Maximizing learning and attitudinal gains through integrated curricula

Prior research has supported the premise that integrated curricula produce superior educational results through classroom instruction that incorporates various subject matters as an interconnected whole rather than separate subject areas. However, not all educators are convinced. Three studies were conducted to compare learning and attitudinal impacts from integrated curricula developed through a teacher-guided, results-driven approach, versus traditional, subject-compartmentalized curricula. Participants included over 400 students and 15 teachers in 9 high schools in courses involving English, mathematics and sciences. Results consistently and significantly substantiated the superiority of integrated curricula for improved learning and attitudinal impacts on students. Scores were significantly higher for the integrated approach on objective tests of knowledge, and on measures of attitudinal impacts obtained from students, as well as parents. Implications for improving education are discussed.

I. Introduction

In 1983, Secretary of Education Terrel Bell and the National Commission on Excellence in Education released A Nation at Risk. The report reflected anxieties about the preparation of students for the rapidly changing world. Many initiatives have since come and gone as attempts to improve things, and still our education system gets criticized for falling short in meeting the challenges of student preparation for the millennium (Fullan, 1991; National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1983; Sarason, 1991; Smith, 1995).

Educational organizations, like other institutions and industries, struggle to achieve ever-better results with increasing expectations. Pressures to better prepare today's students, coupled with increased focus on accountability and performance measures, are heating up as a major concern and political issue in the United States (Jerald, 2000). To meet rising expectations, curricula must be designed that help learners acquire the skills needed to apply knowledge and school-based experiences toward becoming creative problem solvers and smart workers (Smith, 1995). Education, today more than ever, is needed that equips individuals with the genuine, functional understanding of facts and knowledge requisite to fully contribute to society and reach their individual potentials (Ravitch, 2000; Shaha, 1983).

Research has shown that learning is more powerfully enabled when curricula are integrated such that connections are established between subject areas rather than as fragmented islands of information or knowledge (Drake, 1993; Edling, 1996; Lewis & Shaha, 1999). The preponderance of school settings continues to maintain subject-specific silos, perpetuating compartmental teaching evidenced by traditional focus on teaching subjects as separate topics (Beane, 1995). Integrated curricula are increasingly recognized as pivotal to learning through knowledge transference between situations and subjects (Bailey & Merritt, 1997; Murnane & Levy, 1996; Lewis & Shaha, 1997, 1999).

Teachers and administrators alike readily confess that the ideal school experience must be designed to achieve more than just knowledge. The ideal school experience must have favorable attitudinal impacts as well (Bernhardt, 1998; Langford & Cleary, 1995; Lewis & Shaha, 1997; Sagor, 1992; Shaha, 1983, 1984). Traditionally, however, measurement efforts have been limited almost exclusively to assessments of achievement in knowledge alone as the gauge for educational success and pupil achievement, generally as measured through standardized tests. More progressive approaches to assessing the impacts of education have recognized that measurement of both academic and attitudinal benefits from instruction are needed, and that they must be measured and interpreted in context of each other, not in isolation (Bernhardt, 1998; Langford & Cleary, 1995; Lewis & Shaha, 1997; Sagor, 1992; Shaha, 1984).

A balanced assessment of instructional impact, considering both intellectual and attitudinal outcomes, is most appropriate. School experiences should be preferred that result in improved attitudes toward school and toward learning, toward specific subject areas taught, and even toward the self as evidenced in self-concept and personal confidence. If educators are to influence attitudes they must include it as an area of assessment balanced with that of assessing their impact on knowledge (Bernhardt, 1998; Shaha, 1984, 1998). Perhaps most urgently, the ability to achieve continuous educational improvement hinges on the capacity to measure and improve a balanced set of educational indicators (Baldrige, 2002; Daniels, 2002; Jenkins, 1997; Lewis & Shaha, 1997; Shaha, 1998)

The research reported here focuses on validating the impact of integrated curricula for improvements in attitude and in learning by balancing the importance of both types of impacts for guiding curriculum development and evaluating instruction. Thus, contrasts between curricula and the comparative efficacy of instructional groups reflect differences in both learning and attitudinal impacts. Additionally, this research is intended to provide a foundation upon which educators and educational institutions can build and gauge a foundation of continuous educational improvement.

