ERIC Number: EJ964031
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Jun
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0742-5627
EISSN: N/A
Challenges in Transdisciplinary, Integrated Projects: Reflections on the Case of Faculty Members' Failure to Collaborate
Vanasupa, Linda; McCormick, Kathryn E.; Stefanco, Carolyn J.; Herter, Roberta J.; McDonald, Margot
Innovative Higher Education, v37 n3 p171-184 Jun 2012
In this article we describe the challenges of transdisciplinary teamwork involving four faculty members from dissimilar epistemological traditions in the process of developing a manuscript on the lessons learned in our teaching collaboration. Our difficulty originated in implicit mental models and assumptions that caused incongruence between our intent to collaborate and the (habituated) relationship structure of the partnership. The dynamics are described through the lens of Tannenbaum and Schmidt's leadership model and Aristotle's causality. We suggest that successful collaboration necessitates careful attention to the process of establishing the collaboration, its structure, and the metacognitive capacities to see one's own thinking, suspend one's epistemic beliefs, and engage in productive dialogue around conflict.
Descriptors: Metacognition, Teacher Collaboration, Writing for Publication, Program Descriptions, Collegiality, Interdisciplinary Approach, Performance Factors, Barriers, Group Dynamics, Epistemology, College Faculty, Material Development, Group Activities, Group Experience, Reflection, Integrated Activities, Teamwork, Failure
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A