Transdisciplinary Integrated Curriculum: An Analysis of Teacher Experiences through a Design Model within the Framework of IB-PYP

Year 2021, Volume: 8 Issue: 1, 176 - 199, 01.01.2021

Burcu Gürkan

https://doi.org/10.17275/per.21.10.8.1

Cited By: 3

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to examine the positive and negative experiences of teachers through a model in the process of designing a transdisciplinary integrated curriculum within the framework of IB-PYP. The design of the study included a holistic, multiple-case approach. The study was carried out with 50 teachers, among which 7 (14%) are male and 43 (86%) are female, in the IBEC teacher curriculum at a university in Turkey in the 2018-2019 spring and 2019-2020 fall academic terms. IBEC was given in Istanbul, Ankara, and Gaziantep cities in Turkey. The data were collected with researcher diary, focus group interviews and reflective writings, and analyzed through content analysis. In the study in which the transdisciplinary integrated curriculum was designed using a model, it was observed that the model brought systematic approach to teachers. The integrated curriculum design was realized through the cooperation of teachers from different branches, which proved to be efficient to cooperate with different disciplines. Emphasizing that they had difficulty in selecting practices for planning and evaluating the teaching process, the participant teachers also affirmed that specifically these stages developed them professionally. In designing the program, teachers also developed coping skills. It is understood that the brainstorming technique relieved teachers' challenges. It was found that teachers' experiences were of significance in effective design of the integrated programs. School-based program development, collaborative work, and the ability to meet the needs of different disciplines with a common mechanism were become evident over time.

Keywords

transdisciplinary instruction, integrated curriculum, instruction design, teacher education

