Developing integrated teaching skills in primary education: Insights from pedagogical training

Developing integrated teaching skills is essential for primary school teachers to effectively deliver interdisciplinary content and support holistic student learning, and pedagogical training programs play a key role in preparing pre-service teachers for this task. This study examines the perceptions of lecturers and undergraduate students regarding the extent to which pedagogical training in primary education programs develops integrated teaching competence. A quantitative survey was conducted with 65 lecturers and 544 third- and fourth-year undergraduate students from four universities using a standardized questionnaire with multiple-choice and Likert-scale items, and the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results indicate that both groups view the development of integrated teaching competence as a purposeful process involving lecturers and students. Students rated their knowledge of integrated teaching highly, followed by their ability to design integrated lessons, while classroom implementation received the lowest rating. Lecturers reported a similar pattern, with strong emphasis on knowledge and weaker performance in practical classroom application. Overall, the findings show alignment between lecturers’ and students’ views but highlight a clear gap between theoretical understanding and practical implementation, underscoring the need to strengthen experiential learning and curriculum integration strategies in teacher education programs.