An introduction to thematic learning

There are several ways to integrate thematic learning in the classroom. In our projects, there have been differences in integration. For example, the Swedish team, although working on the thematic concepts in different subjects, created a series of specific classes. In these classes, the students worked on the concepts of the rover and other necessary concepts such as (electronics, computing, engineering, mathematics, etc.).

On the other hand, the Spanish team decided to integrate the subject within the curriculum of each subject, not distinguishing between DEMETER classes from normal classes. During the normal classes the DEMETER theme was worked on and concepts applied to the chosen theme were worked on. For example, office application classes were used to create a logo for the project, to create a leaflet or classes of micro-computer equipment to assemble the rover.

Whichever form was chosen, success could be empirically quantified since the Swedish team found that absentee students in some subjects did attend the project classes and in the Spanish case, an increase in motivation and an improvement in grades were evident and never seen so far. Specifically, in the subject of assembly and maintenance of equipment in which the rover was assembled, all the students who regularly attended class passed the subject and even went to the recovery extra period to continue learning and working on the project.

In the Spanish case, students who have completed their studies working with this methodology have successfully entered the labor market, since project work with real and concrete objectives resembling the work profile of any company.