Integrated Teaching Units: Preservice Teachers’ Experiences

Elementary preservice teachers (n=185) in a blocked program of methods courses developed integrated thematic units focusing on social studies and science that viewed leading/language arts and mathematics as tools students use to study the major content areas in the elementary school program—social studies and science. This was a complex task equiring both content and pedagogical knowledge. Those subjects having the geatest difficulty conceptualizing and teaching the unit also sought the least help from course instructors. They had difficulty in constructing a unit rationale, choosing nontraditional assessments, and in choosing strategies other than lecture. Many could not initially integrate mathematics. Although cooperating teachers strongly encouraged the continued development of integrated thematic units they acknowledged that they wee not sure that social studies was a major subject that should be taught daily and skeptical that language ats/reading and mathematics should be considered as providing tools children use to learn ideas.