Knowledge integration
Does the lesson integrate a range of subject areas?
Integrated school knowledge is identifiable when either:
a) explicit attempts are made to connect two or more sets of subject area knowledge, or
b) when no subject area boundaries are readily seen.
Topics or problems which either require knowledge from multiple areas, or which have no clear subject areas basis in the first place are indicators of curricula which integrate school subject knowledge.
Non-integrated school knowledge is typically segregated or divided in such a way that specific sets of knowledge and skills are (relatively) unique and discrete to each specified school subject area. Segregated knowledge is identified by clear boundaries between subject areas. Connections between knowledge in different segregated subject areas are less and less clear the stronger the dividing knowledge boundary. In the extreme, such boundaries prevent any interrelation of different subject areas.
^ Top of page
-
All knowledge strictly restricted to that explicitly defined within a single school subject area. No intrusion of other contents permitted.
-
Knowledge from multiple subject areas connected or related together, but still treated as separate and distinct subjects.
-
Complete integration of subject area knowledge to the degree that subject area boundaries are not recognisable.
^ Top of page
Growing enrolments at a high school necessitated increasing the number of houses by two for various interhouse sporting events. To accommodate this change, two extra lanes had to be marked on the running track in time for the school athletics carnival.
This prompted a group of year 8 teachers from different disciplines to work together on an integrated unit with the same group of students.
An HPE teacher worked with the students to design the new track and athletics field so that it would accommodate the extra competitors. Extra areas had to be allocated for the new house groups, for more marshalling space and for specialised events such as discus and long jump. A Maths teacher worked with her class to determine the actual lengths of the new tracks and the position of the starting blocks for events over various distances. An English teacher worked with his class to draw up programs, advertising material, results lists and signage. A computer studies teacher worked with her class to construct a web site for the carnival and there were continual updates made to this web site.
Thus integration in this example occurred around a common topic with subject boundaries remaining intact.
^ Top of page
Other languages