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Curriculum Integration from Multi-perspectives: Multinational Curriculum Experts Gathered at the 17th Shanghai International Curriculum Forum

2019-11-04



How can the curriculum meet the high requirements of the future society for compound talents? How to grasp the current international trend of curriculum development from differentiation to integration?

From November 1 to 2, the Institute of Curriculum and Instruction held the 17th Shanghai International Curriculum Forum at East China Normal University with the theme of Curriculum Integration from Multiple Perspectives. A number of well-known experts in the field of curriculum and instruction research were invited from different districts, such as the United States, Britain, Canada, Japan and other countries, as well as Hong Kong and Taiwan, China. More than 300 experts and scholars, leaders of educational administrative departments and front-line educators from more than a dozen provinces and cities across the country were gathered to exchange theories and experiences on curriculum integration and share the story of curriculum integration under international context.



Opening Ceremony

Professor Cui Yunhuo, Director of ICI, ECNU

At the opening ceremony, Professor Cui Yunhuo, the director of ICI, delivered a speech on behalf of the organizers of the forum, expressed his sincere welcome to all the guests. Professor Cui pointed out that the starting point and destination of “curriculum” is to develop every student, and to cultivate the younger generation to shape a new future. Hoping that through this academic feast, we can construct a better curriculum integration, to fulfill the mission of ICIer. Susan Drake, a professor at the School of Education at Brooke University in Canada, delivered a speech on behalf of the invited experts, affirmed the important role of curriculum integration in the trend of education reform, and expressed her desire to cooperate with East China Normal University and ICI to carry out curriculum research, and looking forward to the story of Chinese curriculum in this international curriculum forum.

Susan Drake, a professor at the School of Education, Brooke University, Canada


Academic Report

Eleven experts were specially invited to give reports on four topics. Professor Chen Shuangye, Professor Zhou Yong, Associate Professor Wang Tao and Associate Professor Xiao Sihan of ICI hosted each part of the forum separately.


Topic One: What Should Curriculum Integration Looks Like?

The report of the conference started with the question “What should curriculum integration looks like”. The two experts discussed the content selection, organization and presentation of integrated curriculum and interdisciplinary curriculum, and described their idea of curriculum integration.

Professor Susan Drake, School of Education, Brooke University, Canada


Professor Susan Drake used an interdisciplinary curriculum model----“Story Model”, to explore the topic of “The position of integrated curriculum in the new story of education”. The report combed the development history, realistic background and value orientation of the integrated curriculum, introduced the different perspectives from the individual to the global level in the implementation of the integrated curriculum, and looked forward to the “new educational story”.

Professor Deng Zongyi, School of Education, University College London, UK


Professor Deng Zongyi of School of Education, University College London, fully elaborated on “content selection and organization in the 21st century: discipline formation and curriculum development”. The report raised questions from “what the school teaches and learns”, examined the three relationships between school subjects and academic disciplines, discussed the formation of school subjects from the perspective of curriculum development, and shared specific cases of discipline construction. Professor Deng pointed out that these issues are related to the selection and organization of curriculum content, and its focus lies in the development of human skills, way of thinking and ability to understand the world in the 21st century.

Topic Two: Curriculum Integration Based on Key Competencies

The second part of the forum focused on the relationship between key competencies and curriculum integration, the construction, implementation and evaluation of integrated curriculum and interdisciplinary curriculum based on key competencies.

Associate Professor An Guiqing, ICI, ECNU

Associate Professor An Guiqing made a report entitled “Construction and Rectification of the Relationship Between Key Competency and Curriculum Integration”. From the perspective of tracing the value of curriculum integration, the report reflected on the limitation of the concept of key competency and the necessity of reconstructing it, then revealed the two-way construction relationship between key competency and curriculum integration—— “integration of value and technology, combination of inheritance and innovation”. She further discussed the three orientations and three forms of curriculum integration. In the report, the reporter stressed that curriculum integration is not only a technology of curriculum organization, but also means the pursuit of the value of education. If we intend to cultivate key competency through curriculum integration, it is necessary to realize the reconstruction and innovative development of curriculum integration.

