Interdisciplinary Integration: The Advantages of Social Studies and English Language Arts Integration
Major
Educational Studies
Submission Type
Poster
Area of Study or Work
Educational Studies
Faculty Advisor
Leah Nillas
Location
State Farm Hall
Start Date
4-13-2024 9:00 AM
End Date
4-13-2024 12:00 PM
Abstract
According to Moser (2019), when two or more disciplines are working together, they advance student understanding beyond the scope of a single discipline or area. With interdisciplinary integration, students acquire skills that allow an understanding to see the connections between different disciplines. The implementation of interdisciplinary integration programs is essential for students to view that knowledge is not static; knowledge is always growing and connected. Education needs to gravitate toward the direction where there is interaction and fusion of different content knowledge rather than compartmentalizing knowledge in a single discipline category. Interdisciplinary teaching can be used to achieve active in-depth learning. Tuuliki (2021) mentions that students were mentally, physically, socially, and emotionally engaged when two or more disciplines cross. Creating this unique learning experience is effective when using social studies and English Language Arts content. According to Shifflet and Hunt (2019), social studies content seems to be disappearing in public school education. Teachers have difficulty finding time to properly teach social studies curriculum and keep students interested in the content. Without implementing social studies curriculum, schools fail to pass on the skills, aptitudes, and habits that are needed for a way of democratic life and to be a participating citizen within the society. Shifflet and Hunt express that integration of social studies into English Language Arts is valued for time instructional time for social studies and facilitates a more comprehensive examination of targeted social studies concepts. The K-6 social studies curriculum is encouraged to move in a new direction, one that promotes a curriculum model that is based on key concepts, questions that drive inquiry, and civic action plans. This research conceptualizes practices in interdisciplinary teaching, especially the integration of social studies and English Language Arts curriculum, by looking at current interdisciplinary programs at the elementary and middle school levels. I conducted research in a rural elementary school in a classroom with fifteen students. My research designed and developed ways to integrate subject specific, especially English Language Arts and social studies, content to benefit students’ knowledge in both subject matters. I examined student redacted work samples, field notes and reflections, lesson plans, and student anecdotal records to note the growth of student understanding.
Interdisciplinary Integration: The Advantages of Social Studies and English Language Arts Integration
State Farm Hall
According to Moser (2019), when two or more disciplines are working together, they advance student understanding beyond the scope of a single discipline or area. With interdisciplinary integration, students acquire skills that allow an understanding to see the connections between different disciplines. The implementation of interdisciplinary integration programs is essential for students to view that knowledge is not static; knowledge is always growing and connected. Education needs to gravitate toward the direction where there is interaction and fusion of different content knowledge rather than compartmentalizing knowledge in a single discipline category. Interdisciplinary teaching can be used to achieve active in-depth learning. Tuuliki (2021) mentions that students were mentally, physically, socially, and emotionally engaged when two or more disciplines cross. Creating this unique learning experience is effective when using social studies and English Language Arts content. According to Shifflet and Hunt (2019), social studies content seems to be disappearing in public school education. Teachers have difficulty finding time to properly teach social studies curriculum and keep students interested in the content. Without implementing social studies curriculum, schools fail to pass on the skills, aptitudes, and habits that are needed for a way of democratic life and to be a participating citizen within the society. Shifflet and Hunt express that integration of social studies into English Language Arts is valued for time instructional time for social studies and facilitates a more comprehensive examination of targeted social studies concepts. The K-6 social studies curriculum is encouraged to move in a new direction, one that promotes a curriculum model that is based on key concepts, questions that drive inquiry, and civic action plans. This research conceptualizes practices in interdisciplinary teaching, especially the integration of social studies and English Language Arts curriculum, by looking at current interdisciplinary programs at the elementary and middle school levels. I conducted research in a rural elementary school in a classroom with fifteen students. My research designed and developed ways to integrate subject specific, especially English Language Arts and social studies, content to benefit students’ knowledge in both subject matters. I examined student redacted work samples, field notes and reflections, lesson plans, and student anecdotal records to note the growth of student understanding.