FALKE: Experiences From Transdisciplinary Educational Research by Fourteen Disciplines

Anita Schilcher,Michael Fricke,Christina Ehras,Sven Hilbert,Eileen Gunga,Renate Murmann,Bernhard Hofmann,Petra Kirchhoff,Oliver Tepner,Arne Dittmer,Astrid Rank,Christiane Thim-Mabrey,Alfred Lindl,Matthias Weich,Anna-Maria Ruck,Michael Elmer,Mario Frei,Josef Memminger,Simone Röhrl,Lisa Gaier,Maria Gastl-Pischetsrieder,Katharina Asen-Molz,Stefan Krauß

doi:10.3389/feduc.2020.579982

Anita Schilcher, Michael Fricke + Show 21 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2020.579982

Copy DOI

Abstract

This article details how the FALKE research project (Fachspezifische Lehrerkompetenzen im Erklären; Engl.: subject-specific teacher competency in explaining) integrates 14 heterogeneous disciplines in order to empirically examine the didactic quality of teacher explanations in eleven school subjects by bringing together trans-, multi-, and interdisciplinary perspectives. In order to illustrate the academic landscape of the FALKE project we briefly outline the nature of the transdisciplinary German “Fachdidaktiken” (Engl.: subject-matter didactics, i.e., special academic disciplines of teaching and learning specific school subjects). The FALKE project required the willingness of all researchers from eleven participating subject-matter didactics to rely on both the concepts and the methods of educational sciences as an overarching research framework (transdisciplinary aspect). All researchers of subject-matter didactics had to develop a shared conceptual, methodological, and administrative framework in order to empirically investigate commonalities in and differences between “good explanations” across the range of school subjects represented (multidisciplinary aspect). The additional perspectives of researchers in speech science and linguistics proved fruitful in recognizing rhetorical and linguistic aspects of teacher explanations (interdisciplinary aspect). Data management and statistical analysis were provided by the discipline methods of educational sciences. Rather than reporting empirical results, we here discuss opportunities and challenges as well as the lessons learned from the FALKE project regarding cognitive-epistemic reasoning, communication, and organization.

Highlights

In matters of learning and education, the question of what makes a good explanation has been pondered for centuries
The field of subject-matter didactics—for those who are open to this path—must address transdisciplinarity on two levels: Beyond becoming more transdisciplinary as academic disciplines themselves, they should— in line with Mittelstrass (2011), see above— reach out toward enduring cooperation with educational scientists and with educators at schools as well as appropriate governmental officials. This level of transdisciplinarity is not common practice for most researchers in subject-matter didactics, except perhaps for those working in subject areas that are often tested in large-scale assessments (e.g., Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA))
We focus on some aspects of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) specific to 1) teacher education and 2) subject-matter didactics research

Summary

Introduction

In matters of learning and education, the question of what makes a good explanation has been pondered for centuries. This level of transdisciplinarity (i.e., integration of and cooperation with educational psychology) is not common practice for most researchers in subject-matter didactics, except perhaps for those working in subject areas that are often tested in large-scale assessments (e.g., PISA).

Results

Conclusion