Interdisciplinary thinking is critical for equipping students to apply scientific knowledge and tackle societal challenges across various disciplines, which has been recognized as a key objective of twenty-first century science education. However, research on effective interdisciplinary assessment in secondary school science education is still…

This study presents a conceptual framework for embedding interdisciplinary learning approaches in a postsecondary science program in order to foster interdisciplinary science habits in students. The framework was developed through the lens of a multi-year interdisciplinary postsecondary science program that encompasses a series of courses in which…

There is a growing interest in the value of teachers guiding students to generate their own representations to support conceptual learning in science and across complementary subjects such as mathematics. However, this approach to an interdisciplinary focus poses challenges for programme design and learning assessment. In this paper, we report on…

Students entering health sciences programs may face challenges on their road to successful completion and possible entry to medical school in the area of preparedness in quantitative skills. At our institution, faculty analyzed evidence of these challenges including performance on the ACT Math Test, an in-house math placement test and quantitative…

Creating learning environments that integrate arts, sciences, and computing in education can improve learning in these disciplines. In particular, transdisciplinary integrations of these disciplines can lead to expansive alterations or dissolutions of epistemological, ideological, and methodological boundaries. We wish to support teachers in the…

This paper discusses the purpose and content of the WIDA Framework for Equitable Instruction (FEI). The FEI is an instruction-focused resource designed to promote the equitable engagement in disciplinary learning and language development of multilingual learners. It complements the WIDA English Language Development Standards Framework in that it…

The purpose of this study is to present a conceptual framework that integrates science and language learning for all students, including English learners (ELs). This framework is grounded in the mutually supportive nature of science instructional shifts, spurred by "A Framework for K-12 Science Education" (National Research Council,…

CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) has been one of the major innovations that has been implemented in Spain in the last decades and many questions have arisen in relation to its effectiveness. The aim of this article is to report primary teachers' perceptions of the most relevant aspects of CLIL teaching of Science and Social Science…

This article addressed the need for authentic interdisciplinary instruction. Authentic interdisciplinary instruction is defined as a learning activity that simultaneously improves student performance related to grade-level standards in two or more disciplines (e.g., science and physical education). The process described for creating authentic…

Educating About Social Issues in the 20th and 21st Centuries: A Critical Annotated Bibliography, is comprised of critical essays accompanied by annotated bibliographies on a host of programs, models, strategies and concerns vis-a-vis teaching and learning about social issues facing society. The primary goal of the book is to provide undergraduate…

This paper presents results from a July 2005 workshop and course aimed at developing an interdisciplinary course on modeling aquatic ecosystems that will provide the next generation of practitioners with critical skills for which formal training is presently lacking. Five different course models were evaluated: (1) fundamentals/general principles…

This article presents a model for the development of an environmentally oriented unit designed to be implemented as an integral part of the science core curriculum. The program's main goal is encouraging students at the junior high-school level to develop systems-thinking and environmental insight as a basis for environmental literacy. A…

Science is a social issue. The examination of scientific issues offers an excellent opportunity for helping students develop a synthesized perspective on science related issues--a synthesis of the technical data coupled with social, political, economic, ethical, and philosophical information. (RM)

Two papers presented at two different conferences and both discussing issues related to writing across the curriculum, are presented in this document. The first paper, "Wanted: Guidelines for Teaching Writing in Non-Writing Courses," (Jan Keessen), presented at the 1992 "four C's" conference, discusses the need to gather data…

Presented is a syllabus for introducing oceanography and the marine environment into the secondary school curricula of all IOC Member States, whether developed or developing. The main purpose of the syllabus is to promote an understanding of oceanography and the marine environment. The syllabus is action- and output-oriented, as well as…