This paper discusses recent paradigm changes in linguistics as well as other scientific disciplines in order to stress how such changes affect interactional approaches to health care. It argues that moving from a reductionist to a more holistic and trans-disciplinary approach to human interactivity entails a rethinking of both theory and…

To recruit and retain more students in all science disciplines at our small (5,000 student) public university, we implemented an interdisciplinary strategy focusing on nanotechnology and enhanced undergraduate research. Inherently interdisciplinary, the novelty of nanotechnology and its growing career potential appeal to students. To engage…

In this commentary, the author finds the interdisciplinary approach of Roland S. Persson's (2012a) target article refreshing. Persson's (2012a) additional emphases on ethnocentricity, cultural bias and strong threads of influence from the global economy also are helpful. They shed light on some strong contextual influences that shape the…

In this interdisciplinary and field-based activity, grade 5 to 9 students engage in a comprehensive scientific study of snow. Through a series of in-class and out-of-class structured interdisciplinary and team-teaching lesson progressions, students will collect data to be able to analyze and apply knowledge about weather, the physical properties…

A science teacher has the advantage of hooking learners with all their senses: flashes, bangs and smells. The science labs are something that many learners at the start of secondary school (high school) are eager to explore, and when there is an open day at school it feels unfair that the mathematics department has to try to compete for excitement…

There are increasing numbers of children living with life-limiting illnesses in mainstream schools. The aim of this literature-based study was to evaluate the current provision of educational support for teachers who are teaching these children in schools. An international literature search produced 23 papers published between 2005 and July 2010…

This paper presents an analysis of the major generic structures of empirical research articles (RAs), with a particular focus on disciplinary variation and the relationship between the adjacent sections in the introductory and concluding parts. The findings were derived from a close "manual" analysis of 433 recent empirical RAs from high-impact…

Discussions held in the chemical education community have generated a variety of reports and recommendations for reforming the chemistry curriculum. The recommendations refer to teaching chemistry in the context of real-world issues. This has been suggested as a way to enhance students' motivation. It is suggested that real-world problems…

We investigated the hypothesis that interdisciplinarity is being explicitly taught behind the facade of traditional disciplines. We interviewed 14 academics (seven geographers and seven agricultural scientists) about their teaching in the inherently interdisciplinary field of natural resource management. Our teachers were generally well informed…

The paper argues that over the past two decades there has been a paradox at the heart of the literature on the professions: inter-professional work has been a growing feature of work in the global economy since the 1990s, however, this has been rarely acknowledged. The paper addresses this paradox in three ways. The paper explains how changes in…

Maybe it's the peculiar way they walk or their cute little suits, but students of all ages are drawn to penguins. To meet younger students' curiosity, the authors adapted a middle-school level, penguin-themed curriculum unit called Save the Penguins (Schnittka, Bell, and Richards 2010) for third-grade students. The students loved learning about…

Improving student achievement in math and science has become a priority in the United States. As instructional leaders, principals can influence instruction in these vital subjects by working with classroom teachers to improve their instruction. Surprisingly, the research about the principal's role in supporting instruction in these subjects is…

The arts embody "one of the oldest forms of knowledge and knowing" and "action research provides opportunities to experiment with art as an integral part of the creation and dissemination of knowledge." From his 16 years' experience as an elementary classroom teacher, the author has found that young children are drawn to an arts-based approach of…

The underwater ecosystem of the ocean is a topic that is explored extensively by first-grade students in the author's school. By engaging students in literature and science, the author was able to introduce the topic of endangered sea life and the ways students can make a difference to protect the oceans. (Contains 1 online resource.)

This article describes a multi-class project that employs statistical computing and writing in a statistics class. Three courses, General Ecology, Meteorology, and Introductory Statistics, cooperated on a project for the EPA's Student Design Competition. The continuing investigation has also spawned several undergraduate research projects in…