The integration of educational content is one of the conceptual pillars of the current curricular reform in primary education in Slovakia. It represents a shift from a fragmented subject-based approach to meaningful, interconnected learning that contributes to the comprehensive development of students' competencies. The aim of this paper is to analyse how primary school teachers conceptualise the integration of educational content, what their experiences are, how they approach their own design of an integrated curriculum, and what barriers they identify in this process. The research is conducted in a qualitative design through focus interviews. The data are processed by thematic content analysis focusing on semantic frameworks, professional strategies, and systemic limits to the implementation of reform principles. The findings suggest that teachers perceive integration as a pedagogically meaningful approach that supports contextualized student learning, but its implementation is conditioned by the degree of curricular autonomy, time available for planning, and the level of methodological support. Their statements reveal a tension between the declared flexibility of curricular documents and the practical reality of schools. The results of the study contribute to a deeper understanding of the implementation of curriculum reform at the level of pedagogical practice and point to the need for systematic support for teachers in the creation and implementation of an integrated curriculum, including adequate undergraduate and continuing professional training. The study emphasises the importance of supporting teachers in the areas of interdisciplinary project design, ensuring content coherence, and reflective professional development.

Authors:
Monika Brozmanova, Matej Bel University Banska Bystrica, Slovakia
Ivana Rochovska, Matej Bel University Banska Bystrica, Slovakia

About the Presenter(s)
Monika Brozmanova is currently an assistant professor at the Matej Bel University Banska Bystrica, Facutly of Education, Slovakia.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Friday Schedule

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