Interdisciplinary thinking in agricultural and life sciences higher education

Area of Science:

• Agricultural and Life Sciences Education
• Higher Education Pedagogy
• Interdisciplinary Studies

Background:

• Interdisciplinary thinking is increasingly recognized as a vital skill for higher education students and the workforce.
• Effective curriculum and course design require a deeper understanding of how interdisciplinary thinking develops.
• The agricultural and life sciences fields particularly benefit from interdisciplinary approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a systematic review of scientific research on teaching and learning interdisciplinary thinking in higher education.
• To explore the development of interdisciplinary thinking skills within the context of agricultural and life sciences.
• To identify sub-skills and enabling conditions for fostering interdisciplinary thinking.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of scientific literature on interdisciplinary higher education.
• Analysis of research findings related to teaching and learning interdisciplinary thinking.
• Selection and presentation of illustrative findings relevant to agricultural and life sciences.

Main Results:

• Identification of specific sub-skills that constitute interdisciplinary thinking.
• Characterization of enabling conditions that support the development of interdisciplinary thinking.
• Tentative findings suggest potential value for educational practice.

Conclusions:

• The systematic review provides insights into fostering interdisciplinary thinking in higher education.
• Understanding interdisciplinary thinking sub-skills and enabling conditions can inform curriculum development.
• The findings offer practical value for educators in agricultural and life sciences.