IB Learner Profile

The learner profile informs the IB’s educational philosophy and stands as a clear and concise statement of the values that inform a community that encourages the development of international-mindedness. The learner profile is the IB’s mission in action.

These attributes of internationally minded people represent a broad range of human capacities and responsibilities that go beyond a concern for intellectual development and academic content. They imply a commitment to implement standards and practices that help all members of the school community learn to respect themselves, others and the world around them.

The IB learner profile places the student at the centre of an IB education.

At the centre of international education in the IB are students with their own learning styles, strengths and limitations. Students come to school with combinations of unique and shared patterns of values, knowledge and experience of the world and their place in it. Promoting open communication based on understanding and respect, the IB encourages students to become active, compassionate lifelong learners.

An IB education is holistic in nature—it is concerned with the whole person. Along with cognitive development, IB programmes and qualifications address students’ social, emotional and physical well-being. They value and offer opportunities for students to become active and caring members of local, national and global communities; they focus attention on the processes and the outcomes of internationally minded learning described in the IB learner profile.

The IB learner profile brings to life the aspirations of a community of IB World Schools dedicated to student- centred education.

IB learners strive to be:

Inquirers

We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning throughout life.

Knowledgeable

We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global significance.

Thinkers

We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyse and take responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions.

The learner profile informs the IB’s educational philosophy and stands as a clear and concise statement of the values that inform a community that encourages the development of international-mindedness.

Communicators

We express ourselves confidently and creatively in more than one language and in many ways. We collaborate effectively, listening carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and groups.

Principled

We act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.

Open-minded

We critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, as well as the values and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the experience.

Caring

We show empathy, compassion and respect. We have a commitment to service, and we act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and in the world around us.

These attributes highlight the importance of nurturing dispositions such as curiosity and compassion as well as developing knowledge and skills.

Risk-takers

We approach uncertainty with forethought and determination; we work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and innovative strategies. We are resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change.

Balanced

We understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives- intellectual, physical, and emotional - to achieve well-being for ourselves and others. We recognize our interdependence with other people and with the world in which we live.

Reflective

We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development.

These attributes also highlight that along with cognitive development, IB programmes are concerned with students’ social, emotional and physical well-being, and with ensuring that students learn to respect themselves, others, and the world around them.

Developing the learner profile within a community of learners

All IB World Schools are learning communities that encourage school leaders, teachers, students, parents and local community members to value learning as an essential and integral part of their everyday lives. For students, IB World Schools support lifelong learning when they emphasize “learning how to learn”, helping students interact effectively with the learning environments they encounter in school and beyond. Communities are bound together by a common sense of purpose and identity. The IB community shares a common purpose: making a better world through education. This goal, expressed in the IB mission statement, creates a series of interrelated aspirations, educational outcomes and shared values in the IB learner profile. The learner profile informs the IB’s educational philosophy and stands as a clear and concise statement of the values that inform a community that encourages the development of international mindedness.

The ATL Skills and their relationship with the IB Learner Profile (Diagram by Alison Yang)

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