Sustaining interdisciplinary education: developing boundary crossing governance

Hannon, John; Hocking, Colin; Legge, K. A.; Lugg, Alison

doi:10.1080/07294360.2018.1484706

Cited by 40 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…714-715). Lastly, rather than teaching, coordination and curriculum practices, institutional processes have been found as primary obstacles to interdisciplinary education (Hannon, Hocking, Legge and Lugg, 2018),…”

Section: Interdisciplinary Teaching Education and Learning (Idtel)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Lowering the walls: an integrative approach to first-year undergraduate business education

Fernando

Fox

Bandara

et al. 2020

JIEB

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Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the nature of interdisciplinary thinking and the conditions and processes that foster it among first-year undergraduate students. Design/methodology/approach This study with 510 Australian students drawn from 2 cohorts explored an initiative to promote interdisciplinary teaching in an undergraduate ethics-based subject. The study focused on a case-study-based reflective essay intervention to compare the teaching and learning outcomes in the two student cohorts. Findings The results show how a case-study-based reflective essay intervention impacted on interdisciplinary learning. Introducing the case-study-based reflective essay improved interdisciplinary thinking. Findings show that integral to engaging students in interdisciplinary learning is a need for more experiential and active approaches built into education itself. Research limitations/implications The study findings extend Spelt et al.’s (2009) model in the business education context to link student learning outcomes to the learning processes, learning environment and interdisciplinary thinking. A key limitation of this study is that the intervention is limited to only two student cohorts. Practical implications The study recommends the use of reflective practice in interdisciplinary subjects to support a variety of learning outcomes across disciplines including classroom-based and assignment-based reflective practices which influence interdisciplinary thinking and active learning. Originality/value There is limited understanding on how business schools should or could attempt to promote interdisciplinary teaching and the actual methods for doing so. This study highlights the significance of integrating reflective practice in undergraduate business education to promote students’ interdisciplinary thinking.

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Section: Interdisciplinary Teaching Education and Learning (Idtel)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Lowering the walls: an integrative approach to first-year undergraduate business education

Fernando

Fox

Bandara

et al. 2020

JIEB

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show abstract

“…Such confusion and disorientation are, however, not necessarily downfalls of interdisciplinary education per se. Instead this phenomenon represents a well-documented natural state arising from operating between traditional lines of thought [2], challenging one's own worldviews and assumptions [71], and re-evaluating one's academic identity [72] in interdisciplinary learning contexts. Scholars also suspect that confusion may come about during thematic [24] and experiential learning [73].…”

Section: Students' Main Perceived Challenges Were Language and Knowlementioning

confidence: 99%

Students’ Perceptions of Interdisciplinary Coursework: An Australian Case Study of the Master of Environment and Sustainability

Abbonizio

2020

Sustainability

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Over the past decade we have seen a global increase in interdisciplinary sustainability degrees. These degrees are relatively understudied due to their recent emergence. To better understand the challenges and benefits of this type of coursework and learning experience, we must explore students’ perspectives. Rarely explored from the student viewpoint are: (1) highly interdisciplinary instruction that transcends more than four disciplines; (2) the potential effect of students’ incoming disciplinary background. This case study seized an opportunity to gain insights and perceptions from students across very diverse backgrounds within a shared interdisciplinary program. We surveyed 61 students enrolled in a highly interdisciplinary degree (Master of Environment and Sustainability; Monash University, Melbourne, Australia) and compared responses of students from STEMM, non-STEMM and mixed incoming degrees. Students’ specific disciplinary backgrounds were diverse, including physical sciences, engineering, marketing, business, fashion, law and education. We used a mixed methods approach to analyze survey data. The dominant perceived benefits of interdisciplinary training reported were: (1) career relevance; (2) expanded knowledge and perspectives of sustainability issues; (3) confidence in envisioning sustainability solutions. The main perceived challenges reported were potential confusion from rapidly upskilling into new domains and disciplinary jargon. Interestingly, respondents in this case study viewed these challenges as an authentic reflection of professional sustainability practice rather than a pedagogical issue. In line with this, students showed a preference for pedagogical approaches that simulated real world scenarios and developed career skills. Disciplinary background did not generally influence students’ views. All students identified similar challenges, benefits and pedagogical preferences, with one difference. Students from mixed prior degrees and non-STEMM disciplines showed a possible trend towards valuing cross-disciplinary teamwork more than those from STEMM backgrounds. Overall, our findings suggest that the diverse student cohort within the highly interdisciplinary sustainability program of this case study generally viewed this mode of education as beneficial, career-relevant and accessible. This case study may additionally encourage interdisciplinary educators from other fields, such as health professions, to also include more diverse domains and student cohorts in their programs.

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“…Academic practices have traditionally been divided into disciplines hosting an established set of problems, discourse, and content areas. However, the significance of disciplines is being increasingly questioned, especially where multidisciplinary collaboration is required to address real-world problems (Trowler, Saunders, & Bamber, 2012) and to develop 'new fields of inquiry and forms of knowledge production' (Hannon et al, 2018(Hannon et al, , p. 1425. As the concept of discipline is under scrutiny, researchers have called the phenomenon of adhering to disciplines too rigidly academic tribes (Becker, 1989), silos (Kreber, 2009) or tribes and territories (Trowler et al, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such a paradigm shift towards de-siloing disciplines within the academy is often limited by existing but unnoticed or unexamined assumptions and views, suggesting that individuals and institutions become immune to change (Kegan & Lahey, 2009). In fact, the de-siloing metaphor 'captures the concern of interdisciplinary curriculum design, and marks an orientation to work with multiple domains of knowledge and terminology' (Hannon et al, 2018(Hannon et al, , p. 1432.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Insights into teachers’ views on sharing ways of knowing and ways of teaching between and beyond existing disciplines

Algers

Bradley

2020

JPHE

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Since academic teachers belong to different disciplines and thus discourses, they have different ways of knowing and teaching. Recent societal challenges call for thinking beyond boundaries and re-visiting academic practices. The purpose of this study is to investigate how academic teachers view sharing of knowledge and teaching. The study is based on survey data from eight faculties and interviews of teachers from each of these faculties at the University of Gothenburg. The results show that professional development courses in higher education teaching and learning, as well as open practices, and collaboration between academic disciplines and society are practices, which Galison (1997) termed trading zones. These trading zones are sources of learning to theorize and to facilitate exchange among peers with the potential to develop knowledge, identity and moral commitments necessary to address societal challenges. Further, the results suggest that universities need to scaffold these sharing practices. The findings inform how academic teachers’ practices can be transformed into sharing between and beyond academic disciplines.

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Sustaining interdisciplinary education: developing boundary crossing governance

Cited by 40 publications

References 18 publications

Lowering the walls: an integrative approach to first-year undergraduate business education

Lowering the walls: an integrative approach to first-year undergraduate business education

Students’ Perceptions of Interdisciplinary Coursework: An Australian Case Study of the Master of Environment and Sustainability

Insights into teachers’ views on sharing ways of knowing and ways of teaching between and beyond existing disciplines

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