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Interdisciplinar﻿y Curriculum
**Limitations to Interdisciplinary Curriculum** (1) its siren call of superficiality   ﻿ (2) the temptation to use it when a separate subjects approach would better serve both teachers and students
 * There are two main limitations regarding utilizing interdisciplinary curriculum within the classroom.
 * Traditionalists and subject matter specialist believe there is a reluctance to abandon teaching important subjects separately. They fear that mathematics, literature, history, etc. will be watered down and treated superficiality while attempting to meet the compromising demands of some central theme
 * Concern that the orderly progression of knowledge and skills taught when a subject is treated as a curriculum will be lost, by trying to relate it to a theme
 * Some subjects will lack both depth and continuity
 * The temptation to only consider how academic subjects fit into a particular theme can lead to disasters: lower test scores, lessened exposure to the possibilities of a particular subject, and the dominance of some curricular area over others
 * The temptations to integrate subjects or keep them separate can be prevented by one simple question: What is best for students?

(1) t ﻿ eachers must show interest in a topic, and be certain that the topic can potentially provide a range of experiences that all subject areas   ﻿ (2) Students should be provided with agreed-upon content, while being given the opportunity to find themselves within it
 * The Interdisciplinary Experience and Preservation of Academic Integrity **
 * Any theme chosen by teachers and students must have sustaining value, and must include various academic disciplines as meaningful contributors
 * Choosing themes should be based upon a strategic vision of what students need to learn and ways in which they might learn
 * Any choice of unit must pertain possibilities for student choices, individual initiative, teacher and student collaboration, and projects
 * There are two reasons why interdisciplinary themes should be selected by the teachers themselves:

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 * The Research Base for Interdisciplinary Curriculum **
 * Researcher Kathy Lake discovered there are "no detrimental effects on learning when students partake in integrated curriculum." Due to studies dating back to 1965, Lake found that some students learned more in the integrated curriculum, and an educational advantage was teacher cooperation. She was cautious about reaching conclusions, because of the limited amount of research.
 * Lee and Smith conducted research within 820 secondary schools. Based upon their research, they concluded the following regarding organizational structure of high schools- students learn more in schools which are restructured, and 25 percent of the restructured schools were using interdisciplinary curriculum.
 * The types of research needed are empirical quantitative studies in controlled experimental conditions, action research consisting of teachers whose experience offers degree of validity qualitative studies that portray textured, ethnographic descriptions inside the classrooms where interdisciplinary teaching is practiced.

**Arguments For and Against Integrating the Curriculum**




 * Arguments for integrating the curriculum **

**1. Psychological/ Developmental-** Research reveals that students learn best when encountering ideas are connected.

**2. Sociocultural**- The current curriculum is obsolete and does not address the needs, interests, and capacities of today's students.

**3. Motivational**- Since it's often organized around student-selected themes and offers a choice, this will enhance students' interest and motivation.

**Obstacles to curriculum integration**

**1. Trivialization problem**- Sometimes it's appropriate for teachers to address ideas within one content area.

**2. Teacher knowledge problem**- If teachers lack knowledge and skills in multiple disciplines, their capacity to integrate these disciplines is problematic.

**3. Assessment Problem**- Most school systems are not capable of effectively assessing students' attainment of deep understanding, the goal of integrated learning.

**Interdisciplinary Curriculum as a Source**﻿ **of Integ﻿****ration**
** ﻿Integration of Subject Matter **
 * A style of interdisciplinary curric﻿ulum is to bring teacher﻿s and students closer to the frontiers of knowledge by accessing original source materials such as diaries, journals, logs, and additional forms of first person accounts.
 * Often teachers and students work with processed textbooks denying the pleasure and excitement of using original source materials.
 * Teachers have to make sure integration with curriculum conte﻿nt and with the people who study the curriculum.


 * Integration of Teachers **
 * The first line of integration begins with the teaching staff.
 * Each teacher must see him/herself as an integral part of a strategic whole.
 * Teachers must talk and plan with one another, since interdisciplinary curriculum demands the insights of each teacher and his/her specialty.


 * Integration of Students and Community **
 * After the teaching staff becomes integrated and a theme is chosen, the next step is to commit to integrating students.
 * Interdisciplinary curriculum calls upon all students to share their gifts, talents, energy, good will, and hard work.
 * Then parents and members of the community must be integrated as well.

**Additional Resources**

[|Interdisciplinary Curriculum]

Ellis, Arthur (1998). //The Interdisciplinary Curriculum.// Larchmont, New York: Eye on Education.

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