Pressing global environmental issues, such as climate change and pollution, have increased the importance of environment and sustainability education in schools. As a result, many higher education institutions have established education for sustainable development (ESD) programs. A transdisciplinary approach—a strategy that forgoes disciplinary boundaries and encourages interaction among class subjects—is among the most common in ESD because it supports a holistic learning method and encompasses many subjects. Previous research suggests applying a transdisciplinary approach in environmental education because environmental issues often span many subjects and have economic, social, and health impacts. Implementing transdisciplinary methods for environmental education will help achieve the long-term goal of global sustainability. However, the multidiscipline approach may be difficult to establish because it contradicts traditional educational programs that teach one subject at a time, thus preventing ESD programs in schools from applying this method. The researchers argue that partnership among the teachers is crucial to establishing a successful transdisciplinary program. This study research how teachers interpreted and reacted to the transdisciplinary method in an ESD program to gain a better understanding of the feasibility associated with this educational approach.
This study explored teachers' perceptions at an upper secondary school in Sweden, which was chosen because the school was implementing a global ESD development project. The project involved voluntary participation from nine teachers to assist students as they designed an imaginary neighborhood in their city using an environmental approach while considering other factors, such as health and economics. Each teacher taught a different subject area, such as Swedish, English, Chemistry, and Psychology; because each teacher came from a different discipline, the project applied a transdisciplinary approach. The article did not specify how many students participated in the project.
The researchers interviewed all nine teachers involved in the ESD development project. Each teacher participated in three separate interviews: before the project, in the middle of the project, and after the completed project, but the author did not specify the time frame between interviews. The interviews prompted the teachers to recall their transdisciplinary teaching experience before, during, and after the ESD project. After recording the interviews, the researcher analyzed the interviews according to individual teacher perspectives and collective, common perspectives. The researchers created two sub-categories that described perspectives: 1) contribution and 2) ownership.
Overall findings indicated that a successful transdisciplinary approach required teachers to be dedicated, willing to learn, and able to work well with others. Teachers who felt they only contributed to the project were overwhelmed by challenges while others who expressed ownership were more successful.
In terms of contribution, participant teachers felt hesitant when designing a curriculum because they were afraid that they were encroaching upon other teachers' areas of study. While many felt the new approach encouraged teachers to be supportive and work collaboratively, some participants expressed concerns about stress and failure associated with this approach. Nevertheless, the participant teachers felt that the benefit of working collaboratively—namely, a widespread understanding of multiple disciplines by both teachers and students—outweighed the associated challenges.
Ownership of the project encouraged teachers to be highly motivated and work well with teachers and students. To create a feeling of ownership, teachers participated in discussions that allowed for a common approach when applying the curriculum to the students. Although some viewed new approaches as difficult, the discussions led teachers to feel confident in the subject matter. Through this approach, teachers felt that students gained a holistic understanding of sustainability and were interested in ESD. Consequently, many teachers felt highly motivated and believed that a transdisciplinary method was necessary for ESD programs.
While the study shows that a transdisciplinary method is beneficial despite its associated challenges, the authors note that many of the teachers expressed previous interest and commitment to ESD programs. Applying such a method to less motivated teachers may prove challenging. Other factors may affect the teachers' success including time, flexibility within the school or program, and the students' interest and intention for participating in the program. Lastly, school structure and curricula varies between Sweden and North America, which means that benefits and risks of an interdisciplinary approach may vary across locations.
This research suggests that environmental education programs seeking to establish interdisciplinary methods should ensure that both teachers and students feel ownership of the project. By encouraging the teachers to assist rather than instruct students with projects and assignments, students are likely to develop ownership and an understanding of the topic. To support ownership among teachers, schools should encourage teacher involvement from an early stage and work to maintain communication among participant educators.
The Bottom Line
Many school systems are structured to teach one subject at a time, while a transdisciplinary approach implements a curriculum that spans across disciplines. This study explored how teachers responsible for developing and teaching an ESD project in Sweden experienced the transdisciplinary approach. The study found that teachers who felt that they were merely contributing to the project were easily overwhelmed by the challenges. In contrast, teachers who felt ownership of the project were highly motivated and worked across disciplines from the beginning. A successful transdisciplinary approach requires teachers to be able to make their own decisions and be highly motivated. Programs seeking to implement the transdisciplinary approach should involve teachers from the beginning, ensure open communication among teachers, and ensure that educators are motivated and willing to learn.