Interdisciplinary learning – A study in lesson planning
The study explores how and to what extent visual arts educators and music educators within the five middle schools of my school district incorporate interdisciplinary learning within their lesson plans, and whether the utilization of interdisciplinary learning impacts the objectives or outcomes of the lesson. Six teachers volunteered lessons for the study and I examined eight lesson plans.
Within the lessons provided, I examined the purposeful, unintentional, unclear, and exclusion of interdisciplinary learning through a process of coding, focusing on the goals, objectives, and standards of each lesson as well as the instructional activities and smaller miscellaneous groupings of information present within each lesson. My analysis of the coded material suggested that interdisciplinary learning is a) most commonly purposefully integrated into the standards of each lesson, b) infrequently implied throughout the lesson, c) overall most commonly unclear and frequent in the instruction portion of the lessons.
Through this action research, I recognized the importance of weaving essential themes through the entirety of the planning process, ensuring that the intention of interdisciplinary learning and social engagement outcomes are clearly incorporated within the goals, objectives, and lesson instructional activities for consistency and clarity. This study suggests that further research of interdisciplinary learning within the lesson planning process, expanding beyond lesson plans to include visual learning implements such as handouts and presentations, would provide a more extensive understanding of current interdisciplinary practice within my school district, therefore informing a more effective lesson planning practice.
Advisers/Committee
