Purpose: This study examined how elementary school teachers’ philosophical-educational orientations influence their preference for and application of curricular integration models (intradisciplinary, interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary).

Method: An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design was employed across three phases: (1) qualitative interviews with 30 teachers, analyzed via thematic analysis; (2) a quantitative survey of 358 teachers (effective response rate = 93%) selected through multistage cluster sampling, using researcher-developed instruments with strong psychometric properties; and (3) an integration phase to synthesize findings.

Findings: Quantitative results revealed a significant positive relationship between pragmatism and preference for transdisciplinary integration (β = 0.52, p < 0.001), and between idealism and intradisciplinary integration (β = 0.39, p < 0.01). Teaching experience significantly moderated these relationships (ΔR² = 0.12, p < 0.01). Qualitative analysis identified six core themes, including “the need for reform in teacher education” and “philosophical-practical tensions in a centralized system.”

Conclusion: Educational policies aiming to implement integrated curricula must account for teachers’ philosophical orientations. Recommending philosophy-aware teacher education and flexible curricular frameworks, this study contributes to bridging the policy-practice gap in Iran’s educational transformation agenda.