A step-by-step guide to the MYP Personal Project Criteriom A investigation

Welcome to the Personal Project!

To effectively complete your personal project you need to follow each step listed on this blog. 

• Your process journal is where you document your progress throughout your Personal Project – it is extremely important that you back this up as you travel along your personal project journey.
• Enjoy the process of engaging in your personal project and ensure you make regular contact with your supervisor; they will be your greatest support throughout the personal project.

Step 1:

Personal Project Mind-map

 In your process journal mind-map ideas for your personal project based on your personal interests. Spend time thinking about which product/outcome you would like to create and ensure this is a project that can maintain your interest and enthusiasm for an 8-month duration.

Step 2:

Defining a clear goal

In your process journal outline exactly what you want to create for your personal project and explain how this is based on a personal interest.

Ensure you document the following:

• Give a precise meaning of the goal of your project. Explain what you want to achieve, when, where, how and why you want to achieve this.
• Describe what makes the personal project personal: the experiences, interests and ideas that make it important to you.

Step 3:

Defining a global context

Select one global context from the six global contexts below that best applies to your project.

Once you have chosen a global context, you need to decide on an area of exploration within this global context. An area of exploration is a way to make the global context you have chosen more relevant and specific to your project.

You now need to articulate in your process journal how the global context and area of exploration you have chosen can help you answer the following questions:

• What do I want to achieve through my project?
• What do I want others to understand through my work?
• What impact do I want my project to have?
• How can a specific context give greater purpose to my project

Step 4:

Clarifying your goal

Drawing together your initial goal definition based on a personal interest and the global context and area of exploration of your choice, refine your goal using the SMART goal graphic organiser. Ensure you document this in you process journal.

Step 5:

Identification of prior-learning and subject-specific knowledge

In your process journal identify what you already know about the goal for your project, the sources of your knowledge and how this will help you achieve your personal project goal. For example, prior-learning could be a night class, sports clinic, previous training or experience, etc.

Step 6:

In your process journal identify what you have learned from your MYP subject groups that will help you achieve your personal project goal.

Step 7:

Demonstrate your research skills

In order to effectively achieve your personal project goal you need to firstly research and evaluate the sources you have researched so you can then transfer this research to your actual project.

Research Process

Using the research model below, you need to document your research in your process journal.

Ensure you have 1 – 3 primary sourcesand 4 – 8 secondary sources.

Ensure you copy/print your sources and ensure they are all documented in your process journal – see exemplar for example of how to do this effectively. (See process journal exemplar – Criteria A – for example of how this information can be documented.)

Ensure you highlight relevant sections of your sources and annotate how you can apply this to your product/outcome.

Step 8:

Evaluate sources

Each source you research you must ensure you evaluate this source using the process on the following page.

Authority – Who is responsible for presenting this information?

• Who has written or provided this information and can you check their qualifications?
• Is the information from an ‘expert’ in this field?

Accuracy – Is the information accurate, can it be proven and verified?

• Is the information correct?
• Can you check the accuracy of information through links, footnotes and bibliography?

Objectivity – Is the information based on facts, things you can observe or based more on opinions and emotions? Is it from just one point-of-view?

• Is there personal bias?
• Can you verify that facts, statistics and links to sources are accurate and truthful?

Currency – How old is the information and is this important?

• Has the author(s) provided a date for when the information was written?
• Has the information been revised or updated, and if so, when?

Ensure you document your source evaluation in your process journal. (See process journal exemplar for an example of how you can document this.)

In your process journal ensure you reflect on how your research skills have developed over the duration of the project. Ensure you document how you have shared your research skills to help your peers as they progressed through their projects too.