A Critical Exploration of Concept-Based Learning in the IB MYP

This exploratory study examines the theoretical background and practical implementation of Concept-Based Learning (CBL), the core pedagogical approach of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IB MYP), which has been increasingly adopted in South Korea. It critically explores the structural limitations and issues inherent in this curriculum design to discuss practical implications for national curriculum revision and IB implementation. For this purpose, the study first reviews the theoretical foundations of CBL and establishes a three-dimensional analysis framework: the “Structure of Knowledge and Process” (theoretical), the content system of the 2022 Revised National Curriculum—comprising Knowledge/Understanding, Process/Skills, and Values/Attitudes (practical), and “Democratic Citizenship Education” (social). Based on these criteria, a critical investigation of IB MYP guides and the recently released Beta version documents was conducted. The findings identify several issues despite the high utility of IB MYP's CBL in facilitating deep learning. First, there is an “ambiguity in the hierarchical structure of concepts.” A lack of alignment exists among curriculum components (knowledge, skills, and values). Specifically, the application of a uniform “Key Concept” framework, which overlooks the inherent differences in subject-specific values—Truth, Goodness, and Beauty, as proposed by Hong (2026)—risks distorting the academic essence of individual disciplines. Second, the study identifies the “monologization of concepts.” While concepts should transcend single words to transfer into generalized knowledge structures like principles, laws, and theories, the current model risks being confined to a narrow list of conceptual terms, thereby undermining academic rigor and devolving into superficial keyword learning. Third, there is a “value-neutrality issue.” Due to the IB's strategic commercial and political neutrality, universal values of modern democratic societies, such as freedom, equality, and human rights, are intentionally excluded from the design process. This suggests a potential conflict not only with the IB’s own educational philosophy but also with the value system of democratic citizenship education pursued in Korean public education. Consequently, this study suggests that future curriculum revisions must be preceded by thorough research on the status, quantity, and meaning of concepts according to the nature of each subject. Furthermore, it proposes that standards and exceptions for conceptual application reflecting subject-specific characteristics should be explicitly stated in national curriculum standards documents.