Toward an Interdisciplinary Science Curriculum: Analysis of the Connections across Science Learning Progressions

Learning progression (LP) studies potentially bring vertical coherence to individual big ideas in science education. However, since natural phenomena are associated with big ideas in a variety of science disciplines, the interdisciplinary connections across big ideas should be considered in science education. This study addresses an important question to developing an exemplary interdisciplinary curriculum: how do existing LPs relate to one another across disciplinary boundaries? This research analyzed 17 published LPs for 10 big ideas: matter, genetics, energy, carbon cycling, force and motion, celestial motion, biodiversity, evolution, ecological systems, and water. A content analysis was conducted to establish how these big ideas formed interdisciplinary relationships. A three-dimensional representation of the LPs including their levels and the interconnections among levels was developed. The approach modeled in this study can inform the development of standards and materials for an interdisciplinary science curriculum.