21st Century Strands & Strategies
Chapter: Strands & Strategies: At-A-Glance
9
Curriculum Integration
Curriculum Integration is a planned, multidisciplinary approach to instruction that
provides relevant and rigorous learning experiences that make connections within and
across subjects and within and across learners. Embedded in Common Core State
Standards, curriculum integration provides real world opportunities for students to
become analytical problem solvers. Rigor is the foundation of curriculum integration as
students are able to transfer their learning to real-life situations. The strategies that
support curriculum integration are tiered to differentiate across teacher readiness levels
to include multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and trans-disciplinary approaches to
learning.
Multidisciplinary Integration
(least degree of
integration)
Interdisciplinary Integration
(medium degree of
integration)
Transdisciplinary Integration
(paradigm shift of
integration)
1.
Multidisciplinary Integration: Multidisciplinary Integration approaches focus
mainly on the disciplines. Teachers organize standards from the disciplines
around a theme. This approach offers teacher a simpler, more efficient way to
base instruction on standards in meaningful ways (Meeth, L. R. 2012).
2.
Interdisciplinary Integration: Interdisciplinary Integration is the organization of
curriculum around common learning across the disciplines. It is the attempt in
practice to integrate the contributions of several disciplines to one problem, issue
or theme from life. Interdisciplinary integration involves relating whole to part,
part to whole, and part to part (Meeth, L. R. 2012).
3.
Transdisciplinary Integration: Transdisciplinary Integration occurs when eachers
organize curriculum around student questions or concerns. Students develop life
skills as they apply disciplinary and interdisciplinary skills into real-life contexts
(Drake and Burns, 2004). Transdisciplinary integration starts with the problem and
through problem solving uses the disciplines that contribute to the solution
(Meeth, L. R. 2012).
4.
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM): STEM education is
an approach to teaching and learning that integrates the content and skills of
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. DoDEA STEM education is
an educational program designed to provide students with opportunities to be
successful in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
