Students in High School 10th grade (Α΄ Lykeion) spend an extended period of time preparing a personal research project, which can be written in either Greek or English. Each student works on his/her Personal Project individually, under the guidance of a supervising teacher.
Students select the topic of their individual project based on their personal interests, then conduct appropriate research and set the criteria for the product/outcome. They create an action plan, take action, and evaluate the quality of the product/outcome, reflecting on how the completed project has expanded their knowledge and understanding of the topic, as well as their development as an MYP learner.
The internal assessment of the personal project is externally moderated by the IB, which awards the final achievement grade. The main objective of the personal research project is for the student to evidence the skills he/she gradually cultivated over the previous years and that he/she has now mastered in the final year of the Middle Years Programme. These include:
· research skills (correct selection, use and referencing/documentation of sources)
· self-management skills (appropriate time management, action plan, tools, organization, state of mind)
· thinking skills (critical and creative thinking, combining knowledge, applying existing knowledge in unfamiliar situations)
· social skills (communication, collaboration, oral or written expression)
· reflection skills (identifying strengths and weakness, assessing personal development and expansion of knowledge and skills)
At the end of the process, all 10th-grade students present their personal research project to the general public at an exhibition specially organized by the School for this purpose. Because of the special circumstances that prevailed in academic year 2019-2020, the students’ projects were presented virtually. Part of this exhibition, which is showcased in a special online IB network tribute to MYP students’ works from around the globe, can be viewed below:
MYP Video Athens College
MYP Video Psychico College
The task of preparing a Personal Project provides students with all the necessary tools to successfully cope with their subsequent studies and, later in life, with their professional field.