The Study

Doctoral student Nicola Findley examined a fifth grade class whose teacher took an “integrated” or blended approach to teaching history. Although a variety of strategies exist for using an integrated curriculum, generally it involves merging instruction within two subjects that deal with a similar concept or time in history. Findley studied this class during two lessons involving the Revolutionary War and the Civil War during a five-month period to discover how this integration of history with literature affected student learning.

The Findings

Findley points out that to date there is very little empirical data on student learning from curricular integration. In the study, Findley was interested in student learning, as well as about the kinds of connections students make across subjects, within subjects and with the “real world.” As part of the qualitative study, Findley focused on students in one classroom, and conducted interviews, collected work samples, took observational notes and taped lessons. The first unit the teacher developed. The second was planned together with Findley. The two different units provided data on how different curricular integration organization influences student learning. In the unit on the Revolutionary War, Findley found that the integration did foster in students an understanding of the everyday lives of people at the time. However, she also found that the integration of historical fiction with history caused some confusion with students. Many students assumed, for instance, that the purpose of reading the novels was only to gather information. The second unit was on the Civil War, but was focused around the broader theme of freedom. It was a way to connect the history curriculum vertically, or across eras and the units studied earlier. This new curricular organization made a significant difference in the kinds of connections and learning students evidenced.  Not only were students able to talk about the broad theme of freedom and such concepts as rights and conflicts across eras, but they also were more able to sequence historical events and eras. In addition, Findley found that the Revolutionary War unit led students to speak of history as being about the past, making no connections with the present. In the Civil War unit, students began to make connections back through history. Findley concludes that it is clear that an integrated curriculum “can encourage certain kinds of student connections across the curriculum and the learning of subject matter … With attention to students’ own connections and ways of making sense, integration shows potential for curricular and real-world connections and learning. However, the study also raised questions about how integrated curriculum influenced student understanding of history study.”

What It Means to You

Integrating two subjects can be a powerful teaching tool, but how the teacher organizes that integration is essential. Teachers bring to their planning of integrated curriculum beliefs and assumptions about what is important and possible. Does your district help teachers consider alternative models of integration and the trade-offs embedded in them?

For More Information

Findley, N. (2000). What happens to the history?: Student learning of and about history from interdisciplinary approaches.

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