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Abstract
Because present initiatives guiding educational decision-making place a high emphasis on accountability, there was a need to explore the educational value of the literacy and science education courses’ joint interdisciplinary focus for elementary education. With current research alluding to time constraints, scripted curriculum, and memorization dominating teachers’ decisions about instruction, it seemed important to gain insight into the practical nature of the interdisciplinary method with former students. Former pre-service teachers in their first years of teaching were surveyed. The goal was to find out how the interdisciplinary strategies influenced their instruction and students’ learning, and if they were continuing to meaningfully chunk their curriculum. Twenty-five of the forty former pre-service teachers returned the survey. These first-year teachers reported making cross-curricular connections and articulated a range of benefits for their students. However, they also discussed hindrances to their attempts at making cross-curricular connections, including state and local mandates, time constraints, and dilemmas related to being a first-year teacher. The findings from this study could prove valuable to teacher educators in elementary education programs, as well as to those involved in planning and facilitating professional development activities for elementary school teachers.