Global politicsextended essay
© International Baccalaureate Organizatio2n021
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© International Baccalaureate Organizatio2n021
May 2021subject report
Global politicsextended essay
Contents
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© International Baccalaureate Organizatio2n021
May 2021subject report
Global politicsextended essay
For grade boundary information, please refetrhtoe Grade boundaries for Diploma programme coordinatorsdocument available on the PRC.
Extended essay
The range andsuitability of the worksubmitted
As usual, there were a small number of essayshiwch were not ontopics linked toGlobalpolitics.
Many essays this session were descriptive in nature, hindered by an ineffective research question. When a question is notrfamed in a way that it invites analysis,evaluation and argument,then the essay will usually be narrative, with superficial, ineffective attempts of analysis that are often not linked to the research question.
Students should be encouraged to focus clolsyeon explicitly identifying and discussion research methods, along with providing a rationale for why those methods have been selected, and why they are deemed appropriate. Comparatively few students appear to think about thbiesyond listing the types osfources
they use. There is generally not enough exploration of the validity and reliability of all sources, rather, they are assumed asauthoritative. Students should also be encouraged to explore the value of secondary and primary evidence, and coachedniassessing reliability of sources.
Candidate performance against each criterion
Criterion A: focus and method
It must be clear from theresearch question that the essay has the potential to move from the descriptive to the analytical. Students must outline themirethods andstate their sources; both need to be justified. A good number of essays included comprehensive introductions thattceoxntualised the focus and method.
Criterion B: knowledge and understanding
Theoretical frameworskandkey concepts are not always properly defidn.eTerminology is often used and effective. Knowledge and understanding should be supported by applied, relelisaoburces.
Criterion C: critical thinking
Too many essays are descriptivaend do not move into an evaluative investigatio. Annalysis should be done by the student, as well as critical thinkinbga(lancing theories with facts and a student conclus)io. n Research should include sources of facts (official reporptsre, ss release)s and theory or key concepts sources (scholalry articles,books and papers). Interviews can be usewdith key sections referred to in the body of the essay, but the transcript as a whoslehould be included as an appendix.
Criterion D: presentation
Most essaysperformed well againsthis criterion, though some candidates still forget to include a title on the coversheet.
Criterion E: engagement
These tended to be limited to process summieasr and rarely moved into true reflection.
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© International Baccalaureate Organizatio2n021
May 2021subject report
Global politicsextended essay
Recommendationsfor the supervisionof future candidates
Topics that are too local in nature should be avoided,itaissoftendifficult forstudents to link these to the broader field of global politics.
It is important that students have a strong background ignlobal politics, and as with the guidance
taking the global politics DP course.
Effective essays otfen stem fromwell-focusedresearch questions. Research questions do not need to be unnecessarily complicated but focused enough to be dealt with within the 4-w00o0rd count.
The final research question should encapsulate the type of research conducted; a clegalorlbyal politics appropriate framework in terms of coverage in time and place for the content; an explicit formulation of the question with a fundamental theoretical mcoponent that can be clearly answered in terms of appropriacy, effectiveness for data selection and analyasnisd, hypothetical validity.
The extended essay is a piece of academic research and the sources selected must be valid and scholarly.