II. Method

Three studies were conducted in order to discover and document the effectiveness of integrated curricula over traditional, non-integrated approaches to teaching and learning. A systematic methodology for creating and assessing integrating curriculum was applied in each study. Students were blinded to the study or to which treatment group they belonged. All responses to any survey were kept confidential. All teachers agreed to participate in the study and participated actively in discussions regarding the data and results, and the design of the assessment tools utilized. All assessments and surveys noted were administered at the start (pre) and end (post) or the academic year in the normal classroom setting. All attitudinal and self-concept measures were achieved by surveys developed for this study. Teachers were assigned to instructional approaches based on personal preference.

1. English

Three different approaches to classroom instruction were contrasted in this study. Eight 12^sup th^ grade classroom groups from two high schools participated, matched for socio-economic status, GPA and age, and for pre-treatment capabilities (pre-test scores), all to ensure the equivalency of the groups assigned to the three contrasting instructional approaches:

* Traditional English, conducted as stand-alone course wherein students completed readings and assignments in a standard format, including literature, writing, etc. (n=91).

* Applied English, consisted of additional modules added to traditional English with a text designed to create relevance and context for the English learned by applying the content and techniques to real-world situations (n=56).

* Integrated English, conducted as an integrated, multi-course offering wherein the reading, writing and technical course materials were designed to establish a shared context based on the health profession along with other science and health courses (n= 44).

Attitudinal impacts on students, including attitudes toward the subject matter and self-concept, were measured by Likert (1-5 scale) items. The comparative impact which courses had on the students' soft skills was measured using Working (Miles, Curds Grummond, Phyllis, 1996), a survey tool that includes 50 items for which responses were provided on an a-e Likert-like scale, designed to assess workplace skills related to success at work, life and education although often under-stressed and under-assessed.

Another set of factors seldom assessed in studies of educational impact is those associated with parents and their perceptions of educational success. Parents provided feedback through an 8-item confidential survey using a Likert scale from 1-5, which was sent home with students in the final weeks of the academic year and returned to administrators by students.

2. Mathematics

This second study involved six classroom groups from three high schools (two class groups from each), matched for socio-economic status, GPA and age, and for pre-treatment capabilities (pre-test scores), to ensure equivalency of groups assigned to the contrasting instructional approaches. One class from each high school was assigned to each instructional approach:

* Traditional Algebra involved the use of a traditional text approach to mathematics instruction with drill and practice as the primary means of reinforcement (n=91).

* Integrated Mathematics involved the use of experientially designed examples that went far beyond mere word problems to illustrate for students how mathematics principles applied to their lives and work situations (n = 93).

Measures of math ability were gathered at the beginning and end of the academic year through a computer administered and scored criterion-referenced assessment tool (ACT COMPASS, 1994). Attitudes toward math and self-concept of math ability were measured through the self-concept questionnaire developed for this study.

3. Science

Three different approaches to classroom instruction were contrasted in this study of science. The study involved 12 classroom groups from four high schools, matched for socio-economic status, GPA and age, and for pre-treatment capabilities (pre-test scores), to ensure equivalency of groups assigned to the three contrasting instructional approaches:

* Physics as a stand-alone subject, stressing theories, mathematical computations and some laboratory observations (n=43).

* Principles of Technology as a subject matter, which includes electronics and many principles taught theoretically or in labs with physics, but more as an applied non-scientific subject matter in this course (n=27).

* Integrated physics and electronics, which included course material covering the theoretical and lab content of physics along with the applied material of electronics and principles of technology (n=42).

All teachers involved participated in a collaborative effort to design the integrated curriculum prior to the start of the academic year including creating tools for assessing both learning and attitudinal impacts. Learning impacts were based upon the instructional objectives outlined by the combined items that were then converted into a 60- item test by the group. Student self-concept and attitudes toward both the content and the courses was assessed on a 7-item Likert-scaled attitudinal impact survey created collectively as well.

III. Results

Results from each of the studies documented showed clear and persistent findings favoring integrated curricula.

