Five Levels of Curriculum Integration Defined, Refined, and Described

A great deal of attention has been given to curriculum integration. Developmentally appropriate instructional strategies and curricula for young adolescents had been perceived as the “untouchable element” of middle level restructuring, but middle level educators have begun to construct relevant and integrated learning opportunities for and with their students. In this study five interdisciplinary teams of middle school teachers shared their perceptions about curriculum integration as well as issues and topics surrounding that concept.As middle level educators develop integrated curricula specifically for young adolescents, it may be helpful to practitioners and researchers to understand how interdisciplinary teams of teachers are redefining their teaching assignments to incorporate those concepts into classrooms. Teachers and administrators are responding to the call to make curriculum more relevant to students, more process-oriented, and delivered in an emotionally safe environment. As integrated curricula are developed, implemented, and redesigned, it is important to document those efforts and compare and contrast the stories of middle level team teachers who are designing these educational experiences.The five levels of curriculum integration identified in this study are identified as departmentalized, reinforcement, complementary or shared units, webbed, and integrated themes.