Interdisciplinarity in Higher Education: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the Literature in the period 2014-2018

Abstract

Goal: The growing complexity of problems induces the use of multi- and interdisciplinary approaches in their solution. This situation occurs in a number of fields, including in the field of Education. The results of research from the interdisciplinary point of view in Education are presented in several journals, addressing different subjects, which prevents a holistic view on the development of this area. In order to fill this gap, this article aims to study interdisciplinarity in education in order to understand how the concept of interdisciplinarity has been applied in this area.
 Design / Methodology / Approach: It consists of a bibliographical survey, with articles indexed in the SCOPUS database. The selection of articles was limited to a transversal research in the literature from 2014 to 2018, using the following keywords: interdisciplinarity and higher education.
 Limitations of the investigation: Through the methodology used, 60 articles were selected.
 Results: Few articles were related to interdisciplinary practices, demonstrating the need for research to cover this gap.
 Practical implications: Although the subject began in the 1970s, there is still much to be researched regarding interdisciplinarity in education, to allow a better dissemination and practice thereof, so that students have a systemic view of current complexity.
 Originality/ Value: The study points out a gap in the literature, and the quantitative results suggest that there is a greater deficiency of works directed to the application of the interdisciplinary approach in the development of this aspect for the improvement of society.

Boundary knowledge in conversation: Imagining higher education through transdisciplinarity and decoloniality

“…The focus of transdisciplinarity is on complex sets of problems, which impact societies in multiple ways. 20 For example, in oil and gas explorations, the approach of fracking is often used. Fracking involves the fracturing of bedrock formations using highly pressurised liquids to extract oil or gas from the depths of the earth.…”

Measuring the Social and Economic Impact of Universities' Entrepreneurial Activity

“…In a recent review, Compagnucci and Spigarelli (2020) cite the work of contemporary authors as evidence showcasing the impact of knowledge and technology transfer on both industry and society, as integral components of the university's third mission. Universities around the world are looking to update their curricula to promote greater interdisciplinarity (Klein, 2015;Marins, Ramos, Ferreira, Costa, & Costa, 2019) and stimulate innovative behaviors (Hoidn & Kärkkäinen, 2014;Täks, Tynjälä, Toding, Kukemelk, & Venesaar, 2014;Ten Caten, Silva, de Aguiar, Filho, & Huerta, 2019).…”

Work in Progress: Measuring Interdisciplinary Teams´ Sustainable Design with an SDG lense – Case Study

“…It is extremely important to remember that within an interdisciplinary team there should not be hierarchies between the participatory disciplines [38] , but should inhabit respect and mutual contribution to generate new results, approaches and more questions to answer [35]. Therefore, within universities, the development of interdisciplinary education is an explanatory, demonstrative and experimental field, so the urgent need for interdisciplinary action within education needs to be presided over by teachers based on their theoretical purposes [37]. There are no specific models to be able to apply and develop a successful case of interdisciplinarity in education, although it is key for employability and sustainable development [39].…”