Integration of Social Studies and English: Prospective Teachers’ Views “Feeding two birds with one scone?”

Abstract

This study aims to examine the process of developing interdisciplinary lesson plans for prospective English and social studies teachers using the Content-based language instruction model (CLIL) and through collaborative work. The participants of the study consisted of 30 prospective English and 10 prospective social studies teachers who were continuing their pre-service university education in one of the western provinces of Turkey. A qualitative approach was used to answer the research problem, and data collection tools consisted of questionnaires, semi-structured group interviews, and lesson plans. Both descriptive and content analysis was used to reach inferential results. As a result of the research, it was understood that pre-service teachers’ own learning experiences affect their beliefs about their teaching experiences. Besides, it was understood that the 4C model, which can be used in CLIL, is specifically suitable for social studies. In line with these results, suggestions were made for future studies.