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Proble S of Teaching and Research in Universities. INSTIT TION Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris (France) DOCUMENT RESUME ED 061 895 HE 002 969 TITLE interdisciplinarity: Proble s of Teaching and Research in Universities. INSTIT TION organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris (France). Centre for Educational Research and Innovation. PUB DATE 72 NOTE 307p. AVAILABLE FROMOECD Publications Center, Suite 12071 1750 Pennsylvania Avenue, N. W.4 Washington, D. C.20006 ($7.00) EDRS PRICE MF-$0.65 HC-$13.16 DESCRIPTORS *Curriculum Development; *Educational Development. Educational Innovation; *Higher Education; Instructional innovation; *Interdisciplinary Approach; *Relevance (Education) ABSTRACT "Interdisciplinarityl" the integration of concepts and methods between disciplines in teaching and research, may provide an important key to the innovations required inuniversities to meet the intellectual and social demands of the present time. This report is based on a seminar held in September 1970 and reports the subsequent reflections of a group of distinguished authors. A careful analysis of interdisciplinarity is presented and its impact on teaching and research as adapted to changes in both knowledge and society is examined. It is concluded there is real need not so much to eliminate any of the disciplines but to teach them in the context of their dynamic relationship with other disciplinesHand in terms of societal problems. The report is in 3 parts. The first, "Opinions and Facts," presents information collected during an extensive surveyof universities on interdisciplinary activities in teaching and research. The second part, "Technology and Conceptsv" considers the subject within the framework of developing scientific knowledge and the requirements of a rapidly changing industrial society. The final part, "Problems and Solutions," studies institutional structures. curricula, teaching methods and teacher training programs, all of which are issues basic to any reorganization of universities. (Hs) centreINTERMICIPZINABIZT forPROMS= OF TEAMING AND e ucational IN MIMMITIM research and innovation u.s. 05,P4pamprvr ...EDUCATION op HEALTH. OFFICE aWELFARE rHis pOcUMENTOF EDUCATION 1 DUCED EX^,CTLY RAS THE PE AS RECSEEN REPRO- RSON OR EIVED I! INATING ORGANIZATIONFROn4 /ONS IT POINTS / Si ATED OF VIEW ORIG- --i REPRESENT DO Nur OR CNN- OF NECESSARILY CA TIONPOGMON,11_ OFFICE OR POLICY OF EGG- OECD CGANIS'ATION FO-R ECO OMICCO -0-PERAT) II A.ND DEYEL la:fi NT This publication was prepared by an Editorial Committee composed of the following people : Leo APOSTEL University of Ghent, Belgium Guy BERGER Un versity of Paris Pill, France Asa BRIGGS Univ rsity of Sussex, United Kingdom and Guy MICHAUD University of Paris X, France who was responsible for the publication in co-operation with the Secretariat. Centre icbr Educational Research and Innovation CERI INnusarstzPwrAzirr PROM= OF TEACJFING AN, D RESEARCM Dir UNIVERNITIM This report is based on the results of a Seminar on Interdisciplinarity in Universities which was organised by CERT in collaboration with the French Ministry of Education at the University of Nice (France) September 7th-12th, 1970. IRGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO -OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT 1972 The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Develop- ment (OECD), which was set up under a Convention signed in Paris on 14at December, 1960, provides that the OECD shall Promote policies designed : to achieve the highest sustainable economic gr:h and employment and a rising standard of living in Member countries, while maintaining financial stability, and thus to contribute to the development 'of the world economy ; to contribute to sound economic expansion in Member as well as tion-nzember countries in the process of eco- nomic development ; to contribute to the expansion of world trade on a mul- tilateral,non-discriminatory basisinaccordancewith international obligations. The Members of OECD are :Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France,the Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands,Norway,Portugal, Spain, Sweden,S Witurland, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. The Centre for Educational Research and innovation was established in June 1968 for aninitial period of three years, with the help of a grant from the Ford Foundation which was later supplemented by a grant front the Shell Group of Compa- nies. The main objectives of the Centre are as follows : To promote and support the development of research activities in education and undertake such research acti- vities where appropriate ; To promote and support pilot experiments with a view to introducing and testing itmovations in educational sys- tents ; To promote the development _of co-operation between Member countries in the field of educational research and innovation. The Centre functions as part of the structure of the Organi- sation for Economic Co-operation and Development, under the responsibility of the Council of the Organisation and the Secre- tary-General. It is supervised by a Governing Board of indepen- dent personalities appointed by the Secretary-General, intheir individual capacities. CONTENTS PREFACE, JAMES R. GASS, Director of the Centre for Educational Research and Innovation. .. 