Potential for Chemistry in Multidisciplinary, Interdisciplinary, and Transdisciplinary Teaching Activities in Higher Education

Abstract

For some professionally, vocationally, or technically oriented careers, curricula delivered in higher education establishments may focus on teaching material related to a single discipline. By contrast, multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary teaching (MITT) results in improved affective and cognitive learning and critical thinking, offering learners/students the opportunity to obtain a broad general knowledge base. Chemistry is a discipline that sits at the interface of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) subjects (and those aligned with or informed by STEMM subjects). This article discusses the significant potential of inclusion of chemistry in MITT activities in higher education and the real-world importance in personal, organizational, national, and global contexts. It outlines the development and implementation challenges attributed to legacy higher education infrastructures (that call for creative visionary leadership with strong and supportive management and administrative functions), and curriculum design that ensures inclusivity and collaboration and is pitched and balanced appropriately. It concludes with future possibilities, notably highlighting that chemistry, as a discipline, underpins industries that have multibillion dollar turnovers and employ millions of people across the world.

The effectiveness of education with the STEM approach in the development of entrepreneurial thinking in chemistry students

“…Choosing a suitable approach to chemistry education can have be effective for developing the skills needed for self-reliance and entrepreneurship. In the latest study, Hardy et al (2021) mentioned that chemistry, as a discipline, underpins industries that have multibillion dollar turnovers and that employ millions of people across the world. It can also enhance the management performance and creative leadership of learners.…”

Actividades de aprendizaje para sesiones prácticas sobre la construcción en arquitectura

“…Hardy et al 2021) entre distintas asignaturas, escuelas, universidades…; actividades de resolución de problemas(Csapó and Molnár 2017) y aprendizaje a base de contar historias y narraciones(McLellan 2007). Por último, las actividades basadas en experiencias reales son: juegos de rol (Gómez-Poyato et al 2020); prácticas con materiales reales(Dunnett, Gorman, and Bartlett 2018); actividades manuales que implican el tocar y manipular, también conocidas como hands-on(Lamb et al 2018); y visitas de obra o a entornos reales de trabajo(Carbone et al 2020).…”

Using the Schoolyard as a Setting for Learning Chemistry: A Sociocultural Analysis of Pre-service Teachers’ Talk about Redox Chemistry

“…Hence, the activity provided an opportunity to consider chemistry concepts in relation to other scientific disciplines, which depict chemistry as "a bridge between various fields of knowledge" (p 1135). 46 From a sociocultural perspective, this may suggest that the physical phenomena in the schoolyard were used as mental tools to mediate interactive discussions between the PSTs 16,47 and created opportunities for both discussing chemistry and linking chemistry to other scientific disciplinesconnections that would not be easily available in the classroom or laboratory setting. 38 Even though utilizing phenomena in the schoolyard as tools for discussion and learning is dependent on the PSTs' prior knowledge, 16 the PSTs were able to do so in various examples, despite Groups A and B differing in prior knowledge in terms of their formal background in chemistry.…”

“…Besides chemistry-related concepts, the discussions also contained several links to other scientific disciplines, such as physics and biology. Hence, the activity provided an opportunity to consider chemistry concepts in relation to other scientific disciplines, which depict chemistry as “a bridge between various fields of knowledge” (p 1135) . From a sociocultural perspective, this may suggest that the physical phenomena in the schoolyard were used as mental tools to mediate interactive discussions between the PSTs , and created opportunities for both discussing chemistry and linking chemistry to other scientific disciplinesconnections that would not be easily available in the classroom or laboratory setting …”