Examining the Relationship between Teachers’ Perception and their Receptivity of Curriculum Integration at American Schools in Dubai, UAE

Any inquiry into a shift in the teaching practices and/or curriculum reform motion involves a coincident study on teachers' perceptions and their receptivity towards those practices and/or reform. This study assesses the relationship between teachers' perceptions and their receptivity of the curriculum integration approaches at American curriculum schools in Dubai, UAE. It aims to examine whether the perceptions and the receptivity of the teachers towards curriculum integration models are correlated. Fogarty's ten models of curriculum integration inform the theoretical framework. A quantitative, non-experimental survey constitutes the research approach and the lens of the postpositivism forms the research paradigm. A sample of 275 Math, Science and English teachers working at American curriculum schools in Dubai, represents the study participants. The findings show an overall positive teachers' perception towards curriculum integration and finds a positive correlation between teachers' perceptions and their receptivity to curriculum integration. Though teachers consider curriculum integration complicated and require major shift in the teaching practices, and has heavy work load, they show confidence towards curriculum integration. The presence of a positive correlation could suggest offering and incorporating curriculum integration servicing in the servicing of the school staff to increase their awareness and prepare them for curriculum reform towards integration in subjects. These findings could be generalized and could inform the education authorities to look for ways for driving the motion away from the subject-based curriculum through planning and conducting professional development about the different models of integration when in-servicing teachers at their schools.