In recent years revisions in the UK national curriculum have mirrored similar changes in curriculum organisation and content across Europe and beyond. These changes include a new emphasis on cross-curricularity. Teachers from different subject spcialisms are required to work together, emphasizing collaboration in both design and delivery of new schemes of work. This has implications for teacher, subject and pedagogic knowledge and has an impact on classroom learning and practice. Consequently the theory and practice of cross-curricularity is under scrutiny.

The ‘Science Newswise curriculum project’ charted the professional development of teachers involved in a cross-curricular curriculum enhancement initiative. The study sought evidence of professional learning prompted by an inter-departmental programme to encourage pupils to develop critical literacy skills. Core research questions included:  

·      What professional learning is evident when teachers engage in cross-curricular teaching based on science-related news media?

·      How do teachers move beyond their own subject culture and collaborate to analyse pupil progress in critical reading and text evaluation?

·      Can teachers working in cross-curricular contexts transfer effective strategies to promote meaningful learning across subject boundaries?

The study aimed to promote sustainable curricular renewal by integrating the development of innovative classroom based teaching programmes with appropriate teacher professional development activities. Professional development was based on the design, implementation and evaluation of an innovative cross-curricular programme linking science and English departments working collaboratively with  ‘science in the news’.

The project involved 14 teachers from 7 schools. Teacher learning was intended to take place informally as they worked collegially within their school and in inter-school groups. They engaged in interdisciplinary tasks similar to those developed for use in school. Planning and subsequently teaching the programmes provided a context for professional learning including contributing to classroom-based research. In particular the school based teaching programmes helped teachers to:

• Develop skills to facilitate cross-curricular learning in science and English.
• Gain confidence and competence in using science-based media reports as authentic contexts for cross-curricular collaboration
• Evaluate the effectiveness of teaching strategies on pupils’ engagement with, and capability for learning from, science-based media.

A model of critical literacy in science that brings together science knowledge, media awareness, literacy skills and discerning habits of mind provides the theoretical framework for this study (McClune and Jarman 2010 & 2011). This model, based on frameworks of learning intentions, is intended to provide teachers with a structured and developmental approach to planning lessons and programmes designed to integrate science in the news into the classroom. It builds on earlier work on authentic contexts for developing interdisciplinary aspects of critical literacy (Alexander et al 2008) and resonates with ideas of collaborative teaching discussed by Savage (2011). A study highlighting the different characteristics of science and English teachers’ responses to media reports with a science component demonstrates the need for interdisciplinary approaches in this area (McClune & Alexander 2011b).  These studies set out both the conceptual foundation for critical engagement with science based-news in the classroom and also suggest a systematic and developmental approach to pedagogy.

References Alexander, J., Walsh, P., Jarman, R., & McClune, B. (2008). From rhetoric to reality: Advancing literacy by cross-curricular means. Curriculum Journal, 19(1), 23-35. McClune, B. Jarman, R. (2010) Critical reading of science-based news reports: Establishing a knowledge skills and attitudes framework International Journal of Science Education 32 (6) 727 – 752 McClune, B. & Jarman R. (2011). From aspiration to action: A learning intentions model to promote critical engagement with science in the print-based media. Research in Science Education 41: 691-710 McClune, B. & Alexander, J. (2011b) Science Literacy and Media literacy: A missing link. Media Education Research Journal 2(1) 43-5 Savage, J. (2011) Cross-curricular Teaching and Learning in the Secondary School, London: Routledge