Improved Learning for All Students

Research by Bottoms, Presson, and Johnson (1992) shows that student achievement, as measured by grades and standardized achievement tests, increases in high schools when academic and vocational courses are taught in an applied and integrated manner. At the very least, real-life situations generally are more engaging for students than are abstract problems.

Cognitive research has shown that people learn best when they have hands-on experience and see a connection between what they are doing in school and their career objectives. For college-bound students, an integrated curriculum can provide applied learning experiences that make abstract theory more realistic; for students not planning on attending college, an integrated curriculum can provide improved reading, writing, and computational skills to make them more valued in the workplace. The applied and integrated approach to curriculum helps students perceive the connections between schooling and living productive lives. It can reduce the gulf between their school experience and the world outside of school.