📋 Section 3: Multi-disciplinary & Inter-disciplinary Curriculum Integration Models¶

Section Overview

This section explores two major models of curriculum integration: Multi-disciplinary and Inter-disciplinary approaches. These models, advocated by Jensenius (2012), provide frameworks for integrating subjects to enhance learning outcomes, active engagement, and real-world application.

🎯 Learning Objectives¶

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

Define Multi-disciplinary and Inter-disciplinary curriculum integration
Explain the characteristics and goals of Multi-disciplinary integration
Describe the learning outcomes of Multi-disciplinary approach
List the advantages of Inter-disciplinary teaching and learning
Outline the steps for implementing Inter-disciplinary approach in classroom

🗺️ Section Connection Map¶

flowchart TB
    subgraph SEC3["📚 Section 3: Models of Integration"]
        A[3:06 Models Overview] --> B[3:06:1 Multi-disciplinary]
        A --> C[3:06:2 Inter-disciplinary]
    end

    subgraph MULTI["Multi-disciplinary"]
        B --> B1[3:06:1:01 Characteristics]
        B --> B2[3:06:1:02 Goals]
        B --> B3[3:06:1:03 Learning Outcomes]
    end

    subgraph INTER["Inter-disciplinary"]
        C --> C1[3:06:2:01 Advantages]
        C --> C2[3:06:2:02 Implementation Steps]
    end

    SEC2["Section 2: Features & Levels"] --> SEC3
    SEC3 --> SEC4["Section 4: Trans-disciplinary & Spiral"]

    style B fill:#e8f5e9,stroke:#4caf50
    style C fill:#e3f2fd,stroke:#2196f3

3:06 Models of Curriculum Integration¶

Information

Jensenius (2012) advocated the following three models of curriculum integration:

Multi-disciplinary curriculum integration
Inter-disciplinary curriculum integration
Trans-disciplinary curriculum integration

flowchart LR
    subgraph MODELS["Jensenius (2012) Models"]
        M1["Multi-<br>disciplinary"]
        M2["Inter-<br>disciplinary"]
        M3["Trans-<br>disciplinary"]
    end

    M1 -->|"Increasing<br>Integration"| M2
    M2 -->|"Depth"| M3

    style M1 fill:#e8f5e9,stroke:#4caf50
    style M2 fill:#e3f2fd,stroke:#2196f3
    style M3 fill:#fff3e0,stroke:#ff9800

Bridge → Let us discuss Multi-disciplinary and Inter-disciplinary models in detail in this section...

3:06:1 Multi-disciplinary Curriculum Integration¶

Definition

Multi-disciplinary curriculum involves students studying a topic or problem from the viewpoints of more than one subject discipline. It involves drawing knowledge from different disciplines to study a topic fully, in all its dimensions; but knowledge of each discipline stays within its boundaries.

Key Characteristics Diagram¶

flowchart TB
    TOPIC[("📌 Topic/Problem")]

    subgraph DISC["Different Disciplines"]
        D1["Subject A<br>Viewpoint 1"]
        D2["Subject B<br>Viewpoint 2"]
        D3["Subject C<br>Viewpoint 3"]
    end

    TOPIC --> D1
    TOPIC --> D2
    TOPIC --> D3

    D1 -.->|"Boundaries<br>Maintained"| D1
    D2 -.->|"Boundaries<br>Maintained"| D2
    D3 -.->|"Boundaries<br>Maintained"| D3

    style TOPIC fill:#ffeb3b,stroke:#f57f17

Key Points 📌

Study topic from multiple viewpoints
Draw knowledge from different disciplines
Each discipline's knowledge stays within its boundaries
Address key learning in all dimensions

3:06:1:01 Characteristics of Multi-disciplinary Integrated Curriculum¶

Information

According to A. Steinberg (1997), the following are characteristics of an effective multi-disciplinary integrated curriculum.

