepts relevant to the IA?
A: Concepts like measurement and responsibility are relevant in the research methodology and data collection sections. The concept of researcher bias is discussed explicitly in the discussion section. Perspective is relevant to the choice of research question and the research method. There are more suggestions on p54-55 of the guide. While students should explain the relevance of certain concepts, they are not expected to consider all concepts in their IA.