Cambridge IGCSE Global Perspectives 0457 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.

3 Approaches to teaching and learning

This syllabus gives you the flexibility to design a course that will interest, challenge and engage your learners.
Where appropriate you are responsible for selecting topics, resources and examples to support your learners’
study. These should be appropriate for the learners’ age, cultural background and learning context as well as
complying with your school policies and local legal requirements.

Cambridge IGCSE Global Perspectives gives learners the opportunity to develop important skills while
exploring significant global topics and issues within these topics. The topics give learners a stimulating context
in which to develop skills and these skills are assessed in this syllabus. Knowledge of content is not assessed
in this syllabus.

Topics
The topics enable students to develop skills, explore global issues and consider different perspectives on these
issues. Students and their teachers must choose topics from the following list.

Topic list
Arts in society Law and criminality
Change in culture and communities Media and communication
Climate change, energy and resources Migration and urbanisation
Conflict and peace Political power and action
Development, trade and aid Poverty and inequality
Digital world Social identity and inclusion
Education for all Sport and recreation
Employment Technology, industry and innovation
Environment, pollution and conservation Transport, travel and tourism
Globalisation Values and beliefs
Health and wellbeing Water, food and agriculture

The topic list is for all components. The topics in the list are intentionally broad. Students with their teachers
choose topics that are most relevant to them. Students are not expected to have experience of each topic.

Choosing topics
Teachers should look at several topics during the course to help develop their students’ skills. The intention is
to give as much scope and encouragement as possible for students to discuss and agree with their teachers
their own paths of enquiry into the complex world in which they live.

How to drive sustainable change is part of this complex world. Sustainability is a global issue and any of the
topics can be considered with a focus on sustainability. The syllabus is designed to give students and teachers
flexibility and encouragement to think about sustainability if they choose to.

Issues and perspectives

The topics have been chosen because they involve a range of interesting and contemporary global issues.
Students should use research, reasoning and questioning to understand different perspectives on these issues
and to form their own judgements. They are encouraged to appreciate different perspectives and to engage
critically with these.

Back to contents page www.cambridgeinternational.org/igcse 12

 Cambridge IGCSE Global Perspectives 0457 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027. Approaches to teaching and learning

The following terms are used in this syllabus. Within the context of this syllabus their meanings are as follows.

Issue – an important subject or problem for discussion.

Perspective – a viewpoint on an issue based on evidence and reasoning.

Skills
This syllabus enables students to develop the skills of research, analysis and evaluation, reflection,
communication and collaboration by exploring global issues within the topics.

As part of their development, students should learn to engage with relevant material. This material should
be contrasting in nature, including in its breadth and depth. The types of evidence that students use should
encourage them to become actively involved in considering issues from different perspectives. These types of
evidence might include for example, articles from the media, data sets and personal testimony.

In working with these materials, students should consider research, evidence and argument. Within the context
of this syllabus the meanings of these terms are as follows.

Research – the systematic study of a global issue to find evidence and develop understanding.

Evidence – information about a global issue that helps to develop understanding or prove that something is
true or false.

Argument – a series of statements containing reasons and evidence which support a claim about a global
issue.

Back to contents page www.cambridgeinternational.org/igcse 13

 Cambridge IGCSE Global Perspectives 0457 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027. Details of the assessment

Component 3 – Team Project

Team Project, 70 marks

This component is internally assessed and externally moderated by Cambridge International.

Candidates work in teams of two to five members to design and carry out a collaborative project.

Each team produces an:

• Explanation of Research and Planning
• Evidence of Action.

Each individual in the team produces a:

• Reflective Paper.

In the Team Project, candidates are assessed on the skills of research, analysis, evaluation, reflection,
communication and collaboration.

