A Study On Curriculum Integration Of Social Studies In Elementary And Middle School In China

Curriculum integration is the tendency in current curriculum reform all over the world. To conform to the stream of times, the Basic Education Curriculum Reform in our country definitely proposes that, " the actualities such as overemphasizing discipline itself on curriculum structure, too much subjects and lack of integration should be altered...to adapt to the need of different areas and students' development, which will embody proportionality, integration and selectivity of curriculum structure." Thereinto, the setting of integrated social studies is one of the significant exhibitions of curriculum structural modification. Specifically, it includes "Morality and Life", "Morality and Society" in elementary school and "History and Society" in middle school.Social studies has been clearly oriented to an integrated one in this curriculum reform in our country. As an integrated social studies, integration has become one of the important characters of social studies curriculum. How to carry out integration design matters a lot in curriculum integration of social studies, which directly has impact on its effect. Curriculum integration of social studies is a great part of curriculum integration. It requires to be guided under curriculum integration theory. We are attempting to inspect the curriculum integration design of social studies, enrich its academic research by means of curriculum integration theory, to put forward sound proposals for integration design of social studies.The research mainly focuses on curriculum criterion of social studies and curriculum integration design of textbooks. As the basic coaching program, curriculum criterion provides heading direction for the design and implementation of social studies. It is worthy of researching because the implication of curriculum integration and the strategy of integration design can directly influence on the design and execution of curriculum integration of social studies in our country.Although textbook is just "the foundation for teacher to solicit youngsters' activity, the available resource for them to initiate operation", it is still one of the great important resources. It is also the most representative core course, the crucial and chief teaching material, which plays an irreplaceable role and function in the whole school education.Textbook is the most widely read and valued text by readers, but "the most important text with the maximum readers to some degree is short of the most powerful academic research and comment team; it is researched least, though most undeserved of overlooking " . The textbook of social studies is faced with the same embarrassment. The research on the integration of social studies textbook will be favorable to the improvement of social studies textbook in our country.Choosing Morality and Life Curriculum Criterion > Morality and Society Curriculum Criterion,History and Society Curriculum Criterion (the second edition) and matching with the total 117 social studies textbooks(including 4 volumes of Morality and Life,8 volumes of Morality and Society in elementary school, 5volumes of History and Society in middle school) published by the People's Education Press as research objects, based as the essential viewpoints and strategies, the paper comparatively meticulously analyzes the curriculum criterion, the integration viewpoints, the integration design strategies of this set of textbook, and its characteristics and issues as well through content analysis. In addition, the writer has collected some information about American HM social studies textbooks that are relatively successfully designed and highly appraised to conduct comparative study and utilize for reference. At the same time, the writer has interviewed some teachers forefront.The curriculum integration of social studies is the highlight and difficulty of social studies design. The paper composes according to the analytical framework of why, what and how. "Why" discusses the background and significance of the curriculum integration of social studies at present day. "What" analyzes the curriculum integration viewpoints and design strategies, and probes into its characteristics and issues. In detail, it first clarifies the basic connotation,viewpoints and design strategies, and then analyzes the integration viewpoints contained and strategies applied in the curriculum criterion and textbook of social studies to seek out the characteristics and problems.Because social studies textbook is guided by curriculum criterion, the two are quite in concordance with each other in viewpoints and strategies, so they are not completely separated in the analysis. "How" mainly aims at offering some suggestions for the problems of curriculum integration design of social studies.The paper consists of the following five parts:Chapter one, Introduction. It introduces the research genesis, summarizes the research status and issues about curriculum integration of social studies at home and abroad, expatiates the purports,ideas and methods of the research.Chapter two, the background and value of curriculum integration of social studies in elementary and middle school. It expounds the background from the epoch,society,theory and education, explores the significance from the society,individual and discipline.Chapter three, theoretic discussion of curriculum integration of social studies in elementary and middle school. Curriculum integration of social studies needs to be guided by curriculum integration theory. Based on the "mixture and uncertainty", it analyzes the connotation,basic viewpoints and models, to offer theoretic basis for curriculum integration of social studies. By derivation,definition comment and source trace, some conclusions are arrived at: curriculum integration is a rather comprehensive concept. It tends to link or integrate two or more than two learning contents or experiences to a sort of meaningful integrative learning content or experience, with one or several kinds of the curriculum design targets from knowledge,experience or society integration plus cognition and affection integration, among which knowledge integration is the postulate that is must be obtained in curriculum design. It is more of an educational philosophy different from disciplinary curriculum than a curriculum design. The basic viewpoints of curriculum integration serves as the educational objects of people's overall development; implemental and constructive knowledge view; integration concerning about knowledge,experience and society. There are four categories of various kinds of curriculum integration models: the single discipline integration; cross subject—subject division; cross subject—subject integration; surpass subject integration.Chapter four, the actuality reflection of curriculum integration of social studies in our elementary and middle school. Taking the basic viewpoints and models of curriculum integration as analytical framework, curriculum integration viewpoints and models of curriculum criterion and textbook of social studies are examined. Some features of curriculum integration design of social studies in our elementary and middle school are as follows: educational objects of people's overall development,implemental knowledge view,constructive study view being bodied forth, knowledge interrelationship of knowledge integration being stressed, children's interest of experience integration being recognized, the relations between the inner school and the outer school of society integration being emphasized. While the problems are as follows: integrating knowledge being identical with scrambling and connecting knowledge, discipline knowledge being superficial when integrating knowledge, the experiences of city children being equal to that of all children, paying attention to the children's emerging interest, but neglecting their permanent interest, the psychology of textbook content being not worth enough attention, the social topics being narrowed in the aspect of social integration.The research also discovers some features of curriculum integration models of social studies: type comparison being abundant and integration degree being high; preferably concerning about knowledge,experience and society integration. the features consists of curriculum integration models being comparatively rich, integration degree being superior, preferably emphasizing integration of knowledge,experience,society, etc. But some problems are still in existence: the problems involves in entire integration being thought highly of but partial integration being ignored, starting with discipline content instead of theme, overemphasizing integration based on life, some integration mode design being unsuitable and some integration selection inappropriate.Chapter five, the proposals of curriculum integration of social studies in our elementary and middle school. According to the former analysis, based on the theory of curriculum integration, aiming at the present problems existing in curriculum integration of social studies in our elementary and middle school, the paper proposes the following recommendations for curriculum integration design: first, the basic viewpoints should be profoundly grasped and the different level should be emphasized. As for knowledge integration, organic relation of knowledge should be paid attention to avoid scrambling, basic knowledge should be emphasized, knowledge relevancy should be cared. As for experience integration, all children's experiences, combination of emerging interest and permanent interest, children's learning experience, psychological content should all be emphasized. As for society integration, enriching and widening society topics to master the society topics. Second, the proper curriculum integration mode should be flexibly selected according to disciplinary features,giving attention to partial integration and total integration and apply the mode according to the features of mode. At last, qualifications of successfully implementation of curriculum integration should be created by breeding school cooperative culture,enhancing teacher's professional development and building social supportive environment.