Professional development e-course on how to integrate interdisciplinary approach into the learning process in schools that practise multimodality and use interactive educational online services

Abstract

Problem and goal. The problem of implementation and realization of interdisciplinary approach in the learning process at schools is demonstrated. The goal of this research is to create professional development e-course for teachers, which can include practical approaches to integrate interdisciplinarity and to develop multimodality through the application of online services. Methodology. The practical research is carried out based on organizing an experimental (93 people) and control (71 people) groups of students in different ages (4-8th grades) and disciplines. The students from an experimental group are taught by the teachers who took part in the designed e-course. These teachers use practice-based methods and strategies to integrate interdisciplinary approach in the lessons of Geography, Mathematics, Russian, English, Social Studies and Literature in a primary school. They apply online services such as Padlet, Zoom and Google Tools as well. Analysis of interdisciplinary skills level is carried out with the help of control diagnostics before and after the experiment. Results. The tools for the integration of interdisciplinary approach and the application of online services in educational process have appeared to be effective. The evidence of this conclusion is the toolbox with methodological interdisciplinary materials and resources which has been created for the learning process with the help of online services which can help students develop transfer skills, creative and critical thinking. The tools and services demonstrated in this research allow students and teachers to develop agency, i.e. the ability to be responsible for their life, in particular for their learning, to make a choice and to have a voice. They also help increase motivation to the process of learning. Such tools and online services can play a significant role for informatization of the learning process because they have an impact on the development of students’ multimodality. Conclusion. The results allow to identify the effectiveness of the implementation and integration of interdisciplinary approach in educational process, especially in the framework of narrow disciplines, with the help of online services. Teachers, who had taken part in a designed professional development e-course, used strategies and tools, online services in practice. The students demonstrated an enhanced level of creative and critical thinking and transfer skills during control diagnostics after the research.