Students at Victoria Shanghai Academy research benefits of positive action

We live in a global village, and can quickly find out about war, inequality, health problems, environmental degradation, animal cruelty, and student problems like bullying and depression.

This year, the Victoria Shanghai Academy’s graduating International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IBPYP) students decided to see what they could do to make a difference in the world.

The results of their in-depth inquiry were presented as part of a two-day exhibition in May on the school premises in Aberdeen. Schoolmates, parents and students from other schools came to find out what the students had discovered.

Questions from the audience allowed the young exhibitors – who were all graduating from the PYP – to explain the details of the research they had undertaken in a small team on a chosen topic. It also gave students the chance to polish their presentation and communication skills.

“This is the end of the PYP programme, so it’s like a graduation [thesis]. The central idea is that action makes a difference. Students present ideas on how they can take action, and have an impact in the world,” says Bonnie Kwok Wai-kuen, head of year, and Y5A1 teacher.

Each team consisted of three or four participants who shared an interest in the subject under investigation. The school has 160 students in six classes, and the students were divided into 48 groups; each group had a booth at the exhibition. There were some duplicate subjects, but the approach of each team’s research was different, says Kwok. “Their interest in the topic comes first and foremost,” she adds.