The International Schools Review Forum

Exactly how British is the IGCSE? Do American teachers have a harder time getting jobs at IGCSE schools?

How long is a piece of string.
And, yes.

Really not sure how to answer that first question. What does it mean for a program to be British? Does it focus on British history and authors more than US programs do? Yes. Is math the same? Pretty much, but with an s. Can you be more specific?

US teachers are less sought after because they don't usually have experience with teaching to an external exam (it's not the same as preparing for standardized tests), submitting assessment for external marking, using published assessment rubrics, using a grading system where a 75% is a pretty good grade, teaching a multi-year course, following a strictly prescribed syllabus, etc. If you've taught AP or IB Dip, even MYP, you can argue that you do have some relevant experience.

US teachers can and do get hired to teach IGCSE. They're just not top of the list. Do some research and be prepared to demonstrate that you are ready for the change.

Thanks. I knew there were differences, but I was wondering about the culture, I guess, and how it's perceived. I get the feeling that going from American to IB schools is more feasible than American to British. Is that a misconception?

I was particularly curious about schools that have PYP, IGCSE, and DP -- whether they tend to have British backgrounds (and therefore more British teachers) or if they just chose it instead of MYP.

Almost certainly have British backgrounds. I've not personally seen any school choose the GCSE or even IGCSE unless they were already British in some sense or another.
But there's probably an example out there somewhere.

I disagree with some of those conclusions. IGCSE is an easier curriculum for a school to get into, and have seen it in several places as replacement for MYP.

A significant number of non british schools (meaning that the student busy is not predominately british students) including Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Africa.

GCSE is a very traditional British program and very few GCSE schools are non British schools. IGCSE is best thought of as "British Lite, its a more flexible curriculum.

I dont agree with the conclusion that IGCSE is harder for American teachers. There are certainly technicalities and procedural/protocol issues that would be very different, but these are technical issues of methodology and pedagogy. For the day to day teacher your experience can be almost transparent. A lot depends on what grade level you teach. The later in the curriculum, the more "British" the day to day teaching load becomes.

Yes, literature and history would be the most different, American history is just a part of world history, and Literature focuses more on british and European writers as opposed to "American Lit". There would be some marketability issues for a teacher in history or literature, especially in later grades. The rest of the other subjects from math, science, fine arts, technology are pretty much the same in the day to day classroom. 2-D design, factoring a polynomial, structures of a cell, playing a chord, are still the same. The only other differnece is in PE where many play skills focus on european football (soccer) as opposed to american football, and basketball.

External Exams are different then standardized tests, but from a classroom practical position in the classroom, its a difference without distinction.
If your an american teacher whose used to "doing your own thing", IGCSE may be difficult for you, but it would be the same for a MYP teacher at an IS who does there own thing. There are american teachers who have very prescribed syllabus. The real issue is that none of these methods or procedures isnt something that you cant quickly learn or become accustomed too. Much like the IB, many teachers from different cultural training programs learn about inquiry based learning and its the same with IGCSE. There isnt a lot you have to learn and its not a steep learning curve.

What i really do agree with, is that much like IB, there is a strong preference to recruit and hire those who already have the appropriate experience. An american teacher (unless they taught at a british prep) is not going to find themselves a very competitive candidate.

[quote="PsyGuy"] I dont agree with the conclusion that IGCSE is harder for American teachers. [/quote]
I never said that. I said American teachers would find it harder to be considered for positions.

[quote="PsyGuy"] A lot depends on what grade level you teach. The later in the curriculum, the more "British" the day to day teaching load becomes. [/quote]
It's a two year program/programme. Grades 9-10. Years 10-11.

[quote="PsyGuy"] The only other differnece is in PE where many play skills focus on european football (soccer) as opposed to american football, and basketball.[/quote]
Really inaccurate. There are huge differences between US-style and GCSE PE. GCSE PE is an academic course with serious written, theoretical papers and exams, plus the practical physical side. This would probably be one of the harder areas for a typical US teacher to make the transition.

I'm in my second year as an American teaching IGCSE. It's been really hard understanding the procedures for coursework and exams, and transitions into things called O levels and A levels and something about AS level... I've tried to find an intro course either online or in the region, but there is nothing for my subject area. The whole thing seems unnecessarily arcane and bureaucratic to me. The MYP was much easier to grasp.

For my subject when a student does IGCSE they are usually prepared for DP. If they did MYP, they might or might not be, it depends on what the teacher taught.

British teachers or people from countries which have similar exams tend to be hired for IGCSE/GCSE, they know what it is, they don't need to be trained. So they are preferred. Just like it is difficult, if your aren't North American, to get into an American school.

Thanks, everyone. You've pretty much confirmed everything I suspected.

@sid

I wouldnt want an American reader to confuse the difficulty with finding a position, as an equivilent difficulty with the curriculum/program.

Yes the program is 2 years, but i wrote and addressed the curriculum, which encompasses everything from nursery to sixth form. Focusing on the certificate is a kin to representing that "IB" is just DIP.

Your vision of an American PE teacher is not accurate, varsity level athletics (which American students receive PE credit for) are very in depth both academically and physically, and include studies in kinesics, nutrition, health, biology. That being said Ive seen Brittish teachers through out some soccer balls to the kids, as often as im seen American teachers through out basketballs.