Against an increasingly compartmentalized educational landscape, we have heard urgent calls for new modes of teaching and learning. In this light, educators from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds turned to transdisciplinarity and the arts for a possible response. The educational initiatives being developed and the related literature are…

Brewing science is an interdisciplinary course taught at many universities in both lecture- and lab-based modalities. The laboratory component of this class typically focuses on the brewing process from malted barley to beer. However, this ignores the malting process--an essential step in making beer, although one typically performed by maltsters…

With the enormous reliance on plastics in the world today, bisphenol A, an additive used in the synthesis of many plastics, such as polycarbonate, has been found almost everywhere in our environment including in soil, in natural waters, and inside organisms including humans. A multidisciplinary experiment is presented that involves using flatworms…

Symbols are a cornerstone of the written language of mathematics and mathematical sciences. However, variations in their use pose a constant challenge to students. This paper reports data from first year undergraduate students studying mathematics, statistics and/or physics collected using surveys and interviews. It became clear that multiple uses…

This article is an ontological investigation of the term creativity, to suggest a model that infuses key philosophical and critical perspectives. This article proposes that creativity has three modes of existence or ways of being in the world: the Visceral (embodiments), the Ideational (mind and conceptual), and the Observational (appreciation,…

In this paper, we propose that informal aspects of data science could be introduced in primary school. The International Data Science in Schools Project (IDSSP) framework for data science curriculum provides a guide for a data science curriculum aimed at upper secondary level. We analyzed synergies between the IDSSP framework and the current…

Students need feedback from instructors to learn from their mistakes and improve their academic skills. Responding to student writing is a central and necessary component of the instructor-student feedback loop. There are many forms of feedback on written assignments, and not all of them have the same role in supporting student learning. For…

This article argues that a UK education system is required such that it specifically recognises the particular dynamic, co-constructive nature of complex and rapid contemporary entanglements (both human and non-human) and how they inform the epistemic and ontological development of students. This article draws from posthumanist theory and uses the…

The goals of this paper are to explain the extent to which multidisciplinary peer observation practices may improve reflection among lecturers concerning their pedagogical practices and identify the kind of reflection it improves. In this sense, the paper presents a study with the objective of determining the importance that lecturers give to…

Interaction is the distinctive feature of focus groups, yet little attention has been devoted to understanding techniques for enhancing the quality of interactions. We argue that using a quantitative survey instrument with focus groups has specific benefits beyond traditional open-ended topic lists or questions. We describe particular features of…

The theoretical and empirical foundations of research on trust in education are still weak. To contribute to a better understanding of the role of trust in educational systems, this final article of the special issue "Trust in educational settings. European perspectives" highlights the findings from the contributions in this special…

"A Little Guide for Teachers: Diversity in Schools" aims to provide starting points for teachers and leaders in creating a curriculum, either across disciplines or within subjects, that is as deep and diverse as their students. "The Little Guide for Teachers" series is little in size but BIG on all the support and inspiration…

This book explores the connections made in and through arts-based educational research through four themes: socially engaged connections, cultural connections, personal and pedagogical connections, and making connections during the COVID-19 pandemic. It emerges from the 3rd bi-annual 2020 Artful Inquiry Research Group symposium on the theme of…

Whilst the starting point is the impact of the pandemic the overall aim of the paper is to advance the case for the introduction of a transdisciplinary approach to learning. The justification for adopting this radical method is to deliver specific graduate outcomes in line with the 10 job skills for 2025 identified by the World Economic Forum.…

To build new and better higher education systems, it is vital to consider all aspects of systems in the recent past. Measures should be taken to identify and address deficiencies, of which academic isolation and the prevalence of a silo mentality is a prominent example. The central question of this paper to be answered is how to effectively combat…