Curriculum Integration
Curriculum Integration
Summary of Research
Curriculum integration refers to the incorporation of the different forms of knowledge. The philosophy of curriculum development is an essential attribute for enhancing the quality of outcomes in the education process. Over the years, different theorists have provided different postulations about the philosophy of curriculum integration. In essence, some theorists are strongly supportive of this philosophy while others have negative perceptions towards it. Some of the proponents suggest that the practice of curriculum integration has an inherent capacity to enhance the standards of education (Luke, 2011). This is because it enhances the focus of students towards different disciplines.
In contrast, opponents of this philosophy suggest that it only contributes towards complicating the education system. All these perspectives are fundamentally essential towards understanding the implications of curriculum integration. Different education specialists provide different frameworks for curriculum integration. Most models emphasize on the establishment of curriculum integration in elementary levels of study. This is extremely pertinent in terms of preparing the student for advanced studies.
The interdisciplinary model is among the most predominant frameworks for curriculum integration in the United States. This model emphasizes on the incorporation of numerous subjects into the education curriculum for students (Knopf, 2009). Another outstanding framework is the problem-based model. In essence, this model focuses on the potential areas of weakness for the student. This is fundamentally essential towards ensuring that the student acquires the relevant knowledge. Through the problem-based model, it is possible to determine the disciplines in which a student needs improvement.
Benefits of Curriculum Integration
Curriculum integration has numerous beneficial implications on the nature and quality of education standards. The first notable benefit of curriculum integration pertains to the enhancement of the process of knowledge acquisition for students. Through curriculum integration, the student has the opportunity to gain extensive knowledge about different issues. Any education process seeks to enhance the knowledge base of students (Luke, 2011). Without integrating the curriculum, the student’s exposure to different kinds of knowledge is limited.
Another outstanding benefit of curriculum integration is that it enhances professional development among education practitioners. Career growth is a pertinent objective for any teacher. Through curriculum integration, teachers have excellent opportunities for enhancing the knowledge. Consequently, this contributes towards the enhancement of the teacher’s professional attributes. Another outstanding benefit of curriculum integration is that it enhances the quality of assessment frameworks in edu9cation (Fogarty, 2009). Without an effective framework for assessment, it is considerably difficult to attain the different goals of the education curriculum.
Aspects such as bias have far reaching implications upon the effectiveness of assessment frameworks. However, curriculum integration provides an exemplary basis for averting such problems. This is because it facilitates for a balanced approach towards the assessment framework. It is fundamentally essential for the assessment framework to examine different areas of academic performance. This justifies the importance of curriculum integration in education. It is also vital to highlight that curriculum integration serves as an essential platform for enhancing collaboration among students (Todd, 2010). Such collaboration is extremely essential in terms of enhancing the student’s communication skills. Consequently, this helps in boosting the quality of the learning process.
From another perspective, collaboration is among the most essential platforms for boosting the teamwork among students. Such skills are vital in enhancing the student’s capacity to solve problems. The integration of curriculum also serves as an essential framework for streamlining the depth of understanding topics. This is vital with regard to the enhancement of the student’s cognitive development. It is also pertinent to highlight that curriculum integration helps in aligning an institution’s curriculum with the national standards. This is an essential pillar in terms of streamlining the quality of education standards in the country.
In any given curriculum, uniformity is among the most pertinent perspectives. In essence, uniformity in curriculum ensures that students are offered similar education standards across the country. Another benefit of curriculum integration pertains to the emphasis on the basic skills of students (Knopf, 2009). By focusing on such skills, the students can easily attain their potential. The development of a student’s creative skills is a pertinent component of education. The curriculum integration facilitates for the enhancement of a student’s capacity to think critically. This is also vital in terms of boosting the student’s ability to handle different kinds of problems (Luke, 2011). Al these perspectives highlight the different beneficial implications of curriculum integration within the education sector.
Barriers to Implementation
Although curriculum integration has numerous benefits to the education sector, it is essential to note that there are numerous barriers for implementation. The overall efficacy of curriculum integration depends on the available platforms for dealing with these barriers. Among the most outstanding barriers for implementing curriculum integration is the inadequacy of resources. The absence of adequate resource framework can easily undermine the implementation of curriculum integration in education institutions (Knopf, 2009).
Most public schools do not have adequate budgets which can cater for the successful implementation of curriculum integration. This barrier is evident in numerous schools across the country. Apart from the inadequacy of resources, another significant barrier for implementing curriculum integration is state regulatory frameworks. Different states have different mechanisms for regulating the implementation of policies in the education sector. Some of these policies encompass stringent stipulations for implementing education programs such as curriculum integration (Todd, 2011). Consequently, this undermines the implementation framework for curriculum integration.
Another significant barrier pertains to education leadership strategies. Different educational leaders have different strategies for managing the affairs of their respective schools. Some leaders use ineffective strategies that do not support the implementation of curriculum integration. The absence of cooperation among education stakeholders is another significant barrier towards curriculum integration. It is extremely pertinent for stakeholders to rally behind the implementation framework of curriculum integration in order to enhance its effectiveness (Fogarty, 2009). However, some stakeholders such as parents have negative perceptions about curriculum integration. Prior to implementing curriculum integration, it is crucial to establish sufficient mechanisms for dealing with these types of barriers.
Efficacy of curriculum integration
The practice of curriculum integration in the country’s education sector has had different kinds of implications. These implications are pertinent in terms of assessing the efficacy of curriculum integration. The first perspective to consider while assessing efficacy pertains to its impact on the standards of performance. In essence, curriculum integration has an inherent capacity to streamline the quality of education outcomes. This is because it streamlines the process of knowledge acquisition among students. Another perspective of consideration pertains to the capacity of curriculum integration to enhance the standards of professional development among education practitioners. This attribute helps to justify that curriculum integration has an excellent degree of efficacy. Additionally, curriculum integration has the capacity to streamline the quality of education standards across the country. This attribute justifies the efficiency of curriculum integration.
References
Fogarty, R. (2009). How to integrate the curricula. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE
Knopf, N. (2009). Curriculum integration. New Visions for Public Schools
Luke, A. & Woods, A. (2011). Comprehension as social and intellectual practice. Theory Into Practice, 50(2)
Todd, R. (2010). Curriculum integration. Victoria: ACER Press
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