ERIC Number: EJ1471767
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: EISSN-1931-4744
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Lecturers' Experiences of Teaching a Module in an Interdisciplinary Study Programme
Jennifer Schijf; Greetje Van der Werf; Ellen Jansen
International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, v19 n1 Article 8 2025
Research universities are increasingly incorporating interdisciplinary education into their strategies. In this transition from monodisciplinary to interdisciplinary education, there is a need for insight into the optimal implementation of such activities. The current study investigates university lecturers' interpretations of interdisciplinary education, their approaches towards developing interdisciplinary modules, and the challenges they face in teaching these. Based on interviews with nine lecturers, three interpretations of interdisciplinarity emerged. From the first interpretation, lecturers teach monodisciplinary knowledge and skills and expect the students to collect different perspectives. A second interpretation emphasises participating students as being disciplinary experts that share their knowledge throughout the module. The third interpretation takes the theme of the module as a starting point for interdisciplinarity. Regardless of their interpretation, lecturers face challenges in addressing prior knowledge, student interests, fostering student collaboration and maintaining consistency. Based on these findings, we offer suggestions for future SoTL research and advocate for a stronger emphasis on professionalisation activities.
Descriptors: Interdisciplinary Approach, Teaching Experience, College Faculty, Teacher Attitudes, Expertise, Prior Learning, Student Interests, Reliability, Foreign Countries, Barriers, Learning Objectives
Centers for Teaching & Technology at Georgia Southern University. IJ-SoTL, Georgia Southern University, Henderson Library 1301, Statesboro, GA 30460. e-mail: sotlij@georgiasouthern.edu; Web site: https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/ij-sotl/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Netherlands
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A