Skills in ToK
The following blogpost can be watched as a video here, and below.
Skills in TOK: Why They Matter More Than You Think
If you’ve been following TOK Today for a while, you’ll know that I have a particular interest, perhaps even a slight obsession, with the role of skills in TOK. Today’s post is both an appeal for your involvement and an exploration of why these skills are crucial for success in the TOK course.
The Importance of Skills in TOK
Over my 17–18 years of teaching TOK, I’ve come to realise that the skills required for this course are more important than any other aspect. TOK is fundamentally a skills-based course. The content we’re required to cover is minimal—essentially a set of bullet points or headings. The interpretation of these headings is largely left to the educator, which brings us to the importance of skills.
The TOK study guide mentions the word “skills” 12 times, frequently referring to ATL (Approaches to Teaching and Learning) skills. These skills are crucial across all areas of the IB Diploma Programme, but they aren’t specific enough to address how students can excel in TOK, nor how to enhance their learning in ToK. This is why I believe we need a dedicated TOK skills diagram—something that is specifically designed to guide students in TOK.
Why We Need a TOK Skills Diagram
A few years ago, I began developing a TOK skills diagram, starting with the Thailand TOK Teachers Network. Their contributions were invaluable in identifying the key skills necessary for TOK. Following this, the Hong Kong Teachers TOK Network, along with the Pearl River Delta Teachers TOK Network, also provided significant input. The result is a comprehensive TOK skills diagram that highlights a wide range of essential skills.
Download the PDF version of the skills diagram at this link
The diagram summarises crucial areas such as identifying knowledge characteristics, formulating knowledge claims, and engaging in personal, emotional, and interpersonal interactions. Additionally, it covers reading and writing, evaluation, interpretation, analysis, and identifying knowledge issues. Each of these categories encompasses a family of skills that are critical for mastering TOK.
Download the PDF version of Skills Summary Diagram at this link.
Using the TOK Skills Diagram in Teaching
This TOK skills diagram is not just theoretical; it’s a practical tool that you can use to plan your lessons. By aligning your teaching with this diagram, you’ll help students develop the skills they need to excel in TOK. Too often, I see TOK lessons that focus heavily on delivering high-quality content without enough emphasis on how students engage with that content. It’s not just about what they learn, but how they learn it—how they interact with, explore, and understand the material.
There’s a concerning trend where students are bombarded with high-level content like TED Talks, academic journals, and articles that might be more suited to university-level study. While these resources are valuable, they don’t necessarily improve students’ learning in TOK. Instead, we should focus on developing their skills. Once students have a strong skill set, they can choose the content that best supports their understanding.
Get Involved: Help Us Develop a Better TOK Skills Diagram
Whilst the IB has yet to provide a comprehensive TOK skills diagram, we’re not waiting for them to catch up. The current diagram is a work in progress—what some might call a “dog’s dinner”—but it’s a start. You can download this version for free from this blogpost. If you have ideas for improving it, I’d love to hear from you (Daniel@TokToday.com)
Whether through comments on this post, an email, or a message on our Facebook page, your contributions are invaluable. Let’s collaborate with TOK experts, new teachers, and anyone passionate about this subject to refine this diagram. Together, we can create a tool that truly enhances TOK learning and helps students achieve better grades.
Final Thoughts
I often hear from colleagues who want to increase the ToK grades that are awarded to their students. Focussing on the development of skills not only improves student learning, but can also reduce the stress of preparation of content for ToK lessons.