References

• Akins, A., & Akerson, V. L. (2002). Connecting science, social studies, and language arts: An interdisciplinary approach. Educational Action Research, 10(3), 479-498. doi:10.1080/09650790200200196.
• Amaliyah, N., Sapriya, S., & Maryani, E. (2007). A trans-disciplinary approach and inquiry-based learning model of social studies. World Transactions on Engineering and Technology Education, 15(2), 174-177.
• Augsburg, T. (2014). Becoming transdisciplinary: The emergence of the transdisciplinary ındividual. World Futures, 70(3-4), 233-247. doi: 10.1080/02604027.2014.934639.
• Beane, J. S. (1995). Curriculum integration and the disciplines of knowledge. The Phi Delta Kappan International, 76(8), 616-622. May 5, 2019, https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ501262
• Berferon, L., & Dean, M. (2013). The IB teacher professional: Identifying, measuring and characterizing pedagogical attributes, perspectives, and beliefs. January 2, 2020, https://www.ibo.org/globalassets/publications/ib-research/
• Berger, G. (1970). Interdisciplinarity: Problems of teaching and research in universities. September 21, 2019, http://fileeric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED061895.pdf
• Bintz, W. P., and Monobe, G. (2018). Interdisciplinary curriculum: Using poetry to integrate reading and writing across the curriculum. Middle School Journal, 49(3), 36-48. doi: 10.1080/00940771.2018.1439667
• Boyer, E. L. (1995). The educated person. In Toward a coherent curriculum, edited by J. A. Beane, 16–25. Alexandria, VA.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
• Broersma, C. (2014). Is it time to change? Infusing the transdisciplinary approach into social work studies. Journal of Sociology and Social Work, 2(2), 145-154. doi: 10.15640/jssw.v2n2a9
• Brough, C. J. (2007). Nurturing talent through curriculum integration. Kairaranga 8 (1), 8−12. September 15, 2019, https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ914608.pdf
• Brough, C. J. (2012). Implementing the democratic principles and practices of student-centred curriculum integration in primary schools. Curriculum Journal, 23(3), 345-369. doi: 10.1080/09585176.2012.703498
• Bruner, J. (2009). Eğitim süreci [The Process of education] (Trans. T. Öztürk). Ankara: Pegem Publishing.
• Campbell, A. (1999). An integrated curriculum for English, media and drama at Ks 4. English in Education, 33(1), 13-23. doi: 10.1111/j.1754-8845.1999.tb00159.x
• Campbell, D. T. (1969). Ethnocentrism of disciplines and the fish-scale model of omniscience. In Interdisciplinary Relations in the Social Sciences, edited by M. Sherif and C. W. Sherif, 328-348. Chicago, IL: Aldine.
• Choi, B. C. K, & Pak, A. W. P. (2006). Multidisciplinarity, interdisciplinarity, and trandisciplinarity in health research, services, education, and policy: 1. Definitions, objectives, and evidence of effectiveness. Clinical Investigative Medicine, 29(6), 351–364.
• Cook, S. (2015). A study of the perceptions of International Baccalaureate Primary years programme teachers on factors influencing their development as PYP educators. September 19, 2019, https://www.ibo.org/contentassets/4ccc99665bc04f3686957ee197c13855/samantha-cook-pyp-en.pdf
• Dempster, J. A., Benfield, G., & Francis, R. (2012). An academic development model for fostering innovation and sharing in curriculum design. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 49(2), 135-147. doi: 10.1080/14703297.2012.677595
• Dobozy, E., & Dalziel, J. (2016). Transdisciplinary pedagogical templates and their potential for adaptive reuse. Journal of Interactive Media in Education, (1)8, 1-11. doi: 10.5334/jime.402
• Drake, M. (2007). Creating standarts-based integrated curriculum: Aligning curriculum, content, assessment and instruction. California: Corwin Press
• Drake, M., & Burn, R. C. (2004). Meeting standarts through integrated curriculum. Alexandria, Va.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
• Drake, S. M., Savage, M. J., Reid, J. L., Bernard, M. L., & Beres, J. (2015). An exploration of the policy and practice of transdisciplinarity in the IB PYP.” September 19, 2019, http://www.ibo.org/globalassets/publications/ibresearch/pyp/an-exploration-of-the-policy-and-practice-of-transdisciplinarity-in-the-pypfinal-report.pdf
• Erickson, H. L. (1995). Stirring the head, heart, and soul: Redefining curriculum and instruction. California: Corwin Press, Inc.
• Ferguson-Patrick, K, Reynolds, R., & Macqueen, S. (2018). Integrating curriculum: A case study of teaching global education. European Journal of Teacher Education, 41(2), 187-201. doi: 10.1080/02619768.2018.1426565
• Fogarty, R., & Stoehr, J. (1995). Integrating curricula with multiple intelligences: Teams, themes, and threads. Arlington Heights, Illinois: SkyLight Professional Development.
