The reflective project within the Career-related Programme

The reflective project is one of the four compulsory components of the IB Career-related Programme (CP) core.

The reflective project is an in-depth body of work produced over an extended period of time and submitted towards the end of the CP. It is the product of the students’ own initiative and reflects their personal experience of the CP. The reflective project is intended to promote high-level research, writing and extended communication skills, intellectual discovery and creativity through a variety of different approaches.

The reflective project focuses on an ethical dilemma of an issue directly linked to the student’s career‑related study. In addition to a written essay, students keep a record of their reflections on the process of undertaking and completing the reflective project using the Reflections on planning and progress form (RPPF). This record forms part of the final reflective project assessment.

Aims

The reflective project aims to give students the opportunity to:

• produce an extended piece of work
• engage in personal inquiry, action and reflection on a specific ethical dilemma
• present a structured and coherent argument
• engage with local and/or global communities
• develop research and communication skills
• develop the skills of critical and creative thinking.

Time required

Students are expected to devote a minimum of 50 hours to the reflective project.

Assessment

The school assesses all reflective projects. The IB will then select a sample for the school to send to an external moderator for confirmation of the school’s marks.

Students will be assessed on two aspects of the project:

1. the approach they use to complete the reflective project—the process
2. the output from that process—the product.

The reflective project is assessed using five assessment criteria designed to foster independent study and encourage students to use their own initiative.