Disciplinary literacy is a newer framework for teaching and learning within the last decade. This qualitative study explored how seven teachers in one Midwestern rural school district defined and enacted disciplinary literacy in grades six through twelve. The content areas represented in this study include teachers from agriculture, art, family…

This article shares case studies from in-depth research that investigates Latino immigrant families' use of technology, focusing on family technology practices that were interest-driven, cross-setting, and in some cases also collaborative among family members. Three cases illustrate ways that families--all of whom included elementary school-age…

In this paper, we discuss the individuals' "roles", "responsibilities", and "routine activities", along with their "goals" and "intentions" in two different contexts--a school science context and a university research context--using sociological lenses. We highlight the distinct characteristics of…

This article reports the findings from a study of undergraduate students in an academic program focused on integrative learning rather than interdisciplinarity. One aspect of this study included how students defined integrative learning. This participant-shaped understanding of integrative learning was broad and reflected a continuum of…

The research reported in this paper explores the applicability and efficacy of a variant of problem-based learning, the Preparation for Future Learning (PFL) approach, to teaching and learning within the context of a cross-curricular, middle school data literacy unit called "Thinking with Data" (TWD). A quasi-experimental design was used…

This paper outlines an academic development process based around a two- or three-day workshop programme called a Course Design Intensive (CDI). The CDI process aims to foster collaboration and peer support in curriculum development and bring about pedagogic innovation and positive experiences for both tutors and learners. Bringing participants…

The National Science Foundation's Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) program supports students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields who participate in university-developed interdisciplinary graduate training experiences. Faculty members at each IGERT site develop a series of education…

Using mini-aquaria experiments, a learning unit on the effects of light period on aquatic ecosystems was developed for 7th grade students. This guided inquiry unit was aimed at helping students understand basic ecological principles involved in relationships among physical, chemical, and biological components in aquatic ecosystems. It involved…

Presented is an interview concerning development and implementation of the Unified Sciences and Mathematics for Elementary Schools (USMES) project, which has developed an interdisciplinary problem-solving curriculum for elementary students. (Author)

Late in 2007 New Visions for Public Schools, a New York City reform organization, received a grant from the C.S. Mott Foundation to organize select high schools and community partners into delivery systems that could improve student achievement. New Visions asked Policy Studies Associates, Inc. to provide research support for this effort in the…

Using a unit on earthworms, this article shows how science and language arts can be successfully integrated in a middle school classroom through hands-on observation, interviewing, and writing exercises. The integration process engages students, uses class time more efficiently, encourages dialog, and improves outcomes and appreciation of the…

In this study, a learning unit on microorganisms for ninth-grade students was developed based on the Science-Technology-Environment-Society (STES) approach. The learning unit contained 15 learning tasks, which were performed in individual and cooperative learning settings, using a variety of teaching/learning methods with an emphasis on the…

Maintains that the primary goal of social studies instruction is the development of civic competence. Describes a Vietnam War interview project incorporating oral history techniques. Includes a grading sheet, a project description sheet, a list of interview questions, and a sample interview. (CFR)