#	Characteristic	Description
1	Academic and Technical Rigor	Curriculum units are seen via standards identified by National and District authorities
2	Authenticity	Units use real-world context (community & workplace problems) and address issues that matter to students
3	Applied Learning	Units engage students in solving problems requiring competencies expected in high-performance work organizations
4	Active Exploration	Units extend beyond classroom through internships, field-based investigations, and community explorations
5	Adult Connections	Units connect students with adult mentors and coaches from community's industry and postsecondary partners
6	Assessment Practices	Units involve students in regular performance-based exhibitions and assessments

Steinberg's 6 Characteristics Diagram¶

flowchart TB
    subgraph CHAR["A. Steinberg (1997) - 6 Characteristics"]
        C1["📚 Academic &<br>Technical Rigor"]
        C2["🌍 Authenticity"]
        C3["🔧 Applied<br>Learning"]
        C4["🔍 Active<br>Exploration"]
        C5["👥 Adult<br>Connections"]
        C6["📝 Assessment<br>Practices"]
    end

    C1 --> C2 --> C3 --> C4 --> C5 --> C6

    style C1 fill:#e3f2fd,stroke:#2196f3
    style C2 fill:#e8f5e9,stroke:#4caf50
    style C3 fill:#fff3e0,stroke:#ff9800
    style C4 fill:#f3e5f5,stroke:#9c27b0
    style C5 fill:#ffebee,stroke:#f44336
    style C6 fill:#e0f7fa,stroke:#00bcd4

Exam Tip 📝

Remember Steinberg's 6 A's (sort of): Academic rigor, Authenticity, Applied learning, Active exploration, Adult connections, Assessment

Detailed Characteristics¶

1. Academic and Technical Rigor¶

Aspect	Detail
Standards	National and District standards
Focus	Curriculum units meet identified standards

2. Authenticity¶

Aspect	Detail
Context	Real-world (community and workplace problems)
Relevance	Address issues that matter to students

3. Applied Learning¶

Competencies Expected

Teamwork
Problem-solving
Communication
High-performance work organization skills

4. Active Exploration¶

Extension Type	Description
Internships	Work-based learning experiences
Field-based investigations	Hands-on research outside classroom
Community explorations	Local community engagement

5. Adult Connections¶

Connection Type	Source
Mentors	Industry professionals
Coaches	Community partners
Postsecondary partners	Higher education institutions

6. Assessment Practices¶

Aspect	Detail
Type	Performance-based exhibitions and assessments
Criteria	Personal, school, and real-world standards
Involvement	Students actively participate in evaluation

3:06:1:02 Goals of Multi-disciplinary Curriculum Integration¶

Key Points 📌

The four main goals of multi-disciplinary curriculum integration focus on active learning, career planning, diversity, and community support.

#	Goal	Description
1	Increase Active Learning	Shift from passive to active classroom instruction
2	Develop Educational and Career Planning Skills	Participate in professional work with employees
3	Reach a Diverse Population	Express interests, demonstrate unique skills, master material using varied learning styles
4	Build Community Support	Engage industry, education, and community-based stakeholders

Goal 1: Increase Active Learning¶

flowchart LR
    PASSIVE["❌ Passive<br>Learning"] -->|"Shifts to"| ACTIVE["✅ Active<br>Learning"]

    subgraph ACTIVE_FEATURES["Active Learning Features"]
        AF1["Students = Center"]
        AF2["Real-life projects"]
        AF3["Career-focused problems"]
        AF4["Current interests"]
        AF5["Future pursuits"]
    end

    ACTIVE --> ACTIVE_FEATURES

    style PASSIVE fill:#ffebee,stroke:#f44336
    style ACTIVE fill:#e8f5e9,stroke:#4caf50

Goal 2: Develop Educational and Career Planning Skills¶

Key Outcomes

Students:

Recognize the need to perform well in high school
Understand educational pathways leading to rewarding careers
Pursue postsecondary education or training
Gain knowledge of wide variety of career-related fields
Create career connections with professionals