How the Team Project works

• The team selects a topic from the topic list and identifies a relevant local issue.
• The team carries out research into the topic and local issue and into different perspectives on the local
issue.
• Each team member researches a different aspect, such as a different perspective.
• Based on their research findings, and through discussion, the team decides on a course of action they
might take to address the issue.
• The team plans and carries out the action.
• They measure the success of their action in addressing the issue.
• The team also collaborates to write a planning document – the Explanation of Research and Planning,
which explains their decisions and planned actions.
• They collaborate to produce the Evidence of Action.

Each individual candidate also produces a Reflective Paper, in which they reflect on the whole project and their
experiences and learning, and evaluate their teamwork and the action taken.

The Team Project has two elements:

• Team Element
• Personal Element.

Back to contents page www.cambridgeinternational.org/igcse 19

 Cambridge IGCSE Global Perspectives 0457 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027. Details of the assessment

Team Element
The Explanation of Research and Planning: 10 marks
Each team produces one Explanation of Research and Planning of 300–400 words. This is the team’s strategic
and working document which is added to over time. Typically, this document is produced in three stages.

The team should first identify:

• the topic chosen
• a local issue the team wants to address
• what each team member will research.

The team completes the Explanation of Research and Planning with this information.

As the project progresses, the team should then:

• clarify the topic, the issue and the action the team will take, based on their research
• outline their plan of action
• identify roles and responsibilities of team members
• state how they will evidence the action
• identify how they will measure the success of their action.

The team completes the Explanation of Research and Planning with this information.

When the team has completed the project, the Explanation of Research and Planning should:
• identify and explain any changes that had to be made.

The document may be presented in the form of a simple table.

All members of the team must be awarded the same mark for the Explanation of Research and Planning.

If the word limit is exceeded, the teacher must not award marks beyond the first 400 words of the Explanation
of Research and Planning.

The Evidence of Action: 5 marks

Each team submits Evidence of Action for their Team Project to show what they have done.

Evidence of Action can take any appropriate form such as posters, leaflets, web pages, videos (10 minutes
maximum), presentations or photographs of an event.

The Evidence of Action is something that has been produced during the action. Evidence of Action should not
include evidence of research or initial meetings to discuss the project.

All members of the team must be awarded the same mark for the Evidence of Action.

If a team submits a video, the teacher must not award marks beyond the first 10 minutes.

Back to contents page www.cambridgeinternational.org/igcse 20

 Cambridge IGCSE Global Perspectives 0457 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027. Details of the assessment

Collaboration: 10 marks (5 team marks and 5 individual marks)

The team members work together to select a topic and an issue, agree roles and conduct research. They agree
an action and plan and carry out their action. The team collaborates to produce an Explanation of Research
and Planning and Evidence of Action. Each individual within the team is expected to take an active part in the
project.

Aspects of collaboration include:

• clear communication between team members
• sharing and developing ideas
• agreeing targets and deadlines
• solving problems
• being flexible when required
• dividing tasks between team members and recognising all members’ contributions
• asking for and giving support to others when needed.

All members of the team are awarded the same team mark for Collaboration. All individual members of the
team are also awarded an individual mark for Collaboration. Individual collaboration marks may vary within the
team.

Collaboration marks are awarded by the teacher based on observation throughout the project.

Personal Element
Reflective Paper: 45 marks
Each candidate submits an individual Reflective Paper of 750–1000 words, excluding citations and bibliography
or reference list. The Reflective Paper must not exceed 1000 words.

The Reflective Paper is written in continuous text. It should be structured and easy to follow. The candidate may
use sub-headings for clarity. When appropriate the candidate should use the first person (‘I’ and ‘me’).

Candidates should:
• present a summary of their own research findings and how these were or were not used in the Team
Project
• reflect on their own learning from the whole experience of the Team Project, including their learning about
the issue and teamwork and what they learned about themselves
• evaluate how effective the action they carried out was and how effectively they worked with their team.

Candidates are assessed individually on their Reflective Paper.

If the word limit is exceeded, teachers must not award marks beyond the first 1000 words of the Reflective
Paper.

Back to contents page www.cambridgeinternational.org/igcse 21