Disciplinary identities: CASE 2: DISCIPLINARY IDENTITIES1

Abstract

Chapter 4 focuses on disciplinary identities and the role of sensemaking and managing expectations in interdiscilinary teaching and learning. The case in this chapter describes an undergraduate course where students from two different disciplines come together, showing how frustrations arise when these students are asked to collaborate on an interdisciplinary assignment. The challenges that are identified throughout this chapter focus on the differences in disciplinary identity and the lack of experience that students have in the case with interdisciplinary collaboration. Three expert perspectives are offered that discuss the role of sensemaking of the students' disciplinary identities and stress the importance of spending time in the course to discuss those identities. The integration piece discusses how the frustrations that are experienced can be addressed by managing expectations on interdisciplinary collaboration at the start of an interdisciplinary course. In addition, the social and emotional dimensions of inter- and transdisciplinary research are discussed, also pointing towards the importance of having an open conversation about the experienced frustrations. Finally, looking forward, the chapter provides resources on and tools for how reflective practices can encourage interdisciplinary learning.