A Qualitative Examination of Science Faculty Members’ Perceptions of Interdisciplinary Curriculum Development and Refinement - Abstract

Oct 15, 2026

Interdisciplinary curricula are increasingly promoted in higher education, yet disciplinary structures and cultures can restrict such initiatives, and the development challenges remain underexplored. This study examines science faculty members’ perspectives on interdisciplinary curriculum development and refinement, including what constitutes an interdisciplinary program, the value of interdisciplinarity, and experienced challenges. Faculty at a mid-sized Ontario, Canada university participated in interviews, followed by content analysis.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages20

Reading Time50 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Literature Review

Interdisciplinary activities and disciplinary boundaries

The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning | Volume 14 | Issue 2 | Article 2 | | --- | --- | | Fall 10-15-2023
A Qualitative Examination of Science Faculty Members’ Perceptions of Interdisciplinary Curriculum Development and Refinement
Laura Chittle
University of Windsor, [lchittle@uwindsor.ca](lchittle@uwindsor.ca)[ ](lchittle@uwindsor.ca)Erika Kustra
University of Windsor, [kustraed@uwindsor.ca](kustraed@uwindsor.ca)[ ](kustraed@uwindsor.ca)Chris Houser
University of Waterloo, [chouser@uwaterloo.ca](chouser@uwaterloo.ca)
Follow this and additional works at: [https://www.cjsotl-rcacea.ca](https://www.cjsotl-rcacea.ca)
[https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotlrcacea.2023.2.11122](https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotlrcacea.2023.2.11122) | | Recommended Citation Chittle, L., Kustra, E., & Houser, C. (2023) . A qualitative examination of science faculty members’ perceptions of interdisciplinary curriculum development and refinement The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 14(2). [https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotlrcacea.2023.2.11122](https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotlrcacea.2023.2.11122) A Qualitative Examination of Science Faculty Members’Perceptions of Interdisciplinary Curriculum Development and Refinement Abstract In recent years there has been a movement towards offering interdisciplinary curricula within higher education. While there are numerous benefits associated with interdisciplinary learning, the disciplinarily focused structure and culture of higher education can constrain interdisciplinary activities, and the challenges associated with developing this type of learning experience have been less researched. Given that faculty are key figures in organizational change and curriculum development, this study sought to understand faculty members’perspectives of interdisciplinary curriculum development and refinement, including their perceptions of what constitutes an interdisciplinary program, the value associated with interdisciplinarity, and the challenges they have experienced developing and/or refining interdisciplinary programs. Faculty members from the Faculty of Science at a mid-sized university in the province of Ontario, Canada were interviewed, and these data were subjected to a content analysis. Faculty perceived interdisciplinary academic programs as including a collection of courses that offer a combination of knowledge from different disciplines; however, only a few participants identified the integration of knowledge from different areas of study as key to interdisciplinarity. Participants perceived that interdisciplinary learning was important for students to develop diverse, but not necessarily integrated, skillsets. Challenges related to interdisciplinary curriculum development and refinement included navigating institutional structures and collaborating with other academic units. Suggestions for navigating interdisciplinary curriculum development are discussed. Depuis quelques années, un mouvement s’est développé qui vise à offrir des programmes d’études interdisciplinaires au sein de l’enseignement supérieur. Bien qu’il y ait de nombreux avantages associés à l’apprentissage interdisciplinaire, la structure et la culture axées sur la discipline dans l’enseignement supérieur peuvent constituer des contraintes aux activités interdisciplinaires et les défis associés au développement de cette expérience d’apprentissage n’ont pas fait l’objet denombreuses recherches. Étant donné que les professeurs et les professeures sont des éléments clésdans les changements organisationnels et le développement de programmes d’études, cette étude acherché à comprendre les perspectives des professeurs et des professeures sur le développement et le perfectionnement de programmes d’études interdisciplinaires, y compris leurs perceptions de ce qui constitue un programme interdisciplinaire, de la valeur associée à l’interdisciplinarité et des défis qu’ils ont dû releve

FAQs

What does the study focus on regarding interdisciplinary curriculum development?

The study investigates faculty members’ perspectives on what constitutes an interdisciplinary program, the value of interdisciplinarity, and the challenges they faced developing and/or refining such programs.

How were data collected and analyzed?

Faculty members from the Faculty of Science at a mid-sized university in Ontario, Canada were interviewed, and the interview data were subjected to content analysis.

What challenges did faculty report for interdisciplinary curriculum refinement?

Challenges included navigating institutional structures and collaborating with other academic units.

Oct 15, 2026

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