Course structure
If you would like to know more about the content of the programme, the joint sessions, or if you have specific questions, you can register for the online information session via this link.
This post graduate programme is based on Design-Based Education (DBE). You work from a real educational challenge in your own practice and follow a cyclical design process of analysing, designing, testing, and reflecting.
The goal: to develop a concrete professional workshop or learning intervention that can be applied directly in your school.
• You will spend 9 hours per week on the programme:
• 4 hours per week: a fixed afternoon (face‑to‑face in Meppel, online, or filled with international learning immersion activities or practice‑based experimentation in your own classroom).
• 5 hours of self‑study: literature, formative assignments, and reflection.
• During the sessions, we combine theory with professional dialogue and practical translation to your own context.
The primary language of instruction in this programme is English, as our lecturers are multilingual.
At the same time, Dutch is explicitly welcomed as a language of learning. Discussions, reflections, and (parts of) assignments may also be completed in Dutch if this supports your thinking and professional development.
You do not need to have an advanced academic level of English. Our aim is to ensure communication is accessible and safe for everyone, and to view each other’s multilingualism as a strength.
An important component of the programme is the international field experience. You will visit international schools, observe lessons, speak with school leaders, and try out new strategies. You will directly connect these experiences to your own educational practice.
Mandatory core modules
- What is International Education?
- Foundations and Frameworks of Curriculum Design – Primary years or Foundations and Frameworks of Curriculum Design – Middle years
- Facilitating inquiry
- Equity in Action: Inclusive, Multilingual and Accessible Classrooms
- From Grades to Growth
- Designing Impactful Learning Communities
Elective modules (minimum of 2)
- Citizenship without the poster
- Leading Without Authority
- Bridging Curricula: Integrating International and National Approaches
- From Screens to Skills
- Translanguaging in the Era of Cosmopolitanism: Deep Dive into Bilingual Schools and Global Citizenship
- Capstone Inquiry in Practice: Learning from the PYP Exhibition and MYP Personal Project
• Duration: 4–6 months
• Sessions: Mondays, 12:00–16:00
• Format: Combination of face-to-face sessions (Meppel), online modules, and international field experience
• Total study load: 196 hours
• You choose either a PYP or MYP route consisting of six core modules, and you follow three elective modules that align with your professional context.
Bachelor of Education or three years of teaching experience
The programme concludes with an integrated final product that demonstrates your full learning and design process. This consists of:
1. A professional workshop or presentation
A school‑ or conference‑ready workshop in which you demonstrate how international, inclusive, and formative principles can be applied concretely within the Dutch educational context.
2. An implementation plan (1–2 pages)
A practical plan to ensure your design is sustainably embedded within the school.
3. A critical reflection
A well‑supported reflection on your professional growth, design choices, and role as a change agent.
Upon completing the programme, you will leave with:
• A tested and actionable professionalisation product
• A strategic implementation plan
• Strengthened international and inclusive expertise
• A clear position as a designer of educational innovation
Trainers
Jaun-Mari Moraal
With more than fifteen years of experience in multicultural education, I bring a broad and practice-oriented perspective on diversity in the classroom. In my work within teacher education, I support (future) teachers in designing inclusive, well thoughtout lessons that honour cultural diversity, multilingualism, and a wide range of learning needs.
My strength lies in connecting theory and practice, and in translating international educational insights into concrete and applicable instructional design.
Melanie Flynn
25 years of experience in international education across diverse global learning environments, including the International Baccalaureate (IB), Cambridge, and bilingual school systems. Extensive expertise in curriculum development, inquiry-based learning, interdisciplinary teaching, and student-centred pedagogy within multicultural settings. Specialized in IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (DP) instruction in English and Individuals & Societies (I&S), with a strong focus on critical thinking, academic writing, global perspectives, and conceptual learning. Experienced in preparing students for external assessments, fostering international-mindedness, and supporting diverse language learners in both first-language and multilingual classrooms. Teaching for 4 years in ITESS.
Sophie Stenhouse
Sophie has 13 years’ experience as a primary classroom educator. She worked in IB PYP schools for 7 years, including as a middle leader in a start-up school undergoing its accreditation, and as a result has a thorough understanding of the PYP’s structure, strengths and ethos. In her role as a Lecturer with ITE, she introduces student teachers to concept-based learning and transdisciplinary curriculum design.