21st Century Competencies in Light of the History of Integrated Curriculum

DeLuca

Citizenship, Social and Economics Education

2020

The purpose of the study was to examine the experiences of current high school students and teachers in Ontario regarding their experiences with personal financial curriculum and teaching at the secondary level, and to identify the ways in which this important educational experience may have helped prepare students to become financially literate. We considered this overarching issue using a transdisciplinary lens from the perspective of the three stakeholder groups. Using a case study research design, the first of its kind in Ontario or Canada on this topic, We utilized interviews and artifacts to uncover student and teacher experiential data across three high schools in southeastern Ontario. The major findings were that current students and teachers perceived curriculum and teaching experiences as seriously lacking in effectively preparing them to be financially literate, and that a fundamental reorientation around transdisciplinary, student-led learning was key to transforming such learning into a more meaningful and valuable educational experience. With mandatory, properly supported, student-oriented (transdisciplinary) instruction, the potential exists for more effective and valuable learning, resulting in better equipped high school students who were properly prepared to successfully navigate financial issues and the path ahead.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 62%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Research On Financial Literacy Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

An assessment of personal financial literacy teaching and learning in Ontario high schools

DeLuca

Citizenship, Social and Economics Education

2020

Future in Educational Research

Science, technology, engineering, & mathematics, curricular integration, and the story form

Krushelnycky,

Karrow

2024

As science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education continues to increase in popularity, it becomes imperative that generalist preservice teachers (PT) have both strong concept knowledge and pedagogical skills to properly support its integration. However, generalist PTs do not have enough knowledge or skills possessed by those in STEM's respective disciplines, impacting their perceptions of how the framework is disseminated. The finger, then, is pointed at PT education to provide the necessary education and training that would allow for high‐quality STEM education beginning at the elementary level. One novel approach to mitigate this problem is to introduce Kieran Egan's education theory on imagination (mythic understanding) and the theory of integrated curricula to PT. Throughout this philosophical inquiry, we explore integrated curriculum models, imagination (mythic understanding) and storytelling, illustrating how they may appear in a STEM‐oriented lesson within an elementary science PT course, and attend to the need for approachable, evidence‐based interventions regarding generalist PT STEM education.

Differential effects of subject‐based and integrated curriculum approaches on students' learning outcomes: A review of reviews

Kreijkes,

Greatorex

2024

Review of Education

There is no general agreement about the best way of organising the curriculum. Debates often pitch a subject‐based curriculum against an integrated curriculum although there is great variation among integrated approaches. Numerous claims have been made regarding the comparative merits of different approaches, but many scholars have noted the lack of a strong evidence base to support these. This article reports a review of reviews to examine how the learning outcomes of students following more subject‐based or more integrated curriculum approaches compare based on empirical research that uses control groups. The literature from 1990 to mid‐2022 was systematically searched. A final sample of nine reviews was included and critically appraised using the AMSTAR 2. The evaluation found that all reviews were of critically low quality. Within the reviews, relatively few primary studies concerned the primary school or secondary school level and had control groups. There was variation in outcomes reported between studies, but these tended to either find positive effects of integrated approaches or no differences between groups. Very few primary studies found detrimental effects of interventions involving integrated approaches. Various methodological issues as well as complexities of integration need to be considered when interpreting the findings. Overall, we conclude that based on the limitations of the current evidence, neither strictly subject‐based nor more integrated approaches can be regarded as superior for students' learning outcomes. Implications for theory, research and practice are discussed.Context and implicationsRationale for this studyThere is a need for understanding the current evidence for comparative effects of subject‐based and integrated curriculum approaches on students' learning experiences and outcomes.Why the new findings matterThe findings can inform the long‐lasting, international debates regarding the best ways of structuring the curriculum.Implications for practitioners, curriculum designers and researchersThis review of reviews demonstrates that it is crucial for all stakeholders to move away from the false dichotomy of ‘subjects’ versus ‘integration’ and to recognise the various ways in which subjects can be integrated. Based on the reviewed evidence, neither strictly subject‐based nor integrated approaches are superior for students' learning. A well‐implemented approach drawing on the best of both worlds is likely required in practice, but more research is needed to explore this. The findings can inform researchers about what studies are needed to move the debate forward, including studies that use adequate control groups and consider affective outcomes.