transdisciplinary-skills

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Skills

As well as the basic skills of numeracy and literacy, within their learning throughout the programme, students acquire and apply a set of transdisciplinary skills: social skills, communication skills, thinking skills, research skills and self-management skills (see below). These skills are valuable, not only in the units of inquiry, but also for any teaching and learning that goes on within the classroom, and in life outside the school.

PYP transdisciplinary skills
Social skills
Accepting responsibility	Taking on and completing tasks in an appropriate manner; being willing to assume a share of the responsibility.
Respecting others	Listening sensitively to others; making decisions based on fairness and equality; recognizing that others’ beliefs, viewpoints, religions and ideas may differ from one’s own; stating one’s opinion without hurting others.
Cooperating	Working cooperatively in a group; being courteous to others; sharing materials; taking turns.
Resolving conflict	Listening carefully to others; compromising; reacting reasonably to the situation; accepting responsibility appropriately; being fair.
Group decisionmaking	Listening to others; discussing ideas; asking questions; working towards and obtaining consensus.
Adopting a variety of group roles	Understanding what behaviour is appropriate in a given situation and acting accordingly; being a leader in some circumstances, a follower in others.
Communication skills
Listening	Listening to directions; listening to others; listening to information.
Speaking	Speaking clearly; giving oral reports to small and large groups; expressing ideas clearly and logically; stating opinions.
Reading	Reading a variety of sources for information and pleasure; comprehending what has been read; making inferences and drawing conclusions.
Writing	Recording information and observations; taking notes and paraphrasing; writing summaries; writing reports; keeping a journal or record.
Viewing	Interpreting and analysing visuals and multimedia; understanding the ways in which images and language interact to convey ideas, values and beliefs; making informed choices about personal viewing experiences.
Presenting	Constructing visuals and multimedia for a range of purposes and audiences; communicating information and ideas through a variety of visual media; using appropriate technology for effective presentation and representation.
Non-verbal communication	Recognizing the meaning of visual and kinesthetic communication; recognizing and creating signs; interpreting and utilizing symbols.
Self-management skills
Gross motor skills	Exhibiting skills in which groups of large muscles are used and the factor of strength is primary.
Fine motor skills	Exhibiting skills in which precision in delicate muscle systems is required.
Spatial awareness	Displaying a sensitivity to the position of objects in relation to oneself or each other.
Organization	Planning and carrying out activities effectively.
Time management	Using time effectively and appropriately.
Safety	Engaging in personal behaviour that avoids placing oneself or others in danger or at risk.
Healthy lifestyle	Making informed choices to achieve a balance in nutrition, rest, relaxation and exercise; practising appropriate hygiene and self-care.
Codes of behaviour	Knowing and applying appropriate rules or operating procedures of groups of people.
Informed choices	Selecting an appropriate course of action or behaviour based on fact or opinion.
Research skills
Formulating questions	Identifying something one wants or needs to know and asking compelling and relevant questions that can be researched.
Observing	Using all the senses to notice relevant details.
Planning	Developing a course of action; writing an outline; devising ways of finding out necessary information.
Collecting data	Gathering information from a variety of first- and second-hand sources such as maps, surveys, direct observation, books, films, people, museums and ICT.
Recording data	Describing and recording observations by drawing, note taking, making charts, tallying, writing statements.
Organizing data	Sorting and categorizing information; arranging into understandable forms such as narrative descriptions, tables, timelines, graphs and diagrams.
Interpreting data	Drawing conclusions from relationships and patterns that emerge from organized data.
Presenting research findings	Effectively communicating what has been learned; choosing appropriate media.
Transdisciplinary skills from ‘Primary Years Programme - Making it Happen’, International Baccalaureate Organization 2007