9 APPROACH TO THE PROBLEMS, Pierre DUGUET PART I OPINIONS AND FACTS Guy BERGER University of Paris MI, France INTRODUCTION 23 Chapter 1 ANALYSIS OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE ON INTERDISCIPLINARY ACTIVITIES OF TEACHING AND RESEARCH 27 Chapter 2 "THE INTERDISCIPLINARY ARCHIPELAGO" 35 CONCLUSIONS 71 PART II TERMINOLOGY AND CONCEPTS Leo APOSTEL, University of Ghent, Belgium INTRODUCTION 77 Chapter 1 SOME APPROACHES TO INTERDISCIPLINARITY ... ... ... .. 83 Section 1.DLsciplbao and Interdisciplinarity, Heinz HECKtiAUSEN, University of Bochum, Germany. .... .. .... 83 5 Section 2.Discipline and Interdisciplinarity, Marcel BOISOT, Ecole Nationale des Pants et Chaussées, Fra;we 89 Section 3.TowardsInterdiseiplinarity and Transdisciplinarityin Education and Innovation, Erich JANTSCH, Aastria. 97 Section 4.Mathematic and Transdisciplinarity, Andre LICHNERO- NVICZ, College de France, France 121 Section 5.The Epistemology of Interdisciplinary Ri.:lationships, Jean PIAGET, Faculte des Sciences de Geneve, Switzerland . 127 Chapter 2 CONCEPTUAL TOOLS FORINTERDISCIPL!NARITY : AN OPERATIONAL APPOACH, Leo APOSTEL, University of Ghent, Belgium 141 PART HI PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS Asa BRIGGS Sussex University, United Kingdom and Guy MICHAUD, University of Paris X, France Chapter 1 PERSPECTIVES 185 Chapter 2 STRUCTURES 201 Chapter 3 CURRICULA 217 Chapter 4 TEACHING METHODS AND TEACHER TRAINING 227 Chapter 5 EXPERIENCES THROUGH EXAMPLES 237 Annexes 1. Sample Model of an Interdisciplinary University with special emphasis on "International Relations" .. ... .. ,. ..... 253 2. A Plan for a Center of Interdikiplinary Synthesis 259 GENERAL CONCLUSIONS, Guy MICHAUD, University of Parix X, France281 6 APPENDICES 1. Some bibliographical references 293 2.People replying to the questionnaire on interdisciplinary activities of teaching and research in universities 301 3.List of participants at the seminar 313 4. I.List of the working documents 318 II.List of notes provided by some participants at the seminar .321 PREFACE The universities arc often radical in their approach to society and conservative in the way they themselves reflect society namely in what and how they teach. The fundamental reason lies no doubt in the fact that academie disciplines are the basis for the organisation of knowledge for teaching purposes. For the disciplines are not only a convenient breakdown of knowledge into its component parts, they are also the basis of the organisation of the university into its autonomous fiefs, and of the professions engaged in teaching and research. Thus, to meddle with the disciplines is to meddle with the social structure of the university in its entirety. Viewed from the point of view of the student and society, however, tin disciplines cannot be taken for granted as if given by some pre-ordained order of knowledge. For if modern science has taught us anything, itis that the impact of knowledge on action whether in the field of social or natural phenomena forces interaction between the disciplines and even generates new disciplines. The "inter-discipline" of today is the "discipline" of tomorrow. Indeed, the breakdown of knowledge into a hierarchy of disciplinesitselfreflectssocialvalues ismathematics, philosophy, sociology or political economy the queen of the sciences ? Moreover, the criteria for the emergence of a new discipline are varied and change over time isit method, field of phenomena or theoretical framework ? One practical implicatic-i emerges from these questions it would be unwise to be too simple-mindea in either defence of, or attack on, teaching based ou single disciplines. Indeed, the heat of controversy around this question results partly from a tendency to overlook the complexities of universities as institutions. Those who see the universities as producing scholars and scientists stoutly defend the discipline as the cornerstone of intellectual training. Those whose image is the university producing profes- sional manpower (schools of medicine, engineering schools, etc.) would no doubt agree that a group of disciplines is involved, even if they also see the defence of their "discipline" as the defence of their "profession" also. Finally, those who think of the university as producing the "well-educated man" who is neither scientist, scholar nor professional would surely agree that various mixtures
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