Integrated Curriculum
An integrated curriculum refers to an educational method joining different and connecting the subjects and discipline components with a joint learning experience for the students. Hands-on applications of this method concentrate on interdisciplinary learning, thus, enlightening the education field out of typical and pulling students to engage more.
One of the main advantages of an integrated curriculum is that it promotes critical thinking, students' involvement, and retention of knowledge. When subjects are connected, students realize how their learning is connected to the real world, which, in turn, develops their understanding on a deeper level. As an illustration, a project which is the mixture of math and science can aid students in experiencing the concepts of measurement and data analysis by means of real-life experiments.
A basket-weaving curriculum embraces different teaching approaches and activities for different kinds of learning. For example, in a section that teaches about ecosystems, students would have the opportunity to talk in groups, view documentaries, and do outdoor field studies, which would guarantee that all students could connect strategies to their way of learning.
There are some obstacles that teachers may encounter while implementing the integrated curriculum such as the non-coverage of the curriculum, high demand on time, and the need for professional development. The organization of different subjects entails the planning process and the cooperation of teachers. Not having a uniform schedule for planning may hinder the alignment of the objectives between the subjects making it inevitable for the school to provide necessary support and resources.
An integrated curriculum project of this kind is a 'Global Cultures' unit that allows students to learn about various countries from the standpoints of geography, history, art, and language. For instance, learners can choose a culture, develop a presentation, prepare traditional food, and even master fundamental phrases in the language spoken in that culture. This project is a great way to remain inline with different subjects and also makes it possible for students to learn how to be respectful of other cultures and appreciate them.