• Getchell, L. A. (2010). Effects of International Baccalaureate primary years programme on teacher philosophy, perceptions of efficacy, and outlook on education (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Denver, Denver, Colorado.
• Gibbons, J. A. (1979). Curriculum integration. Curriculum Inquiry, 9(4), 321-332. doi: 10.1080/03626784.1979.11075614
• Giri, A. K. (2002). The calling of a creative transdisciplinarity. Futures 34(1), 103-115. doi: 10.1016/S0016-3287(01)00038-6
• Hammond, D. J. (2017). An Investigation into the impact of an integrated curriculum on learning in the primary school. PhD diss., Durham University. May 8, 2019, http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/12025/
• Herro, D., & Quigley, C. (2017). Exploring teachers’ perceptions of STEAM teaching through professional development: Implications for teacher educators. Professional Development in Education, 43(3), 416-438. doi: 10.1080/19415257.2016.1205507
• Holeva, L. C. (2012). The effects of the International Baccalaureate primary years programme on teacher’s philosophy of education and ınstructional practices. Master diss., California State University. September 19, 2019, http://hdl.handle.net/10211.3/10211.8_208
• Huizinga, T., Handelzalts, A., Nieveen, N., & Voogt, J. M. (2014). Teacher involvement in curriculum design: Need for support to enhance teachers’ design expertise. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 46(1), 33-57. doi: 10.1080/00220272.2013.834077
• International Baccalaureate Organization. (2018a). PYP planner. Cardiff, UK: International Baccalaureate. International Baccalaureate Organization. (2018b). Learning and teaching. Cardiff, UK: International Baccalaureate.
• International Baccalaureate Organization. (2020). Find an IB world school. January 10, 2020, https://www.ibo.org/programmes/find-an-ib-school/
• Jacobs, H. H. (1989). The growing need for interdisciplinary curriculum content. In Interdisciplinary curriculum: Design and implementation, edited by H. H. Jacobs, 1-12. Alexandria, Va.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
• Jacobs, H. H. (1991). Planning for curriculum integration. Educational Leadership, 49(2), 27-28. September 21, 2019, https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ432777
• Jeder, D. (2014). Transdisciplinarity- the advantage of a holistic approach to life. Procedia- Social and Behavioral Sciences, 137(2014), 127–131. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.05.264
• Keiny, S. (1993). School‐based curriculum development as a process of teachers’ professional development. Educational Action Research, 1(1), 65-93. doi: 10.1080/0965079930010105
• Kysilka, M. L. (1998). Understanding integrated curriculum. Curriculum Journal, 9(2), 197-209. doi: 10.1080/0958517970090206
• LaMotte, M. (2018). The integrated approach versus the traditional approach: Analyzing the benefits of a dance and transportation integrated curriculum. Journal of Dance Education, 18(1), 23-32. doi: 10.1080/15290824.2017.1336667
• Marshall, J. (2014). Transdisciplinarity and art integration: Toward a new understanding of art-based learning across the curriculum. Studies in Art Education, 55(2), 104-127. doi: 10.1080/00393541.2014.11518922
• Mathison, S., & Freeman, M. (1997). The logic of interdisciplinary studie. Chicago Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association. September 21, 2019, http://eric.ed.gov./?id=ED418434.
• McGuinness, C., Swartz, R., & Sproule, L. (2016). Student thinking and learning in the PYP transdisciplinary framework: Case study from PYP schools. September 19, 2019, https://resources.ibo.org/data/g_0_ibres_sup-dr_1610_1b_e.pdf
• McPhail, G. (2018). Curriculum integration in the senior secondary school: A case study in a National Assessment Context. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 50(1), 56-76. doi:10.1080/00220272.2017.1386234
• Medwell, J., Cooker, L., Bailey, L., & Winchip, E. (2017). The impact of the PYP exhibition on the development of international-mindedness, critical thinking and attributes of the IB Learner Profile. September 19, 2019, https://resources.ibo.org/pyp/topic/Studies-exploring-programme-implementation/?
• Meeth, R. L. (1978). Interdisciplinary studies: A matter of definition. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 10(7),10. doi: 10.1080/00091383.1978.10569474
• Miles, B. M., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis. California: SAGE Publication, Thousand Oaks.
• Miller, B. A. (2013). Joining forces: A collaborative study of curricular integration. International Journal of Education and the Arts, 14(special issue), 1-24. October 14, 2019, https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1012892.pdf
• Newell, W. H. (1994). Designing interdisciplinary courses. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 1994(58), 35-51. doi: 10.1002/tl.37219945804