Goal 3: Reach a Diverse Population¶

Aspect	How Achieved
Express interests	Students share their own interests
Demonstrate skills	Show unique abilities
Master material	Apply variety of learning styles
Academic & Technical	High-level material accessible to all

Goal 4: Build Community Support for Improving High Schools¶

Stakeholder	Engagement
Industry	Employment opportunities, mentorship
Education	Curriculum support, resources
Community-based organizations	Local engagement, support

Outcomes

Support for schools
Proactive education improvement policies
Future employment opportunities for students

3:06:1:03 Learning Outcomes of Multi-disciplinary Curricular Approach¶

Key Points 📌

Interlinking many disciplines into a multi-disciplinary assignment produces the following four outcomes.

#	Learning Outcome	Description
i	Application of Autonomy in Learning	Learners guided to seek information sources, investigate and understand principles
ii	Cultivate Practical Skills	Application of theoretical skills in practical situations
iii	Improves Problem-solving Skills	Analyse and compare body of knowledge between disciplines
iv	Connect Academics	Improve interaction and collaboration between academics of different disciplines

Learning Outcomes Diagram¶

flowchart TB
    MDC[("Multi-disciplinary<br>Curriculum")]

    LO1["🎯 Autonomy<br>in Learning"]
    LO2["🔧 Practical<br>Skills"]
    LO3["🧩 Problem-solving<br>Skills"]
    LO4["🤝 Academic<br>Connections"]

    MDC --> LO1
    MDC --> LO2
    MDC --> LO3
    MDC --> LO4

    style MDC fill:#ffeb3b,stroke:#f57f17
    style LO1 fill:#e3f2fd,stroke:#2196f3
    style LO2 fill:#e8f5e9,stroke:#4caf50
    style LO3 fill:#fff3e0,stroke:#ff9800
    style LO4 fill:#f3e5f5,stroke:#9c27b0

Exam Tip 📝

Remember APPC: Autonomy, Practical skills, Problem-solving, Connect academics

Bridge → Now let's explore the Inter-disciplinary model which takes integration a step further...

3:06:2 Inter-disciplinary Curriculum Integration¶

Definition

Inter-disciplinary curriculum integration means integrating different aspects of more than one academic discipline to examine a theme, issue, question, or topic. It helps students explore various perspectives and views on the problem or topic in consideration.

flowchart TB
    THEME[("🎯 Theme/Issue/<br>Question/Topic")]

    subgraph ASPECTS["Different Aspects Integrated"]
        A1["Discipline A<br>Aspect 1"]
        A2["Discipline B<br>Aspect 2"]
        A3["Discipline C<br>Aspect 3"]
    end

    A1 --> THEME
    A2 --> THEME
    A3 --> THEME

    THEME --> PERSPECTIVES["Multiple Perspectives<br>& Views"]

    style THEME fill:#e3f2fd,stroke:#2196f3
    style PERSPECTIVES fill:#e8f5e9,stroke:#4caf50

3:06:2:01 Advantages of Inter-disciplinary Teaching and Learning¶

Seven Advantages

Inter-disciplinary teaching and learning offers multiple benefits for students.

#	Advantage	Description
i	Improved Comprehension & Retention	Students understand and remember better
ii	Real-world Application	Understand how to apply learning in real-world problems
iii	Inter-connected Solutions	See how solutions require content knowledge and skills from different disciplines
iv	Multiple Points of View	Develops multiple perspectives and values
v	Enhanced Decision-making	Enhanced ability to synthesize knowledge from different disciplines
vi	Information Assessment	Improved ability to identify, assess, and communicate important information
vii	Collaborative Skills	Fosters collaboration and positive attitude towards learning

