International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education (Sep 2016)
Living Transdisciplinary Curriculum: Teachers’ Experiences with the International Baccalaureate’s Primary Years Programme
Abstract
An integrated curriculum that is transdisciplinary in nature seems to be a good fit for 21st Century learning. There are, however, few examples of transdisciplinary curriculum at the K to 12 level. One exception is the International Baccalaureate’s Primary Years Programme (PYP) which features transdisciplinary curriculum for students from ages 3 to 12 around the world. This phenomenological study explored the lived experience of 24 PYP educators to deepen understanding of what such a curriculum looks like in practice. Three main themes were identified. The first, “It’s a framework” outlines participants’ understandings of transdisciplinary teaching and learning and the freedom a transdisciplinary framework can bring. The second theme, “Get on board”, examines participants’ thoughts around what is required to successfully implement a transdisciplinary curriculum. The final theme, “Their learning journey”, discusses participants’ beliefs around the success of a transdisciplinary curriculum. In general, participants appreciated the transdisciplinarity of the program. Concerns revolved around implementation issues. Suggestions on how to implement transdisciplinary teaching and learning in other contexts are provided.
