What teachers learn from science and arts integration in a design-based learning framework: An Australian study

Abstract

Secondary teachers face a plethora of advice on why and how to integrate science with the arts for mutual benefit. Diverse rationales for this integration are matched by wide variation in recommended programs. However, there is limited research on what exactly teachers learn, or need to learn, over time beyond the life of any particular approach or topic, to succeed. In this paper we contribute insights into this issue by analysing, in the light of relevant literature, participant teachers’ learning after four years experience of a standalone, two-day annual program that aimed to integrate science and the arts in a whole-school approach. Our case study entailed interviews with the principal and key participant teachers, observational notes on program enactment, and participation in teacher planning and review meetings. We found that: (a) participant teachers perceived multiple benefits from this curricular innovation; (b) the integration was enabled by a design-based learning framework, and (c) diverse conditions were needed for this innovation to be sustained, with implications for other forms of program integration.