Collaboration is at the heart of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP). When teachers across subject groups work together, they create a connected and coherent learning experience that reflects the real world’s interdisciplinary nature. This collaboration not only strengthens conceptual understanding but also helps students see how knowledge and skills intersect across disciplines.
Effective collaboration builds consistency, fosters creativity, and reinforces the IB’s mission to develop inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring learners. Whether through interdisciplinary units or shared reflection, subject-group collaboration is key to successful MYP implementation.
Quick Start Checklist
- Schedule regular planning meetings across subject groups
- Identify shared key concepts and global contexts
- Develop interdisciplinary projects or connections
- Reflect and revise collaboratively after each unit
- Celebrate and share cross-department success stories
Why Collaboration Matters in the MYP
The MYP is designed to break down traditional subject silos. Through collaboration, teachers help students:
- Recognize connections between disciplines
- Apply Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills across contexts
- Engage in authentic, real-world inquiry
- Build transferable understanding that supports lifelong learning
When teachers model collaboration, they also demonstrate the Learner Profile traits of communication, open-mindedness, and reflection — values that students emulate.
Building a Culture of Collaboration
A collaborative school culture begins with leadership support and shared purpose. Schools can nurture collaboration by:
- Embedding co-planning sessions into weekly schedules
- Creating interdisciplinary committees or working groups
- Encouraging joint reflection and peer observation
- Recognizing collaborative efforts in evaluations and meetings
When collaboration is valued institutionally, it becomes a sustainable part of school identity rather than an occasional event.
Best Practices for Effective Collaboration
1. Start with Common Concepts
Use shared key concepts like systems, relationships, or change to link learning across subjects. For example:
- Systems: explored through ecosystems (Science), economic models (Individuals and Societies), and data networks (Design).
- Relationships: analyzed through literature (Language and Literature), history (Individuals and Societies), and art (Visual Arts).
Shared conceptual lenses make learning more cohesive and support meaningful transfer.
2. Align Global Contexts
Global contexts give collaboration direction. If multiple subject groups explore the same global context — such as Globalization and Sustainability — students can connect learning from multiple perspectives, deepening inquiry and reflection.
3. Design Interdisciplinary Units (IDUs)
Formal interdisciplinary units provide structured collaboration. Teachers co-plan units that integrate outcomes from two or more subjects, emphasizing inquiry and synthesis.
Successful IDUs include:
- Science + Design: Sustainable energy solutions.
- Language and Literature + Individuals and Societies: Media and power.
- Arts + Mathematics: Geometry in visual composition.
These experiences highlight the MYP’s commitment to connected learning.
4. Share Assessment Practices
Aligning assessment language and criteria across subjects helps students understand expectations. Teachers can share exemplars, co-create rubrics, or moderate student work together to ensure consistency and fairness.
5. Reflect and Revise Together
After completing units or projects, teams should discuss:
- What conceptual connections students made
- Which skills transferred most effectively
- How collaboration could be improved next time
Reflection transforms collaboration into continuous professional learning.
Overcoming Common Collaboration Challenges
Even in strong MYP schools, collaboration can face obstacles such as time constraints or differing teaching styles. To overcome these:
- Schedule consistent planning time instead of ad hoc meetings.
- Use shared digital platforms (like ManageBac or Google Workspace) for documentation.
- Emphasize shared goals over identical methods — collaboration thrives on diversity, not uniformity.
Leadership plays a vital role in protecting time and creating structures that make collaboration manageable and meaningful.
Linking Collaboration to ATL Skills
Cross-subject collaboration enhances Approaches to Learning skills by modeling teamwork and communication. Teachers demonstrate and reinforce the same skills they expect from students:
- Listening and negotiation
- Leadership and accountability
- Organization and shared planning
- Problem-solving and adaptability
When teachers collaborate intentionally, they create a consistent environment where students experience these skills in action across every classroom.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How often should subject groups collaborate?
Ideally, teachers meet regularly — at least once per term for interdisciplinary planning and monthly for reflection and alignment. Frequent communication builds cohesion.
2. Do interdisciplinary units have to involve all subjects?
No. Collaboration can occur between two or more subjects, depending on conceptual alignment. Smaller partnerships often yield deeper and more focused learning.
3. How can schools document collaboration for IB evaluation?
Keep records of meeting minutes, shared unit planners, reflection notes, and interdisciplinary assessments. These demonstrate alignment and collective planning to evaluators.
Conclusion
Collaboration across subject groups brings the MYP philosophy to life. By working together, teachers create a curriculum that feels connected, relevant, and reflective of the complex world students inhabit.
When educators share ideas, align concepts, and co-design inquiry, students benefit from a holistic learning experience that strengthens understanding, curiosity, and global awareness.
In the MYP, collaboration is not just professional teamwork — it’s a model of the very skills and mindsets we hope to inspire in our learners.
