APPLYING A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO THE DESIGN OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSES FOR HIGHER EDUCATION TEACHERS

The article studies the necessary combination of multidisciplinarity in advanced training courses for teachers of higher education institutions. At the end of the nineteenth century, an understanding of the need to divide science into different disciplines and combine them based on the principles of complementarity emerged, which led to the concept of medical education. At present, the development of methods for compiling interdisciplinary courses is becoming especially relevant, since it makes it possible to take into account the requirements for training and learning opportunities for various strata of students. The authors examine the integration of an interdisciplinary approach into the professional development of higher education teachers, presenting an analysis of how intellectual boundaries – both rigid and permeable – influence the construction of educational frameworks. The focus is on the intersection of ‘epistemic flexibility’ and ‘methodological fluidity’, two basic principles that allow the synthesis of different disciplines while maintaining their integrity; synthesis is achieved by creating ‘conceptual nodes’, spaces where ideas from different fields converge without losing their disciplinary integrity. The study analyses the cognitive and pedagogical implications of interdisciplinary learning, showing a 30 per cent increase in the use of interdisciplinary methods in the classroom – an indicator of what is referred to here as ‘pedagogical fluidity’, where teachers move easily from one disciplinary approach to another, enhancing teaching and learning. The role of ‘collaborative intellectualism’ is discussed further, highlighting that ‘cognitive synthesis’ between teachers from different disciplines leads to innovative teaching methods; this is supported by a 40 per cent increase in interdisciplinary lesson planning and a 20 per cent increase in interdisciplinary research output. The article also identifies limitations, particularly ‘methodological divergence,’ where conflicting epistemological frameworks create intellectual dissonance that complicates the integration process. Recommendations to address these challenges include developing ‘interdisciplinary fluency’ to enable educators to navigate and translate from one disciplinary language to another, and ‘purposeful interdisciplinarity’ where only meaningful disciplines are integrated to prevent ‘epistemic overstretch.

multidisciplinarity, professional development, epistemic flexibility, methodological flexibility, pedagogical innovation, cognitive integration, collaborative intellectualism, interdisciplinary fluency, purposeful interdisciplinarity, epistemological scaffolding

Sapozhnikov G. P., Lobanova E. V. Applying a multidisciplinary approach to the design of professional development courses for higher education teachers. Biznes. Obrazovanie. Pravo = Business. Education. Law. 2024;4(69):476— 481. DOI: 10.25683/VOLBI.2024.69.1161.