Promoting science and technology in primary education: a review of integrated curricula

Abstract

Integrated curricula seem promising for the increase of attention on science and technology in primary education. A clear picture of the advantages and disadvantages of integration efforts could help curriculum innovation. This review has focussed on integrated curricula in primary education from 1994 to 2011. The integrated curricula were categorized according to a taxonomy of integration types synthesized from the literature. The characteristics that we deemed important were related to learning outcomes and success/fail factors. A focus group was formed to facilitate the process of analysis and to test tentative conclusions. We concluded that the levels in our taxonomy were linked to (a) student knowledge and skills, the enthusiasm generated among students and teachers, and the teacher commitment that was generated; and (b) the teacher commitment needed, the duration of the innovation effort, the volume and comprehensiveness of required teacher professional development, the necessary teacher support, and the effort needed to overcome tensions with standard curricula. Almost all projects were effective in increasing the time spent on science at school. Our model resolves Czerniac's definition problem of integrating curricula in a productive manner, and it forms a practical basis for decision-making by making clear what is needed and what output can be expected when plans are being formulated to implement integrated education.

Abridged International Perspectives of Technology Education and Its Connection to STEM Education

“…In addition, more needs to be done to increase knowledge and understanding of engineering in CfE: the subject is no longer absent from the curriculum but it is still largely missing as a strong and integrated presence. There is scope for technology and engineering to be at the centre of understanding not just interdisciplinary but transdisciplinary approaches to learning in primary and secondary schools (see Gresnigt et al, 2014). Here, learning aims and content are developed across subject boundaries and conceptualised as both pupil-centred and based on real-world themes and projects (Gresnigt et al, 2014, p.53).…”

Trends in research on project-based science and technology teaching and learning at K–12 levels: a systematic review

“…Many recent syntheses and meta-analyses have studied various other teaching methods commonly used in S&T, for example, inquiry science instruction (Anderson, 2002;Furtak, Seidel, Iverson, & Briggs, 2012;Minner, Levy, & Century, 2010); problem-based instruction (Dochy, Segers, Van den Bossche, & Gijbels, 2003;Gijbels, Dochy, Van den Bossche, & Segers, 2005;Walker & Leary, 2009); context-based and science-technology-society approaches (Bennett, Lubben, & Hogarth, 2007); and integrated approaches (Gresnigt, Taconis, van Keulen, Gravemeijer, & Baartman, 2014). For their part, Schroeder, Scott, Tolson, Huang and Lee (2007) considered in their meta-analysis the effects of eight categories of teaching strategies on student achievement: questioning strategies, manipulation strategies, enhanced material strategies, assessment strategies, inquiry strategies, enhanced context strategies, instructional technology (IT) strategies and collaborative learning strategies.…”

Integrative phenomena in visual arts and mathematics

“…As teachers have found common themes, these can be taught 1) sequentially with one subject preceding the other, 2) as parallel bridging links between the subjects, 3) partially together and partially as separate disciplines in the same classes, 4) through enhancing and enriching another subject or 5) together, equally. (See [8], [6], and [15]. )…”

“…In the last two experiments, it was implemented partially together and partially as separate disciplines in the same classes. (See [8], [6], and [15].) In all these experiments, the teacher encouraged the students to organise their experiences and find regularities around them [20], and promoted social and thinking skills.…”