Cross-curricular Collaboration Research Articles

Cross-curricular collaboration and teachers’ language awareness in bilingual education

Cross-curricular collaboration and teachers’ language awareness in bilingual education

Cross-curricular collaboration in a CLIL bilingual context: the perceptions and practices of language teachers and content subject teachers

ABSTRACT Content and Language integrated learning (CLIL) revolves around the dual goal of language acquisition and content knowledge; therefore, the cross-curricular collaboration between language and content teachers is one of the key factors for the success of CLIL education. This study investigates multiple aspects of cross-curricular collaboration in a Vietnamese CLIL program, including teachers’ beliefs about pedagogic roles, professional support provided, and actual cross-curricular collaboration implemented. Data collected from eight teachers through semi-structured interviews were coded for emerging themes using thematic analysis, and relevant documents were analysed as complementary data. The findings indicate that the teachers viewed their pedagogical responsibilities and foci rigidly within their discipline, rather than as a dual-focused role of both language and content teaching. Additionally, a mismatch between professional support provided by the school and by the program designers was identified, indicating insufficient training and supervision in the implementation of the program. Although there was evidence of teacher collaboration, the practice still lacked consistency and systematicity due to issues such as workload, schedule and motivation. The findings from this study have important implications for professional development and curriculum design in CLIL bilingual programs to facilitate successful cross-curricular collaboration.

Adding International Resources to Your Advocacy Toolbox

Integrating international resources in your advocacy toolbox can help promote a more inclusive environment, set a tone for culturally responsive teaching, and foster cross-curricular collaboration while educating stakeholders about the importance of physical education through an international lens. In this article, we discuss ways that advocacy efforts and materials can reflect these same commitments by describing a good source for and examples of international advocacy materials.

Content Subject Teachers’ Views of Implementing the English Across the Curriculum (EAC) Approach: A Study of Some South African High Schools

This article explores the views held by content subject teachers on the implementation of the English Across the Curriculum (EAC) approach in their high school classrooms. In South Africa, the EAC approach has been part of the school curriculum since 2014; however, to date, there is a paucity of studies that have focused on understanding how high school teachers implement this approach. In 2017, the South African Department of Basic Education reported that high school teachers were not using this approach without indicating why this was the case. To provide the views of the teachers, the present study drew theoretical insights from reflective teaching to explore the phenomenon. We conducted a qualitative intrinsic case study inquiry, during which we examined the views that 15 high school teachers held on implementing English language skills in content subjects. We collected data using a focus group interview form prepared based on Gibb's model. The findings indicate that content subject teachers have views on (i) the merits of EAC in general language development, (ii) EAC as a challenge to pedagogical-content knowledge, and (iii) strategies for improving the implementation of the EAC approach. This exploratory study has certain implications for the practice of implementing the EAC approach in content teaching, finding that there may be merit in the use of targeted continuing professional development for content teachers when implementing EAC. Secondly, there is a need for partnerships between teachers of English as a second language and content subject teachers, as this cross-curricular collaboration has the potential to enhance the implementation of the EAC approach in high school classrooms.

Meanings attributed to literature in language education

ABSTRACT This study examines the meanings attributed to literature in language education by Finnish General Upper Secondary teachers of English as a Foreign Language. The study employs a phenomenological research design structured around the concepts of language education, literature and values in education. The phenomenological analysis examines five semi-structured interviews from teachers who have experience in including literature in their language education practice. The interviews were conducted both in person and over the phone and audio-recorded, transcribed and processed using qualitative data management software. The analysis showed that literature in language education was experienced as challenged, challenging, framed, a cultural phenomenon, a cultural practice, a path for cross-curricular collaboration, tool for learning and an opportunity for personal growth. The values transmitted through these meanings reflected a balancing act between acknowledging the value of literature for individuals’ holistic growth and the value literature holds for language learning. The results suggest that literature in language education as a phenomenon is more than select texts and practices in a pedagogical setting. Furthermore, employing literature within the language education paradigm can narrow the gap between foreign language teaching and teaching literature, because both language education and teaching literature value the personal growth of the individual.

Content Area Literacy in Ensemble Music Education: The Before-During-After Instructional Framework

Teacher licensure policies and state standards for English/language arts have made content area literacy a necessary component for most music teacher education programs. Unlike teachers in other areas of the school curriculum, music educators have not broadly integrated literacy into their instructional practices. The Before-During-After (B-D-A) instructional framework is commonly used in content area literacy and provides a powerful tool for promoting student critical thinking and metacognitive awareness. B-D-A is supported by content area literacy strategies that can be used across the curriculum, and music educators can use them to encourage student engagement with authentic music texts by focusing on the artistic processes of responding and connecting. Adoption of content area literacy and B-D-A into music ensemble methods coursework can aid preservice and in-service music teachers as they engage students in music learning, support cross-curricular collaboration and professional development, and promote overall student literacy.