Professor Zhou Shuqing of Taipei Education University

From the perspective of curriculum integration and the cultivation of key competency, Professor Zhou Shuqing of Taipei Education University introduced the proper way to put the concept of “less is more” into the “interdisciplinary curriculum practice of deepening learning”. The reporter shared the process of teachers’ implementation and revision of curriculum in Taiwan, China, and analyzed their understanding and reflection on deep learning in interdisciplinary curriculum. Professor Zhou believed that the focus of the interdisciplinary curriculum lies in its integration and problem inquiry. Cultivating problem-solving ability by integrating the textbook contents of multiple disciplines seems to reduce the learning content, but in fact, “less is more”, it deepens the students’ learning.

Professor Luo Xingkai, Institute of Science Education, Guangxi Normal University

In the report entitled “The Evaluation of Science and Technology Key Competency and Comprehensive Science Curriculum Upgrading and Development”, Professor Luo Xingkai, Director of the Institute of Science Education of Guangxi Normal University, combined with a long-term follow-up study, analyzed the key issues restricting curriculum integration and interdisciplinary curriculum at the practical level, as well as the main technical problem in the large-scale implementation of the assessment of science and technology key competency.

Topic Three: Classroom Practice of Curriculum Integration

The third part of the forum focused on the practice of curriculum integration at the curriculum level, which involved interdisciplinary teaching methods, the concept and path of curriculum design, as well as the key issues of curriculum integration.

Professor Troy Sadler of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Professor Troy Sadler from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, made a report entitled “A systematic approach to the exploration of socio-scientific issues as curricular contexts”. From a systematic perspective, the report discussed the multiple and interrelated dimensions between socio-scientific issues-based teaching and learning in science education, defined the core content and practice of topic-based teaching and the supporting factors needed. He also put forward a constructive research direction for further exploration of topic-based teaching, which provided valuable inspiration for interdisciplinary science education.

Professor Wu Gangping, ICI, ECNU

Professor Wu Gangping form ICI made a report entitled “A Comparative Study on Interdisciplinary Integration Design of Language Courses between China and America”. The study compared the concept and path of interdisciplinary integrated design of language art curriculum between China and the United States. The study revealed the problems existing in the one-way integration of Chinese curriculum design in China, and analyzed the characteristics and advantages of interdisciplinary and two-way integration of English curriculum in the United States. It is considered that it can provide useful reference for the integration of Chinese curriculum in China.

Professor Wang Rongsheng of the School of Education of Shanghai Normal University

From the perspective of “Hierarchical units, boundaries, dimensions and ancient and modern problems of Chinese curriculum”, Professor Wang Rongsheng examined the key issues in the integration of Chinese curriculum. The study specifically analyzed the “two-way” attribute of the Chinese curriculum, and payed special attention to the balance and relevance of the content dimension and the process dimension in the Chinese curriculum.

Topic Four: The Practical Significance of Curriculum Integration

The experts in the fourth part of the forum expanded the research field of curriculum integration. They examined the practical significance of curriculum integration from the perspectives of the integration of general curriculum and vocational curriculum, the role of curriculum integration in promoting teachers’ professional development and students’ learning development.

Professor Liu Lianghua, ICI, ECNU

Professor Liu Lianghua of ICI jumped out of the category of internal curriculum integration of general education, and asked “why Dewey attached so much importance to the integration of general curriculum and vocational curriculum”. Through an in-depth interpretation of the classic Democracy and Education, professor Liu analyzed three reasons why vocational education has become the peak of Dewey’s educational philosophy. It is pointed out that the vocational education advocated by Dewey and the integration of general curriculum and vocational curriculum are the basic and even the only way to realize his “democratic education” and democratic society, and guide us to rethink the practical significance of this issue in the current curriculum reform.

