Are Teachers Prepared for the Integrated Curriculum?

Abstract

<p>This project examines integrated curricula and whether teachers have received enough time and money to implement such programs and whether the changes initiated by them will be long-lasting. Long term change involves numerous factors. There must be a consistent belief that integrated curricula are valuable for improved student achievement. Ontario Ministry of Education documents and various board policies must be unified in their approaches to integration and should not change these views in a rapid succession. Fluctuation in opinion about the value and delivery of integrated studies causes educators to suspend implementation of such initiatives. Schools and boards of education need administrative stability. Many times innovation is disgarded when new administrators show a lack of support or understanding of new curriculum initiatives. Staffing must be constant. Too much time, money, and training are wasted when staff are moved for external reasons. Adequate leadership must be provided by the government and the boards of education to facilitate the delivery of integrated curricula. Timetables must be made to accomodate integration and must be consistent through all grades in the school. This project provides a brief historical context for integrated curriculum document trends, contains definitions of integration, and an overview of integration as it appears in For the Love of Learning (1994), The Common Curriculum (1995), and Draft #2 of the Secondary Policy Document for Interdisciplinary Studies (1998). Possible models of integration are reviewed. A brief look at integration initiatives in other provinces is included as well as an observation of the geographical movement of trends in Canadian education. The project describes the development, over six years, of a grade nine destreamed integrated curriculum and its difficulties in effecting lasting change in teacher practice. Possible solutions to problems are given. Finally, the implications of integrating curriculum for educators without sufficient time or funding are evaluated.</p>