1. English

Attitudinal Impact. No pre-course significant differences existed between students in the three instructional groups. Post-course results indicated a significant advantage favoring the integrated curriculum on 11 of the 14 items in the survey (see Table 1 and Table 2). Students in the integrated group reported that they significantly valued English more, liked their experience more, and rated the skills they had acquired significantly higher than students in the contrasting groups, including their appreciation for the impact English will have on their futures and future success in life. Students in the integrated group reported feeling significantly stronger in their understanding of both the technical and non-technical aspects of English versus those in the other curriculum groups. Students in the integrated group reported that their teachers cared significantly more about them as individuals and about their success.

Workplace Impacts. No significant pre-course differences were found between groups for workplace skills as measured by Working. Results showed significantly higher post-course scores favoring the integrated group in two of the nine categories (see Table 3 and Table 4).

Parental Perceptions. Parental reflections on the relative efficacy of the three contrasting methods significantly favored the integrated curriculum to English on two of the six items (see Table 5 and Table 6). Parents of students in the integrated group reported that their students were more interested in English, enjoyed it more and learned more than did parents with students in the other groups.

2. Mathematics

Learning Impacts. Results revealed no significant differences in math ability between groups on the pre-test or posttest occasion. This indicated that students in the integrated math group were not less capable then their counterparts in Algebra at the beginning or the end of the academic year as might have been traditionally expected.

Attitudinal Impacts. Table 7 and Figure 1 report that the most impactful results were the attitudinal improvements toward math abilities and confidence as reported by the students participating in the integrated math group. Results revealed no significant differences in attitudes toward math or in self-concept of math abilities at the start of the academic year. Posttest data showed significantly higher attitudes in the integrated math group toward math and their self-concepts of their math abilities when contrasted with the algebra group.

3. Science

Learning Impacts. Table 8 reports the results on the objective test measuring knowledge of physics and principles of technology. No significant differences were found between groups on the pretest. Results showed significantly higher end of year scores for students taught through the integrated curriculum and a significantly higher increase in scores across the year when comparing pretest and posttest performance.

Attitudinal Impacts. Ratings for five of the six items were significantly higher for the integrated group (p

IV. Discussion and Conclusions

Collectively, results from these studies clearly establish that integrated curricula produce superior learning and attitudinal results versus traditional curricula and instructional approaches. Integrated curricula consistently outperformed all other approaches, regardless of content area addressed. For learning impacts, the integrated approach produced mean scores either significantly higher or equally good versus the other methods of instruction. For attitudinal impacts, students from the integrated groups reported attitudes that were significantly more positive or equal regarding subject areas, their abilities and skills, and about both the course and the teacher. In one study, parents of students in the integrated group reported significantly higher perceptions of attitudes for their students versus the non-integrated courses.

Implications. Educators as a whole make every conscious effort to do what is best for their students. They willingly embrace new ideas and incorporate them into their instruction and curricula in their quest for improved educational results. However, teachers are often left without a clear indication of which instructional approaches work best, or a defined, readily implementable process to enable them to implement innovative approaches. Thus, after well-meaning attempts followed by frustration, they often return to their teaching patterns of yesterday based on subject areas as disconnected silos.

This research further strengthens the claims that integrated curricula produce superior educational results. Educators are most likely to succeed, and therefore continue the improvement of their curricula and instruction, when provided with some means for achieving that success through a pragmatic and user-friendly process for curriculum development (Baldrige, 2002; Drake, 1993; Edling, 1996; Jenkins, 1997; Lewis, 2000; Eewis, Shaha, Farnsworth, Benson & Bahr, in press; Schein, 1969; Shaha, 1998). What is needed now are proven, generalizable methodologies for developing, implementing and continuously improving integrated curricula and gaining the anticipated benefits.

Further research is needed to determine whether other factors might affect the favorable impacts achieved by integrated curricula whether related to students, teachers or the schooling environment. Other research questions remain, including potential differences in impact based on intellect, learning styles, and possible cultural difference. Additional research involving other subject areas would be beneficial, as well.

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VALERIE K. LEWIS, MPA

Utah Valley State College

STEVEN H. SHAHA, PH.D., D.B.A.

University of Utah

Utah Valley State College

2174 New Horizon Drive Saudy, Utah 84093

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