• Nicolescu, B. (2012). The need for transdisciplinarity in Higher Education in a Globalized World. Transdisciplinary Journal of Engineering and Science 3, 11-18. doi: 10.22545/2012/00031
• Nolan, P., & McKinnon, D. (2003). Enhancing the middle in a New Zealand secondary school: Integration, experiential learning, and computer use. International Journal of Educational Reform 12, 230-243. October 14, 2019, https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ852564
• Özer, Ö. (2010). A case study on transdisciplinary approach of integrated curriculum: perspectives of early childhood teachers. Master diss., Middle East Technical University. October 14, 2019, https://tez.yok.gov.tr/UlusalTezMerkezi/
• Panaritis, P. (1995). Beyond brainstorming: Planning a successful interdisciplinary program. The Phi Delta Kappan, 76(8), 623-628.
• Park, J., & Son, J. (2010). Transitioning toward transdisciplinary learning in a multidisciplianary environment. International Journal of Pedagogies and Learning, 6(1), 82-93. doi: 10.5172/ijpl.6.1.82
• Romance, N. R., & Vitale, M. R. (2001). Using in-depth science instruction to accelerate student achievement in science and reading comprehension in grades 1–2. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, (2012)10, 457- 472. doi:10.1007/s10763-011-9326-8.
• Rosenfield, P. L. (1992). The potential of transdisciplinary research for sustaining and extending linkages between the health and social sciences. Social Science and Medicine, 35(11), 1343- 1357. doi: 10.1016/0277-9536(92)90038-R
• Savage, M. S., & Drake, S. M. (2016). Living transdisciplinary curriculum: Teachers’ experiences with the International Baccalaureate’s Primary Years Programme. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 9(1), 1-20. October 14, 2019, https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1126686.pdf
• Schumacher, D. H. (1995). Five levels of curriculum integration defined, refined, and described. Research in Middle Level Education, 18(3), 73-94. doi:10.1080/10825541.1995.11670055
• Smith, K., Kulinna, P. H., Vissicaro, P., & Fredrickson, L. (2016). Anthropology, dance, and education: Integrated curriculum in social studies. The Social Studies, 107(1), 28-37. doi: 10.1080/00377996.2015.1094725
• Tallman, T. O. (2019). How middle grades teachers experience a collaborative culture: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. RMLE Online, 42(8), 1-16. doi: 10.1080/19404476.2019.1668103
• Tan, Y. S. M., & Nashon, S. M. (2015). Promoting teachers’ collaborative exploration of a new science curriculum: The case of a Singapore learning study. Professional Development in Education, 41(4), 671-689. doi: 10.1080/19415257.2014.944670
• Then, K. L., Rankin, J. A., & Ali, E. (2014). Focus group research: What is it and how can it be used?. Canadian Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 24(1), 16-22. October 14, 2020, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24660275
• Tucker, B., Hafenstein,N. L., Jones, S., Bernick, R., & Haines, K. (1997). An integrated‐thematic curriculum for gifted learners. Roeper Review, 19(4), 196-199. doi: 10.1080/02783199709553828
• Tudor, L. S. (2014). Perception of teachers on curriculum integration: Integration patterns practice. Procedia- Social and Behavioral Sciences, 127, 728-732. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.03.344
• Twigg, V. V. (2010). Teachers’ practices, values and beliefs for successful inquiry-based teaching in the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme. Journal of Research in Education, 9(1), 40-65. doi: 10.1177/1475240909356947
• UNESCO. (1986). Interdisciplinarity in general education. Division of educational. September 19, 2019, https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000070823
• Vars, G. F. (1991). Integrated curriculum in historical perspective. Educational Leadership, 49(2), 14-15. May 5, 2019, https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ432773
• Wall, A., & Leckie, A. (2017). Curriculum integration: An overview. Current Issues in Middle Level Education, 22(1), 36-40. May 5, 2019, https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1151668.pdf
• Walsh, L., & Casinader, N. (2018). Transcultural capability and the Primary Years Programme. September 21, 2019, https://resources.ibo.org/pyp/topic/Studies-on-student-and-school-outcomes/?
• Wilkinson, S. (1998). Focus group methodology: A eeview. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, Theory and Practice, 1(3), 181–203. doi: 10.1080/13645579.1998.10846874
• Williams, N. L., Connell, M., White, C., & Kemper, J. (2003). Real boats rock: A transdisciplinary approach for teacher preparation. Action in Teacher Education, 24(4), 95-102. doi: 10.1080/01626620.2003.10463284
• Yin, R. K. (2008). Case study research: Desing and methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publication
• Yin, R. K. (2011). Qualitative research from start to finish. New York: The Guilford Press.