Professor Yasuhiko Fujie, Department of Education, Graduate School of Pedagogy, University of Tokyo

The report of Professor Yasuhiko Fujie is entitled “Curriculum Integration as a Learning Opportunity for Teachers”. The study examined curriculum integration from the perspective of the continuity of primary and secondary education, and focused on teachers’ initiative in school-based curriculum development and curriculum management system as a model of curriculum integration. Professor Yasuhiko Fujie pointed out that in the construction of primary and secondary schools, teachers acquire common discourse and use it as a cultural tool to understand the conflicts between primary and junior high schools, and to understand teachers and children in different types of schools. At the same time, they share the knowledge accumulation in practice through dialogue to form the school culture as a community of practice, and use dialogue as a cultural tool of the community of practice to create practice and get learning opportunities in this cycle.

Zhuang Xinhui, vice principal of Canossa St. Francis School in Hong Kong, China

Zhuang Xinhui, vice principal and director of Curriculum Development Center of Canossa St. Francis School in Hong Kong, China, made a report entitled “Curriculum Integration and students’ Learning Development: Perspective of Frontier Teachers”. The school’s experience in finding a balance between gifted education and autonomous learning, the development of school-based curriculum and interdisciplinary learning activities to help students master a variety of common abilities. At the same time, Principal Zhuang also shared the experience of school integration curriculum in Hong Kong, China, and summarized the starting points of promoting students’ autonomous learning at the school level, classroom / teacher level and student level.

On-site Interactive Innovation with Technical Support

The forum creatively adopted the way of online interaction. After the audience scans the QR code through the mobile phone to enter the activity page, the questions raised are publicly displayed on the screen and monitored in real time. According to the on-site monitoring data, the host selected the most popular questions and asked the experts to respond them. This kind of technology-supported interaction not only improved the effectiveness of Q & A communication between the large-scale venue and the speaker, but also provided a realistic experience of technology support interaction for attendees.


Parallel Sessions


On the morning of November 2, the three parallel sessions continued to discuss “Curriculum Integration Theory and Reflection” “Planning, Implementation and Evaluation of Curriculum Integration” and “Practical Experience Sharing of International Curriculum Integration”. Professor Wu Gangping, Professor Zhang Wei and Associate Professor An Guiqing presented each session separately. The parallel sessions mainly focused on the curriculum integration design based on big concepts, the crisis illusion in American STEM education reform, the international experience and enlightenment of curriculum integration, the evaluation of performance evaluation tasks in integrated curriculum, and the practical dilemma and reflection of curriculum integration from the perspective of teachers’ subject identity.

Parallel Session One

Parallel Session Two

Parallel Session Three

Round Table Forum

On the afternoon of November 2, the experts were invited to attend the round table forum to hold a high-level academic dialogue with scholars from the Institute of Curriculum and Instruction to discuss “Curriculum Integration from Multiple Perspectives: Path to the Internationalization of Chinese Experience”. Professor Chen Shuangye, Deputy Director, presided over the forum. Professor Cui Yunhuo first introduced the academic development concept of ICI —— “based on a global perspective to share Chinese wisdom”, then he introduced the main work that ICI do in the national curriculum reform, and finally the three goals that this international forum hopes to achieve.


Then Susan Drake, Deng Zongyi, Troy Sadler, Fujie and other experts conducted in-depth exchanges around the elements of STEM education, the concept of “less is more”, the identity of middle school students in curriculum integration, teachers’ pressure and difficulties, and shared the unique experience of curriculum integration in various countries through vivid and specific curriculum integration stories. The participating experts highly affirmed the significance of the international curriculum forum and the round table forum, and pointed out that “although curriculum reform in different countries has different backgrounds and cultures, there are a lot of experiences in common, and we have more and more common topics”.