Curriculum integration: the challenges for primary and secondary schools in developing a new curriculum in the expressive arts

View/ open
Author
Kneen, Judith
Breeze, Thomas
Davies-Barnes, Sian
John, Vivienne
Thayer, Emma
Date
2020-02-14Acceptance date
2020-01-21
Date Deposited
2020-01-30
Type
Article
acceptedVersion
Publisher
Wiley
ISSN
0958-5176
1469-3704 (online)
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Curriculum integration is a feature of many new curricula that have emerged in different countries since around the turn of the millennium. It focuses on removing the boundaries between traditional subject specialisms, to enable more holistic and ‘joined-up’ learning opportunities. This study draws on the experiences of a group of primary and secondary teachers in Wales, engaged in creating a framework for an integrated curriculum for expressive arts. Whilst the teachers are united in their ambition for establishing a curriculum that gives greater status to the arts, curriculum integration presents significant challenges, notably in how subject knowledge is understood and presented within an integrated curriculum. The teachers take different approaches to curriculum integration, with primary teachers favouring a transdisciplinary approach, with child-led learning and themes taking precedence, and secondary teachers opting for multidisciplinary approaches, where the themes are organising devices but where subjects take priority. Differing practices suggest differing conceptions of subject knowledge and mastery within an integrated curriculum. Drawing, in particular, on Bernstein’s concepts relating to knowledge discourses, this paper suggests that the danger of an integrated curriculum is weakened disciplinary knowledge. Whilst this paper relates to the arts, the messages about curriculum integration might be applied more widely.
Journal/conference proceeding
Curriculum Journal;
Citation
Kneen, J., Breeze, T., Davies-Barnes, S., John, V. and Thayer, E. (2020) 'Curriculum integration: the challenges for primary and secondary schools in developing a new curriculum in the expressive arts', The Curriculum Journal. DOI: 10.1002/curj.34.
Description
Article published in Curriculum Journal on 14 February 2020, available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/curj.34
Sponsorship
Cardiff Metropolitan University (Grant ID: Cardiff Metropolian (Internal))
This study was funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales
Collections
- Education Research [263]
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, subject and abstract.
-
An investigation into the effectiveness of a thematic integrated curriculum on teaching and learning at Key Stage 2.
Winterbourne, Wendy (University of Wales Institute, Cardiff, 2006)This action research attempted to evaluate whether teaching a thematic based integrated curriculum at Key Stage 2 could reduce the perceived overcrowding of the curriculum and allow time for children to think about their ... -
A study of teachers' attitudes to the changes in the Physical Education Curriculum at Key Stage Three in Wales.
Roberts, Ben (2009)This study is concerned with Physical Education (PE) teacher's attitudes towards the revised PE National Curriculum of 2008 in Wales. The research was conducted by using academic resources such as books, journals and ... -
A study into the impact on pupil attainment of the Skills Framework in mathematics at Key Stage 3 in two contextually different south east Wales comprehensive schools.
Irvine, Kirsty (Cardiff Metropolitan University, 2012)Significant changes have occurred to the Key Stage 3 curriculum in Mathematics in 'Wales since 2008. These changes have occurred as a result of pupils being insufficiently prepared to enter the world of work. Employers ...