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Team-Teaching Across Disciplines in the University

Lynn Lemisko & Angela Ward

This article describes our shared experiences as we developed and taught a university class that combined the theory and practice of teaching social studies and language arts. Currently, students in the undergraduate teacher education program at our Canadian university are required to enroll in two separate methods courses—one for social studies and another for language and literacy. In an effort to develop what we hoped to be a more coherent and meaningful learning experience, one that promoted praxis and critical thinking, we decided to work together.

• We organized our timetable to have one group of students together for two full afternoons a week, enabling us to offer instruction as a teaching team. This also allowed us to go off campus to a local school during class time.
• We integrated the content of our social studies and language arts courses to encourage our undergraduates to explore concepts, skills, and ideas across the two disciplines, promoting critical thinking.
• We arranged for practical experiences in a local school so that student teachers would have the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge and methods early in their program.
• We developed assignments that required education students to demonstrate their understanding of integrated language arts and social studies education through practice-based experiences.

In this paper we describe how we integrated course material; share details of some course assignments; and identify issues, challenges, and successes that arose from this alternate approach to teacher education. We also include suggestions for teachers, from early years through to university, who might want to integrate learning units across traditionally separate disciplines. We hope that readers gain a deeper understanding of the theoretical and practical issues of integrated teaching and learning approaches.

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