Cross_RTLA_PT_14

Rethinking Teaching, Learning & Assessment

S T A R T

Cross-Curricular Learning

• Explore key concepts of cross-curricular learning
• Identify theoretical foundations of cross-curricular learning
• Examine strategies for cross curricular learning

To understand the key themes of cross-curricular learning

Objectives

Aims

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

A question:

Think about the world our pupils are going to live in - make a list of key features and topics. What types of skills, knowledge and understanding are going to be most relevant to them? Why? Add your thoughts by clicking on the button here:

A question:

Think about your responses - how many of them require thinking across a range of disciplines? This raises the important issue of preparing our students to be able to forge connections and think across disciplinary boundaries.

A cross-curricular approach to teaching is characterised by sensitivity towards, and a synthesis of, knowledge, skills and understandings from various subject areas. These inform an enriched pedagogy that promotes an approach to learning which embraces and explores this wider sensitivity through various methods. (Savage 2011, p.8-9)

Cross-curricular practice can be defined as: ‘when the skills, knowledge and attitudes of two or more subjects are applied to a problem, theme or idea’ (Barnes 2015).

What is it?

Cross curricular learning is the organisation of the curriculum to help learners recognise natural connections between separate subjects. Bringing together concepts and skills from different subject areas under a major theme or topic.

CROSS-CURRICULAR LEARNING

• Should the curriculum be organised into subjects and areas of learning, or organised according to themes or topics?

The Curriculum: Subjects or not?

• Should there be core subjects?
• If so, which subjects should be core?
• Justify your responses.

Add your thoughts here by clicking on the red button. Click on the document icon to view the responses.

The Curriculum

• Is one subject more important than any others?
• Click here to see the ways in which one subject might enhance or complement another.

The Curriculum

Amanda SpielmanHead of Ofsted September 18th 2018

Do children learn best when the curriculum is fragmented into subjects?

The Curriculum: Subjects or not?

OECD (2019) Conceptual Learning Framework: Knowledge for 2030, Paris: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development OECD (2018) The Future of Education and Skills: Education 2030, Paris: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Spielman A (2018) HMCI commentary: Curriculum and the new education inspection framework. London. Available at: gov.uk/government/speeches/hmci-commentarycurriculum-and-the-new-education-inspection-framework (accessed 23 March 2020).

Education for the 21st Century

The new Ofsted education inspection framework (Ofsted, 2019) is calling for a change of focus from an education designed to get good test results to a more holistic view of the curriculum. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) emphasises the importance of equipping young people with the expertise, attitudes and values that they will need to contribute to and benefit from an inclusive, diverse and sustainable future. The OECD explain that future-ready students will need several different types of knowledge. (OECD, 2018, p. 5). They will need a working knowledge of how disciplines can work together to address real-world questions that bridge the sciences and wider humanities.

[Ensures] greater breadth and balance, potentially giving each child the opportunity to find what they call their 'element'. (Robinson and Aronica 2009) Teaching itself is creative, never formulaic. The aim is 'creative learning', with children coming to own their own knowledge and skills, being enthused and changed by the process, and having some control of the learning process, but under teaching guidance (Jeffrey & Woods 2003, p,3)

Pedagogy of cross-curricular learning allows children to be more involved in their own learning, choosing the experiences that THEY deem important. (Driscoll, Lambirth and Roden 2012) Cross-curricular learning recognises [...] multiple viewpoints and seeks to build more knowledgeable, lasting and transferable understandings of the world around us. (Barnes 2015, p.261) United Nations Conventions on the Rights of the Child expects children to have a say in what and how they are taught.

BENEFITS OF CROSS-CURRICULAR LEARNING

Poor links between too many subjects means that little progression is made. (Alexander et al 1992) In the hands of a teacher with poor subject knowledge and a lack of understanding of how children learn, cross-curricular methods can be counter productive. (Alexander 2010)

CHALLENGES OF CROSS-CURRICULAR LEARNING

Centre for the Use of Research and Evidence in Education Cross-curricular approaches proved to be effective when they either were ‘context based’ (i.e. centred around a particular theme/dimension) or connected the school-based curriculum with young people’s experiences more widely (e.g. in the home and the community). The positive impact of cross-curricular approaches on pupils was noted in terms of their motivation, discursive language and potential to collaborate with each other. More negatively, the damaging lack of consideration to how this approach would build on pupils’ existing ‘conceptual understanding’ was noted. It will be important that new innovation in curriculum planning and development is constructively linked to pupils’ current range of experiences and understanding. At the level of curriculum design, flexibility and ‘time and space’ for development is required. The need for excellence in teachers’ subject knowledge is a priority.

RECOMMENDATIONS (CUREE 2009)

A cross-curricular approach to teaching is characterised by sensitivity towards, and a synthesis of, knowledge, skills and understandings from various subject areas. These inform an enriched pedagogy that promotes an approach to learning which embraces and explores this wider sensitivity through various methods. (Savage 2011, p.8-9) Savage, J (2011) Cross-curricular Teaching and Learning in the Secondary School, London: Routledge

THE PURPOSE OF CROSS-CURRICULAR LEARNING

HISTORY OF CROSS-CURRICULAR LEARNING

Now

Modernity

Enlightenment

Antiquity

Barnes 2015

Six approaches:

double focus cross-curricular teaching and learning

opportunistic cross-curricular teaching and learning

interdisciplinary cross-curricular teaching and learning

multidisciplinary cross-curricular teaching and learning

hierarchical cross-curricular teaching and learning

tokenistic cross-curricular approaches

TAXONOMY OF CROSS-CURRICULAR APPROACHES

Watch the video.What are the perceived benefits of a cross-curricular approach for teaching and learning? Does it have limitations? What factors are considered important for effective cross-curricular learning? Add your thoughts here:

CROSS-CURRICULAR LEARNING

Click here to access a reading list and resources

Reading list and resources

Cross-curricular learning

• Explored key concepts of cross-curricular learning
• Identified theoretical foundations of cross-curricular learning
• Examined strategies for cross curricular learning

During this session we have:

SUMMARY

Alexander, R (2010) Children, their Education: Final Report and Recommendations of the Cambridge Primary Review. London: Routledge. Barnes, J (2015) An introduction to Cross-Curricular Learning in Driscoll, P, Lambirth, A and Roden, J (2015) The Creative Primary Curriculum, London: Sage CUREE (2009) Review of Individual Studies from Systematic Research Reviews: February 2008– August 2008. Coventry, CUREE. Available from http://www.curee-paccts.com/our-projects/ qca-building-evidence-base [last accessed 19 Sept 2020] Driscoll, P & Lambirth, A and Roden, J (2010) The Primary Curriculum. London: Sage. Jeffrey, B & Woods, P (2001) The Creative School. London: Routledge. Robinson, K & Aronica, L (2009) The element: How finding your passion changes everything. London: Penguin Rowley, C & Coope, H ed. (2009) Cross-curricular Approaches to Teaching and Learning. London: Sage Savage, J (2011) Cross-curricular Teaching and Learning in the Secondary School, London: Routledge

REFERENCES