Emirati Primary Pre-service Teachers’ Experience of Thematic Teaching

Abstract

Thematic teaching, a common form of integration where the connections between subjects are explored and emphasized, is acknowledged internationally as a beneficial tool for student learning. This is in contrast to the traditional way in which many school systems set up their curriculum, with each subject being taught as separate unit from the other with no commonalities. Government primary schools in Abu Dhabi, the largest emirate of the UAE, are undergoing rapid educational reform in an attempt to transform and improve the schooling system. Educators and administrators here have tentatively ‘tested the waters’ with thematic approaches, which are implemented in some schools and not in others. There are signs that this may be changing with the introduction of the latest curriculum version which outlines both mandatory and suggested themes to be taught. Pre-service teachers at the training college where this research was carried out receive training to teach using the thematic approach. We analysed their experiences in two ways; by examining their reflective coursework essays on the implementation of thematic units in primary schools, and by interviewing them upon return from their major final year internship. It was found that although they express views in strong support of integrated teaching in their essays, they generally struggled to put this into practice during their internship. We explore possible reasons and give suggestions to reduce the chasm between theory and practice.