From IB school legitimacy to aesthetic legitimacy in China: a duo-autoethnographic perspective

Amid a rise in nationalism, some governments have introduced reforms restricting international curricula like the International Baccalaureate (IB). This duoethnographic study shares the lived experiences of two International English Medium Instructors working at a Chinese Internationalised IB school during the 2019–2021 education reforms. The school navigated policy shifts such as the Textbook Reform, Double Reduction, and Private Education Policy, while still marketing itself as a legitimate IB institution. We describe a shift from authentic IB implementation to a more aesthetic performance of IB identity: retaining its outward form while compromising pedagogical depth. These shifts were driven by regulatory constraints, COVID-19 disruptions, and market expectations. As schools adapt to national pressures while appealing to stakeholders, our findings highlight the tensions between authenticity and aesthetics in international education. This study contributes to discussions on the sustainability and legitimacy of international curricula in increasingly localized, policy-constrained environments.