Advantages Diagram¶

flowchart TB
    subgraph ADV["7 Advantages of Inter-disciplinary Approach"]
        direction TB
        A1["📚 Improved Comprehension<br>& Retention"]
        A2["🌍 Real-world<br>Application"]
        A3["🔗 Inter-connected<br>Solutions"]
        A4["👁️ Multiple<br>Points of View"]
        A5["🎯 Enhanced<br>Decision-making"]
        A6["📊 Information<br>Assessment"]
        A7["🤝 Collaborative<br>Skills"]
    end

    style A1 fill:#e3f2fd,stroke:#2196f3
    style A2 fill:#e8f5e9,stroke:#4caf50
    style A3 fill:#fff3e0,stroke:#ff9800
    style A4 fill:#f3e5f5,stroke:#9c27b0
    style A5 fill:#ffebee,stroke:#f44336
    style A6 fill:#e0f7fa,stroke:#00bcd4
    style A7 fill:#fce4ec,stroke:#e91e63

3:06:2:02 Steps in Implementing Inter-disciplinary Approach in Classroom Teaching¶

Key Points 📌

There are six steps for implementing the inter-disciplinary approach effectively.

Step	Name	Description
i	Pre-instructional Planning	Teacher plans topics/themes; students examine and choose
ii	Introducing the Methodology	Explain and demonstrate the approach to students
iii	Taking to the Classroom	Explain with example how to identify related disciplines
iv	Practising Inter-disciplinary Thinking	Present issue, use knowledge from different disciplines
v	Providing Feedback	Evaluate using detailed rubric
vi	Assessment	Teach students to self-evaluate

Implementation Steps Flow¶

flowchart TB
    S1["📋 Step 1:<br>Pre-instructional<br>Planning"] --> S2["📢 Step 2:<br>Introducing<br>Methodology"]
    S2 --> S3["🏫 Step 3:<br>Taking to<br>Classroom"]
    S3 --> S4["🧠 Step 4:<br>Practising<br>Thinking"]
    S4 --> S5["💬 Step 5:<br>Providing<br>Feedback"]
    S5 --> S6["📝 Step 6:<br>Assessment"]

    style S1 fill:#e3f2fd,stroke:#2196f3
    style S2 fill:#e8f5e9,stroke:#4caf50
    style S3 fill:#fff3e0,stroke:#ff9800
    style S4 fill:#f3e5f5,stroke:#9c27b0
    style S5 fill:#ffebee,stroke:#f44336
    style S6 fill:#e0f7fa,stroke:#00bcd4

Step i: Pre-instructional Planning¶

Activity	Description
Teacher	Plans and establishes topics/themes
Students	Examine and choose the one they're interested in
Action Plan	Teacher develops notes and open-ended questions

Step ii: Introducing the Methodology¶

Why This Step?

Inter-disciplinary teaching is different from traditional approach, so teachers must explain and demonstrate how students should approach issues/problems.

Step iii: Taking to the Classroom¶

Teacher Actions
Explain with example how to identify related disciplines
Show how to use insight from different connected disciplines
Inform students how to explore problem with inter-disciplinary lens

Step iv: Practising Inter-disciplinary Thinking¶

flowchart LR
    ISSUE["📌 Issue in<br>particular subject"] --> ANALYZE["🔍 Use knowledge<br>from different<br>discipline"]
    ANALYZE --> SOLUTION["💡 Find<br>Solution"]

    subgraph PRACTICE["Practice Options"]
        IND["Individual work"]
        GROUP["Small groups"]
        CLASS["Whole class refinement"]
    end

    SOLUTION --> PRACTICE

    style ISSUE fill:#fff3e0,stroke:#ff9800
    style SOLUTION fill:#e8f5e9,stroke:#4caf50

Mode	Benefit
Individual	Personal understanding
Small Groups	Collaborative efforts, differing perspectives
Class Discussion	Refine analysis together

Optional Activity

In small class settings, teachers can ask students to prepare inter-disciplinary position papers for each assigned reading.

Step v: Providing Feedback¶

Aspect	Detail
Tool	Detailed rubric
Focus Areas	Structure and analytical framework of relevant disciplines
Outcome	Feedback on ability to create integrated analysis

Step vi: Assessment (Self-evaluation)¶

Self-evaluation Criteria

Students rate themselves on ability to:

a) Identify and apply multiple disciplines relevant to the issue studied
b) Synthesize insights from multiple disciplines
c) Integrate ideas across disciplines

Purpose: Help students gauge their progress and set goals for improvement.

