Making Sense of Transdisciplinarity in Education: Re-Visiting Its Conceptualisation, Configuration and Competencies
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| Title: | Making Sense of Transdisciplinarity in Education: Re-Visiting Its Conceptualisation, Configuration and Competencies |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Hussein Zeidan (ORCID |
| Source: | Review of Education. 2026 14(1). |
| Availability: | Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 34 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Information Analyses |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Interdisciplinary Approach, Higher Education, College Curriculum, Course Objectives, Curriculum Design, Learning Activities, Evaluation Methods, Competence |
| DOI: | 10.1002/rev3.70147 |
| ISSN: | 2049-6613 |
| Abstract: | Transdisciplinarity emerged as a response to academic compartmentalisation, providing a framework for tackling complex societal challenges. This has driven efforts to integrate transdisciplinarity into higher education curricula to equip students with the competencies needed to navigate these complexities. To better understand the operationalisation of transdisciplinarity in education, a comprehensive review of its evolution and implementation is long overdue. This study addresses that gap by conducting a scoping review and synthesising insights from 25 studies. Our analysis reveals that while the conceptual flexibility of transdisciplinary education fosters experimentation and innovative teaching methods, it also poses significant challenges in practice. Course objectives struggle to fully capture the essence of transdisciplinarity; learning activities tend to mirror research processes rather than extend beyond them, and competencies as learning outcomes frequently lack clear definitions and rigorous assessment methods. This poses a risk of opacity in aligning key elements of course design--objectives, learning activities and competency assessment--potentially reinforcing a 'black-boxing' effect. We propose aligning conceptualisation, course configuration and competency assessment (3Cs) to enhance the design of transdisciplinary education. This alignment will enhance curriculum coherence, support student expectations and improve assessment methods, ultimately fostering a more effective positioning of transdisciplinary education in students' learning journeys. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1504079 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Transdisciplinarity emerged as a response to academic compartmentalisation, providing a framework for tackling complex societal challenges. This has driven efforts to integrate transdisciplinarity into higher education curricula to equip students with the competencies needed to navigate these complexities. To better understand the operationalisation of transdisciplinarity in education, a comprehensive review of its evolution and implementation is long overdue. This study addresses that gap by conducting a scoping review and synthesising insights from 25 studies. Our analysis reveals that while the conceptual flexibility of transdisciplinary education fosters experimentation and innovative teaching methods, it also poses significant challenges in practice. Course objectives struggle to fully capture the essence of transdisciplinarity; learning activities tend to mirror research processes rather than extend beyond them, and competencies as learning outcomes frequently lack clear definitions and rigorous assessment methods. This poses a risk of opacity in aligning key elements of course design--objectives, learning activities and competency assessment--potentially reinforcing a 'black-boxing' effect. We propose aligning conceptualisation, course configuration and competency assessment (3Cs) to enhance the design of transdisciplinary education. This alignment will enhance curriculum coherence, support student expectations and improve assessment methods, ultimately fostering a more effective positioning of transdisciplinary education in students' learning journeys. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2049-6613 |
| DOI: | 10.1002/rev3.70147 |
