Subject-based
education involves more traditional approach to curriculum and teaching that is
divided into several ‘subjects’ including math, history, English and so on. This
approach of structuring the disciplines is practical, as it isolates specific
skills and knowledge that we hope our students will acquire, and design lessons
around these expectations. However, this approach is often criticized for its
rigid, prescriptive approach to curriculum delivery as it focuses on specific
skills and content rather than an integrated delivery.
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Elliot Erwitt (2009) [Video file] Retrieved from
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Thematic approaches to curriculum
delivery on the other hand, include cross-curricular, integrated and
interdisciplinary design, where knowledge and skills can transcend multiple
areas of study. Lake (1994: as referenced in Putwain, Whitely & Caddick,
2011), identify six characteristics on non-subject-based curriculum: including
combining subjects, emphasizing project work, multiple sources that go beyond
the textbook, holistic relationships among concepts, and organizing the
curriculum to revolve around themes and flexibility in student grouping.
In terms of motivational outcomes, Putwain
et al., (2001) acknowledge that performance-approach goals, or goals intended
to demonstrate learning, declined significantly in classrooms using a
subject-based approach. Although goals are adopted on the basis of personal
antecedents it is suggested that a thematic approach promotes a more
understanding and flexible environment which will improve the learning and
competence of students. Putwain et al., (2001) describe three features of
thematic classrooms that illustrate the positive impacts they can have on
students. Firstly, an educator has the capability of grounding curriculum in
local issues intended to create a more engaging approach to learning. As a result,
students have reported stronger mastery-approach goals, or an interest in
developing their learning, compared to subject-based classrooms. Secondly, the
focus on group and individual projects improved collaboration amongst students,
and often provided the students with more formative assessment and feedback
from teachers than you would expect from a subject-based approach. Thirdly,
social comparison is not as prominent in a thematic model, as students are
often working collaboratively not competitively; therefore a self-referenced mode
of competence judgement may be more frequent using this approach.
Integrated instruction has certainly
become prominent in 21st century education, and is posed as a better
way to meet the interests and needs of students while maintaining
curriculum-specific expectations. This approach has been linked to the idea of ‘spheres
of work’ in which intersecting subjects contribute to a holistic understanding
of a concept or action; an essential framework for educational reform.
References
Putwain, D., Whiteley, H., & Caddick, L.
(2011). Thematic versus subject-based curriculum delivery and achievement goals: findings from a single-school
study. Educational Research, 53(4), 387-398.
doi:org/10.1080/00131881.2011.625149
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