Grade 11/12
IB Diploma - The Core Elements
Extended Essay (EE)
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Home > Grade 11/12 Academic Learning Programme & IB Diploma Programme > IB Diploma Overview > Extended Essay (EE)
A part of the Diploma Core, the Extended Essay is an independent research project where students seek to investigate a research question, engage in critical research, and learn the skills required to partake in an in-depth academic exploration. Their question is generated from an area of interest and passion they discover during their study of IB subjects. Students can choose to specialise in just one of their subjects for the essay or, if they choose the World Studies option, they can write an interdisciplinary paper that connects two or more of their subjects.
With the help of a teacher supervisor, students develop critical thinking and research skills in order to produce an academic paper of up to 4,000 words. Throughout the process, students will also reflect on their progress and development in a series of three reflection meetings with their supervisor. These lead to written reflections, which in conjunction with the essay, will be used to measure the student’s engagement. At the conclusion of the process, students will have learned to use academic research databases, make critical use of primary and secondary sources, as well as be able to format an academic research essay.
Past experience has shown that the majority of students derive intense satisfaction from the completion of a very thorough, personal piece of research that is excellent preparation for the demands of university level coursework.
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