Cross-Curricular Learning 3-14 - Softcover

We see the world through cross-curricular eyes and as such this book is a wake-up call for educators of all ages to ensure that they think carefully how, why and if cross-curricular teaching is appropriate. Chapter 2’s Cross-Curricular Taxonomy, especially, opened my eyes to the differing aims and purposes that might underlie different sorts of cross-curricular planning. Through well-chosen case studies, the pitfalls and possibilities become much clearer so teachers can think through their approaches to the curriculum, therefore teaching pupils better and being true to each subject’s unique lens on the world.

We see the world through cross-curricular eyes and as such this book is a wake-up call for educators of all ages to ensure that they think carefully how, why and if cross-curricular teaching is appropriate. Through well-chosen case studies, the pitfalls and possibilities become much clearer so teachers can think through their approaches to the curriculum, teach pupils better and be true to each subject’s unique lens on the world.

This excellent book uses a wide range of research and case study to illustrate the value of cross curricular learning. I believe it is important to ensure prospective teachers engage in debates about planning, teaching and learning and this book effectively challenges the many pre-conceptions of what a primary school curriculum should look like. 

Jonathan is senior lecturer in Education at Canterbury Christ Church University. He has lifelong interests in music, geography, history, religion and art. These cross-curricular leanings led him first to teach history and geography and the history of art in two Kent secondary schools in the 1970s, then to become a primary class teacher for most of the 1980s. His passion for relevance and engagement in learning led him to devise a ground-breaking interdisciplinary curriculum based wholly on the school locality in the Kent school of which he was head throughout the 1990s.

Since 2000 as a teacher educator, Jonathan has researched links between the ‘science of learning’, cross-curricular and creative approaches and the well-being of teachers and children. He has taught both children and teachers for extended periods in India, Germany, Kenya and Malaysia instituting innovative curriculum projects. In the UK he has worked with national organisations such as English Heritage, Engaging Places, The Victoria and Albert and Maritime Museums in London as well as being a popular speaker on creative and cross-curricular approaches to teaching. He brought together his wide and disparate experience in a ground-breaking autobiographical PhD entitled, ‘What sustains a life in education?’  He continues to be involved in teacher education and research involving the links between Arts and well-being at Canterbury Christ Church’s  Sidney deHaan Research Centre.