Abstract
The concept of transdisciplinarity has been extensively researched since the 1970s and still does not have one comprehensive definition, as it is considered highly context-dependent. Merging the knowledge synthesized by the scholars of transdisciplinary research, practice, and learning, transdisciplinary learning features have been identified and briefly elaborated on in this article, pointing out the functional and instructional nature of transdisciplinarity in modern education systems. Simultaneously, the article reflects on the connection of transdisciplinarity with the Education for Sustainable Development and transversal skills design, stating the significance of transdisciplinarity in tackling complex and uncertain social and environmental problems. As an approach, it promotes mutual and transformational learning, transcendence, problem-solving and transgression and is reflected in the values of active participation of learners and their orientation towards real-world problem-solving, blending disciplinary knowledge and constructing new knowledge, skills, competencies, and values collaboratively with peers, teachers, and the wider society.
Highlights
Since the beginning of the 20th century, the ideas of inevitable disorder, complexity, and uncertainty have been transferred from physics to other research disciplines, such as ecology, technology, social affairs and policy, arts, and education (Nicolescu, 2010; Bernstein, 2015)
There was no intention to explore specific transversal skills to be developed through transdisciplinary learning, the author of this paper has identified several frameworks defining transversal skills in transdisciplinarity and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) within the cognitive, behavioral, and emotional domains
As a transformational activity, learning can be considered transdisciplinary if it integrates knowledge across and beyond the disciplines and society stakeholders, enhances collaborative inquiry and practical solution design, and bases these around specific real-world problems with the purpose of acquiring transversal skills, competencies, attitudes, and values to be employed for tackling sustainable development issues
Summary
Since the beginning of the 20th century, the ideas of inevitable disorder, complexity, and uncertainty have been transferred from physics to other research disciplines, such as ecology, technology, social affairs and policy, arts, and education (Nicolescu, 2010; Bernstein, 2015). Jean Piaget (Switzerland) saw the application of transdisciplinarity mainly in academia, while Erik Jantsch (Austria) insisted on the transdisciplinary approach being “dispersed throughout the community”, allowing to speak about the marginalization of other ways of thinking and the gap between science and practice, Western and other traditions. Both asked for structural changes in current social practices, which would foster an acceptance of creativity and uncertainty in self-organized structures of knowledge (Fam et al, 2017a)
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