Integrated Science

The term “integrated science” is often used as a synonym for interdisciplinary and unified science, which may be applied generally to any curriculum effort in which two or more previously separated science subjects are combined (Showalter 1975). The effort, according to Brown (1977), may be characterized as a collaboration among, a blending with, or a fusion of a number of “subjects” traditionally taught separately. Thus, the meaning of integration in various types of integrated science is different. An integrated science course may be characterized by a focus on processes of scientific inquiry, or a wish to cater for the interests of pupils, or it may be a course structured around topics, themes, or problems that require a multidisciplinary approach. Brown (1977) identified four groups of meanings of integration in science: (1) as the unity of all knowledge, (2) as the conceptual unity of the sciences, (3) as a unified process of scientific enquiry, and (4) as interdisciplinary...