📊 Multi-disciplinary vs Inter-disciplinary Comparison¶

Aspect	Multi-disciplinary	Inter-disciplinary
Definition	Study topic from viewpoints of multiple disciplines	Integrate aspects of multiple disciplines to examine theme
Discipline Boundaries	Stay within boundaries	Boundaries blur/merge
Focus	Multiple perspectives, separate analysis	Integrated analysis and synthesis
Connection Type	Parallel study	Integrated study
Student Role	View from different angles	Create unified understanding

flowchart TB
    subgraph MULTI["Multi-disciplinary"]
        M_TOPIC[Topic]
        M_D1[Discipline 1] -.-> M_TOPIC
        M_D2[Discipline 2] -.-> M_TOPIC
        M_D3[Discipline 3] -.-> M_TOPIC
    end

    subgraph INTER["Inter-disciplinary"]
        I_TOPIC[Topic]
        I_D1[Discipline 1] --> I_TOPIC
        I_D2[Discipline 2] --> I_TOPIC
        I_D3[Discipline 3] --> I_TOPIC
        I_D1 <--> I_D2
        I_D2 <--> I_D3
    end

    style MULTI fill:#e8f5e9,stroke:#4caf50
    style INTER fill:#e3f2fd,stroke:#2196f3

📝 Quick Revision Table¶

Topic	Key Point	Remember
3:06 Models	Jensenius (2012) - 3 models	Multi, Inter, Trans-disciplinary
3:06:1 Multi-disciplinary	Multiple viewpoints, boundaries maintained	Draw knowledge, stay within boundaries
3:06:1:01 Characteristics	Steinberg (1997) - 6 characteristics	6 A's: Academic, Authentic, Applied, Active, Adult, Assessment
3:06:1:02 Goals	4 goals	Active learning, Career planning, Diversity, Community
3:06:1:03 Outcomes	4 learning outcomes	APPC: Autonomy, Practical, Problem-solving, Connect
3:06:2 Inter-disciplinary	Integrate aspects to examine theme	Multiple perspectives and views
3:06:2:01 Advantages	7 advantages	Comprehension, Real-world, Solutions, Views, Decision, Information, Collaboration
3:06:2:02 Implementation	6 steps	Planning, Introduce, Classroom, Practice, Feedback, Assessment

🧠 Memory Mnemonics¶

Steinberg's 6 Characteristics: AAAA-AA

Academic rigor
Authenticity
Applied learning
Active exploration
Adult connections
Assessment practices

Multi-disciplinary Goals: AIDB

Active learning
Increase career planning
Diverse population
Build community support

Implementation Steps: PITPFA

Pre-instructional planning
Introducing methodology
Taking to classroom
Practising thinking
Feedback
Assessment

❓ Review Questions¶

What is multi-disciplinary model of curriculum integration? Explain its characteristics, goals and learning outcomes. (A) [Ans: 3:06:1 + 3:06:1:01 to the end of 3:06:1:03]
Explain the inter-disciplinary model of curriculum integration and the steps involved in implementing it in classroom teaching. Point out its advantages in teaching and learning. (A) [Ans: 3:06:2 + 3:06:2:01 + 3:06:2:02]
Compare and contrast Multi-disciplinary and Inter-disciplinary curriculum integration.
What are the learning outcomes of Multi-disciplinary curricular approach?

Section Complete ✅

You have completed Section 3 covering:

✅ Multi-disciplinary Curriculum Integration (Jensenius, 2012)
✅ Steinberg's (1997) 6 Characteristics
✅ 4 Goals and 4 Learning Outcomes of Multi-disciplinary approach
✅ Inter-disciplinary Curriculum Integration
✅ 7 Advantages of Inter-disciplinary approach
✅ 6 Steps for Implementation

Next Section → Trans-disciplinary Integration & Spiral Curriculum