The development and implementation of an integrated curriculum at an elementary math, science, and technology magnet school

The purpose of this study was to compare and contrast the intended and implemented integrated curriculum at an elementary magnet school in order to understand both how and why the integrated curriculum was developed and changed over time. Participants were four elementary school teachers from the same small magnet school in California. Each participant was a case study. Data sources included classroom observations; grade level and school-wide in-service observations; interviews; field notes; Discovery mathematics, science, and reading curricula; supplemental curriculum materials; grade-level curriculum guides; and lesson plans. Within-case and cross-case analyses were employed. A description of the intended curriculum was formulated from an analysis of curriculum documents related to the magnet program at Discovery. A description of the implemented curriculum was generated from data collected during classroom observations and interviews. The results indicated that the implemented curriculum was comparable to the intended, although there were limits and some discrepancies. Findings also indicated that participants had different views for what the intended curriculum was, how it was implemented in Discovery classrooms, and how their views evolved over time.