Challenges facing interdisciplinary researchers: Findings from a professional development workshop

Area of Science:

• Science Education Research
• Interdisciplinary Studies

Background:

• Interdisciplinary research, combining multiple fields for a common goal, is crucial in science education.
• Collaboration between discipline-based education researchers and learning scientists is important but uncommon.
• Empirical evidence on barriers and solutions for this interdisciplinary collaboration is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify barriers to interdisciplinary collaboration in science education.
• To explore perceptions of cohesion within academic departments and professional communities.
• To assess the impact of a pre-conference workshop on fostering interdisciplinary connections.

Main Methods:

• A pre-conference workshop was conducted for discipline-based education researchers and learning scientists.
• Evidence on collaboration barriers was collected during the workshop.
• Post-conference surveys assessed perceived cohesion and interdisciplinary connections.

Main Results:

• Three main categories of barriers were identified: Disciplinary Differences, Professional Integration, and Collaborative Practice.
• Participants reported lower cohesion in home departments compared to professional communities.
• The workshop increased cross-disciplinary connections among participants.

Conclusions:

• Professional development workshops can effectively facilitate interdisciplinary research networks in science education.
• These workshops can provide a sense of belonging often lacking in participants' home departments.
• Addressing identified barriers can promote more robust interdisciplinary collaborations.