Abstract:

More than ever before, 2020 – the year of the pandemic, led to a rapid and strong wave of digitalization of education and of the work market in general. In a world of continuous change where the only constant is the change itself, at an incredible pace, the learning process can no longer remain linear. A holistic and customized approach to learning becomes vital.

Surrounding world cannot be perceived in bits and pieces. By simply going out into nature, students get in touch with insects, animals, plants, and entire ecosystems which are all in a continuous relationship of interdependence. Therefore, all learning systems should switch from a monodisciplinary approach to an integrated one.

The purpose of this research is to assess curriculums from economically developed countries such as USA, Singapore, Finland, and Sweden and conduct a comparative analysis of the integrated approach.

Romania is one of the countries that hesitate to reshape the curriculum. The most significant steps towards an integrated approach were made in preschool and primary teaching after the implementation of new school curriculums in 2013. The new curriculums aim to ensure a cohesive knowledge process by breaking the boundaries between various study fields.

At the international level, the situation is different. Developed countries target an integrated curriculum which focuses on exact sciences, engineering and technologies discovered by students through experiential learning.

US Government was forced to rethink the educational system because of the low interest of students for exact sciences. On the other side of the globe, counties like Singapore, Finland and Sweden implement a new curriculum focused on innovation and creativity, which allows students to develop the necessary skills for facing current world challenges.

Keywords:

Integrated education, Romania, USA, Singapore, Finland, Sweden.