Comparative study between Lebanese Baccalaureate and International Baccalaureate

Abstract

Among the many schools in Lebanon, there has been a growing trend for some schools to adopt a new type of Baccalaureate in Lebanon-the International Baccalaureate. This phenomena warrants an investigation especially since the educational system in Lebanon already has a Baccalaureate program. In order to be able to better understand the reasons behind the implementation of a foreign baccalaureate like the International baccalaureate, we must first consider the qualifications of each Baccalaureate program. this study sought to detail both the International and Lebanese baccalaureates and then compare the two Baccalaureate programs. A survey study of the perceptions of students and teachers of the International and Lebanese Baccalaureates in Lebanon was undertaken. The purpose of the survey was to reflect the conceptual frameworks of the study and collect and evaluate the attitudes and reflections of the students and teachers about the International and Lebanese Baccalaureate programs. The main purposeof this study is to shed light on the disparities between the qualifications, structure and implementation of the International and Lebanese Baccalaureates. Finally, the aim of this study is to formulate recommendations for improvements within the Lebanese Baccalaureate. It is my hope that this study will expose the urgent need for the reform of the educational system in Lebanon. this will be exposed in terms of unifomity of curriculum, uniformity of assessment tools, guidelines and tools for internal assessment, the decrease of bias during official exam writing, the decrease of bias while students are taking the official exams, the decrease of bias during official exam grading, the integration of technology within the classroom and last but not least, the availability of teacher training workshops so that teachers are aware of the latest teaching tools and materials, strategies, and technology.