The widespread application and rapid development of Generative Artificial Intelligence(AI) are reshaping teenagers' paradigms of knowledge acquisition and their cognitive environments. High school students are confronted with multiple challenges including the verification of information authenticity, ethical judgment, and original thinking. The Extended Essay (EE), a core component of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP), offers a systematic inquiry-based educational approach to cultivate students' critical thinking and research literacy. This paper investigates how EE promotes the development of critical thinking among IB learners and identifies the obstacles faced by IB schools, teachers, and students during the EE implementation and proposes targeted strategies for improvement. This research provides both theoretical insights and practical guidance for cultivating high school students' critical thinking through EE and adapting IBDP education to the demands of an AI-mediated educational landscape. 

Mu Jing. Exploration of Cultivating Critical Thinking through the Extended Essay: Strategies for High School IB Students in the Age of Generative AI. International Journal of New Developments in Education (2025), Vol. 7, Issue 6: 29-35. https://doi.org/10.25236/IJNDE.2025.070604.

[1] Sidoti, O., Park, E., & Gottfried, J. (2025, January 15). About a quarter of U.S. teens have used ChatGPT for schoolwork – double the share in 2023. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch. org/short-reads/2025/01/15/about-a-quarter-of-us-teens-have-used-chatgpt-for-schoolwork-double-the-share-in-2023/

[2] Famaye, T., Bailey, C. S., Adisa, I., & Irgens, G. A. (2024). “What Makes ChatGPT Dangerous is Also What Makes It Special”: High-School Student Perspectives on the Integration or Ban of Artificial Intelligence in Educational Contexts. International Journal of Technology in Education, 7(2), 174–199. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijte.651 

[3] Rane, N. L., Choudhary, S. P., Tawde, A., & Rane, J. (2023). ChatGPT is not capable of serving as an author: ethical concerns and challenges of large language models in education. International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science, 05(10). https://doi. org/10.56726/irjmets45212 

[4] Alsuwailan, Z., & Al-Shurai, S. (2025). Evaluating Critical Thinking Skills and Practices: A Comparative Analysis of Public and Private High Schools in Kuwait Based on WGCTA Test and Paul and Elder’s Conceptual Framework. Interchange, 56(2), 85–100. https://doi. org/10. 1007/s10780-025-09537-2 

[5] Hopfenbeck, T. N., Double, K. S., El Masri, Y. H., & McGrane, J. A. (2020). The effect of the Diploma Programme on critical thinking development: An international multisite evaluation. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Centre for Educational Assessment. 

[6] Wilson, O. (2016). Anderson and Krathwohl Bloom’s Taxonomy Revised Understanding the New Version of Bloom’s Taxonomy A succinct discussion of the revisions to Bloom’s classic cognitive taxonomy by Anderson and Krathwohl and how to use them effectively Background. https://www. quincycollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/Anderson-and-Krathwohl_Revised-Blooms-Taxonomy.pdf 

[7] International Baccalaureate Organization. (2017). Extended Essay Guide. https://isob.ukw. edu. pl/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/extended-essay-guide-first-exams-2018.pdf 

[8] Rodgers, C. (2002). Defining reflection: Another Look at John Dewey and Reflective Thinking. Teachers College Record, 104(4), 842–866. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9620.00181 

[9] International Baccalaureate Organization. (2018). What did the extended essay do for you? | IB Community Blog. Ibo.org. https://blogs.ibo.org/2018/09/03/what-did-the-extended-essay-do-for-you/

[10] Tierney, L. (2024, March 5). Perspective | Statistics snapshot: The intersection of AI use in education and plagiarism. EducationNC. https://www. ednc. org/perspective-statistics-snapshot-the-intersection-of-ai-use-in-education-and-plagiarism/

[11] International Baccalaureate Organization. (2023). Academic Integrity Policy. https://www. ibo. org/globalassets/new-structure/programmes/shared-resources/pdfs/academic-integrity-policy-en.pdf