Education and Early Childhood Learning

One subject area

Ongoing

Integration of subject area knowledge and skills as a coherent whole within the grade

Integration of knowledge and skills as a coherent whole from grade-to-grade

Fully respects subject area's way of knowing, distinct conceptual structures, and methods of inquiry

Focuses on big ideas, concepts, learning outcomes, not just isolated facts or superficially related content

Cognitive, affective, and social domains integrated with subject-based knowledge and skills to enhance personal meaning and social relevancy

More than one subject area

Maintains intradisciplinary characteristics which

Integrate subject area knowledge and skills as a coherent whole within grade and from grade-to-grade

Fully respect subject area's way of knowing, distinct conceptual structures, and methods of inquiry

Focus on big ideas, concepts, learning outcomes, not just isolated facts or superficially related content

Integrate cognitive, affective, and social domains with subject-based knowledge and skills to enhance personal meaning and social relevancy

Subject area content delivered separately and independently of one another

Delivery of related topics timed and coordinated as appropriate

Implicit topic linkages between subject areas to be made by student

More than one subject area

Holistic

Integration of interdependent knowledge and skills from more than one subject area

Centers on a theme, issue, topic or experience and meets four criteria (Ackerman, 1989)

1. Validity within the disciplines-- concepts identified not merely related to their subject areas but important to them

2. Validity for the disciplines-- learning of the subject-based concepts actually enhanced by integration

3. Validity beyond the disciplines-- whole greater than sum of its parts; interplay of subject areas illuminates complex phenomena

4. Contribution to broader outcomes-- integration has the potential to contribute to students' intellectual dispositions and more broadly to development of the whole person

Explicit linkages between subject areas; mutual enrichment of subject areas

Complex and time-consuming approach to curricular planning and delivery

Specificity and identity of different subject areas maintained to ensure coherence of important concepts

Maintains intradisciplinary characteristics which

Integrate subject area knowledge and skills as a coherent whole within grade and from grade-to-grade

Fully respect subject area's way of knowing, distinct conceptual structures, and methods of inquiry

Focus on big ideas, concepts, learning outcomes, not just isolated facts or superficially related content

Integrate cognitive, affective, and social domains with subject-based knowledge and skills to enhance personal meaning and social relevancy

Subject areas all contribute, but subordinate to ongoing, independent student projects

Highest level of integration

Focus is on student-initiated projects

Cognitive, affective, and social domains central to the process which

Is based on students' characteristics, needs, interests and personal learning processes

Develops student initiative; imagination, and creativity; research, analysis and synthesis skills; and autonomy

Acquisition of subject-based knowledge and skills occurs informally

Student-set timetable

Require thorough knowledge of subject area's knowledge and skills and their interrelatedness

Need to be aware of scope and sequence of subject area for K to S4 continuum

Need to integrate cognitive, affective, and social domains with subject-based knowledge and skills in a context where the teaching-learning process fosters active and deliberate construction of meaning

May cover less subject content, but that which is studied is done at a greater depth of understanding

Need support from school administration and community

Need access to professional development

Must regard intradisciplinary implementation issues where teachers

- require thorough knowledge of subject area's knowledge and skills and their interrelatedness

- need to be aware of scope and sequence of subject area for K to S4 continuum

- need to integrate cognitive, affective, and social domains with subject-based knowledge and skills in a context where the teaching-learning process fosters active and deliberate construction of meaning

- may cover less subject content, but that which is studied is done at a greater depth of understanding

Deliberately coordinate timing and delivery of related topics; order of delivery may change

Do not guide students in making linkages between knowledge and skills of separate subject areas; unable to form coherent view of topic

May engage in limited shared planning

Need support from school administration and community

Need access to professional development

Must regard intradisciplinary implementation issues where teachers

Require thorough knowledge of subject area's knowledge and skills and their interrelatedness

Need to be aware of scope and sequence of subject area for K to S4 continuum

Need to integrate cognitive, affective, and social domains with subject-based knowledge and skills in a context where the teaching-learning process fosters active and deliberate construction of meaning

May cover less subject content, but that which is studied is done at a greater depth of understanding

Must evaluate theme, issue, topic, or experience against four criteria

1. Validity within the disciplines-- teachers representing each subject area are required to verify that concepts identified are not merely related, but important to subject area

2. Validity for the disciplines-- learning of the discipline-based concepts actually enhanced by the integration; if not, these concepts best taught using intradisciplinary approach

3. Validity beyond the disciplines-- the interplay of subject areas illuminates complex phenomena; whole greater than sum of its parts

4. Contribution to broader outcomes-- integrated concepts enhance students' overall approach to knowledge, making them more skilled at flexible thinking and multiple points of view; integration has potential to contribute to intellectual as well as affective and social development of student

Must ensure that integration is authentic and meaningful and occurs naturally within realistic contexts

Must realize that not everything can be integrated

Must start small with one integrated unit between 2 or 3 subject areas; should not involve all subject areas over the entire year

Must consider the time needed for curriculum planning. Subject matter research may be necessary as familiar material is repositioned, raising new questions involving content not previously presented. New tests will have to be written. Extra time is needed to familiarize students with the interdisciplinary approach

Need for common time for communication and coordination with colleagues at both planning and delivery stages

Require student timetable that allows for students' time on task and interaction with appropriate human and material resources

Require human, material, and financial resources

Need support from school administration and community

Need access to professional development

must alter their role and teaching approaches

Do not formally address subject areas or their interconnectedness

Require thorough knowledge of characteristics of, and relationship between the cognitive, affective, and social domains of developing child

Select the subject-based knowledge and skills that stimulate and enrich students' learning experiences

Reorganize the learning environment

Need full support from school administration and community with respect to human, material, temporal, and financial resources

Need access to professional development