Title:  "Making Integrated Instruction in K-12 Classrooms Accessible: An Educational Research Design Study"

Student: Hillary Chelednik

Committee Chair: Dr. Cassie Quigley

Committee Members: Dr. Katrina Bartow Jacobs, Dr. Lindsay Clare Matsumura, Dr. Danielle Herro

Defense Abstract:
 
This dissertation explores how educators design and implement integrated instruction that fosters learning despite barriers that sometimes make this teaching method seem unattainable. Grounded in Theodore Frick’s Theory of Totally Integrated Education and framed within an educational design research methodology, the studies begin with in-service teachers’ contexts which inform the third study’s interventions for pre-service  teachers striving to teach through integrated instruction.

The first study is a cross-case analysis of how middle school educators integrate justice-oriented computer science into their classrooms. Conducted within a research-practice partnership, it examines co-design and implementation processes that make computer science more accessible across contexts. Findings highlight the importance of collaborative mindsets, experiential learning, and adaptive expertise in the design and implementation of such lessons.

The second study explores the same data set to take a deeper look at how co-design influences justice-oriented data science integration planning and enactment. A cross-case analysis of two teachers reveals that collaborative mindsets and structured co-planning made integration more effective and attainable. This study identifies key indicators of successful co-design, offering insights for teachers developing integrated curriculum. These indicators include designing with intentionality in regard to student relevance and layering the disciplines, and dynamic synergy which entails productive vulnerability and relational development.

The third study shifts to a pre-service teacher education context, examining how they apply transdisciplinary strategies following a workshop and individual coaching on integrating instruction. It examines how structured rubrics, content sequencing, and career connections support lesson design and implementation. Findings suggest that while structured rubrics provide a strong foundation, additional support such as scaffolding in content sequencing and career connections can help deepen design and implementation of integrated lessons.

Across all three studies, scaffolding learning tasks and connecting content to real-world applications emerge as essential strategies for making integrated instruction more accessible for educators to implement and impactful for the students engaging with it. This dissertation contributes to research on transdisciplinary education by showing how fostering collaboration, centering student agency, and offering practical strategies can support educators in creating inclusive, engaging, and meaningful learning experiences. 

Date/Time: Monday, March 24, 2025 at 9:30 a.m. ET

Location: Posvar Hall 5140.  Zoom link available upon request (Contact Kelly Runco at kmr123@pitt.edu)