Raising learners' awareness through L1–L2 teacher collaboration

ABSTRACTThere is considerable interest in teacher collaboration across mother tongue and second language curricula. However, cross-curricular collaboration in reading strategy instruction has seldom been investigated. We report a two-year study involving collaboration between the French first language (L1) and English second language (L2) teachers in an intensive English as a second language (ESL) programme in Quebec, Canada, as they raised their own and their students' awareness of reading strategies. Findings from Year 1 revealed that while teachers broke some of the barriers of isolated teaching, cross-curricular connections were difficult to make as they were unfamiliar with each other's curriculum, and the L1–L2 strategy terminology was not uniform. In Year 2, we provided the teachers with tables showing equivalent terminology for strategies from both the L1 and L2 curricula and documented the process by which their awareness of both curricula facilitated collaboration, reading strategy instruction, and the development of a transferable pedagogical approach to teaching strategies. We found that the consistency of instruction strengthened learner awareness and autonomous use of reading strategies. We conclude that reading strategies provided a structure for mirroring instruction across languages. However, in order for teachers to collaborate, they need time, materials, and administrative support.

Collaboration Between L2 and Content Subject Teachers in CBI: Contrasting Beliefs and Attitudes

As content-based instruction (CBI) programmes involve certain degrees of integration of second language (L2) and content learning, collaboration between L2 and content subject teachers has been strongly advocated. Whether this type of teacher collaboration can be successfully implemented will depend on many factors, one of which is teacher beliefs and attitudes. This study compares the beliefs and attitudes of L2 teachers with those of content subject teachers regarding their roles in CBI and cross-curricular collaboration. Data collected from the 261completed questionnaires, complemented with six semi-structured interviews, administered to teachers in Hong Kong secondary schools which practise CBI, show that the two groups of teachers have significantly different beliefs about their roles concerning language teaching in CBI. Even though they generally believe in the effectiveness of collaboration, they perceive some potential problems and are not fully committed to it. Such findings have important implications for the feasibility of cross-curricular collaboration, which is a practice often advocated to facilitate L2 learning in CBI. The findings can also shed light on teacher education in CBI.

The Effectiveness of Writing Across the Curriculum in a Baccalaureate Social Work Program: Students’ Perceptions

Effective social work practice requires strong writing and communication skills; however, social work students often experience difficulties performing academically at expected levels. This article presents findings from a student survey that was collected for two years to assess perceptions of the effectiveness of Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) strategies on writing skills and social work knowledge acquisition in an introductory social work class that is taught every semester at a school of social work located in southeastern Florida. Students reported that WAC strategies substantially improved their abilities to write in the discipline and learn course content. Based on our findings, it is recommended that schools of social work infuse WAC throughout their curriculum, a process that requires cross curricular collaboration, intra-departmental support, and faculty commitment to course development and implementation.

A glimpse into the effectiveness of L2-content cross-curricular collaboration in content-based instruction programmes

In content-based instruction (CBI) programmes, students learn content subjects through a second language (L2), so that they can incidentally learn the language. To further facilitate students' L2 development, the collaboration between L2 and content subject teachers has been strongly advocated. Previous research on such kind of collaboration mainly focused on how it may be realised, and on identifying potential obstacles, while its effectiveness remains under-explored. This paper reports the findings of a small-scale project conducted in a Hong Kong secondary school in which CBI is practised. Teachers of English, Integrated Humanities and Science collaborated in the design and teaching of several units for Grade 8 students. With data collected from teacher meetings, lesson observations, and students' performance on the pre- and post-tests, this study evaluated whether and how cross-curricular collaboration contributed to students' L2 learning. The findings show that students in classes where cross-curricular collaboration was practised demonstrated a better understanding of the targeted grammatical items. This could be attributed to enhanced teachers awareness of students' needs, a more suitable curriculum and changes in teachers' pedagogical foci in lessons. This study thus suggests the potentials of cross-curricular teacher collaboration and provides important implications for further enhancing the effectiveness of CBI.

Language learning

Language learning

Language-learning Strategies: A Case for Cross-curricular Collaboration

This paper addresses the case for collaboration between English and modern languages teachers and researchers in teaching and learning languages. The British context is set out against a background of government initiatives to raise secondary pupils' literacy skills. Salient trends in the teaching approach of English (L1) and modern language (ML) teachers are compared and contrasted in order to identify pedagogic concerns. To date, these concerns tend to focus on the teaching of grammar. Teachers' divergent views on the issue is one factor impeding greater collaboration between them. The learning strategy research field is presented as an alternative area of commonality. This research stresses developing 'how to learn' skills with pupils. Memorisation and reading strategies are compared across L1and ML to illustrate the potential for collaboration in making explicit links between the two areas of language learning. A strategy research agenda is identified with a view to establishing how recent policy changes offer the potential to explore more effective ways to impact on language teaching and learning.

Learning, Literacy and ICT: What’s the Connection?

This article takes the form of a keynote address to delegates at the ‘Raising Standards through Literacy and ICT across the Curriculum at Key Stages 3 and 4 conference’, held at Middlesex University, London in July 2000. It sets out by defining the terms ‘learning’, ‘literacy’ and ‘ICT’ and then proceeds to make connections between the areas they denote. The main connections are seen to be the increased reciprocity of reading and writing, the contiguity of the verbal and visual in contemporary communication and the re-establishment of composition at the heart of the literacy curriculum. Central to all of these is the importance of transformation in learning, not only in theory but also in the day-to-day practices of classrooms. Recent research into ICT and literacy is reviewed, practical possibilities for cross-curricular collaboration are offered, and implications for the future are considered.