The Importance of Transdiciplinarity in Education

Abstract Book of the 11th International Conference on New Approaches in Education

Year: 2026

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The Importance of Transdiciplinarity in Education

Sandra Kroeker

ABSTRACT:

In contemporary academia there are hostilities or tensions between disciplines that have different ontological, epistemological, and methodological systems. For example, some researchers who use quantitative methods believe their way of learning and knowing is superior to those who use qualitative methods and some who use qualitative methods blame quantitative methods for excluding diversity as “outliers.” In this paper I argue that these tensions are based in political, emotional, and ideological beliefs rather than logic, reason, and science. The future pursuit of knowledge is at risk of becoming stagnant because it continues to be exclusive. Keeping knowledge systems separate perpetuates status quo and the marginalization of certain groups. The resistance towards the synthesis of knowledge keeps a handful of disciplinary ideals at the forefront of power and this power is used to dictate to humanity, what they think knowledge, teaching, and learning should be. This denies other knowledge systems a voice in learning, knowing, and contributing to research. Transidisciplinarity can be used to tear down the boundaries between disciplines and dissolve the barriers between qualitative and quantitative methodologies.

Keywords: Cross-Disciplinary; Interdisciplinary; Multidisciplinary; Transdisciplinary