Prof Michael Reiss, Cara Parrett, Dr Ana Jones, Steph Bryant
Project title: The nature and role of knowledge from different subject areas: disciplinary knowledge and navigating multidisciplinary questions
Young people face many complex questions which require them to wisely handle, and draw together, information from different sources of knowledge – whether that be in the context of global issues like climate change, or personal questions about identity or understanding the beliefs and cultures of others.
Our experience indicates that many young people appear ill-equipped to recognise and value the different, yet complementary, roles of different disciplines when exploring multidisciplinary questions – particularly those questions where both science and religion may have something to say.
In order to engage with a multidisciplinary issue, students require the knowledge and skills to recognise and assign various questions, or aspects of a question, to relevant disciplines. To understand which sorts of questions are, and aren’t, amenable to study in different disciplines, students require an epistemically mature understanding of the nature, power, limitations, tools and claims of different disciplines (‘disciplinary knowledge’), as well as ways in which different disciplines might interact.
In this research project, The Faraday Institute Youth and Schools team are using their engagement with young people and trainee teachers to explore students’ and trainee teachers’ disciplinary understanding of different subject areas and how they use this knowledge to navigate multidisciplinary questions to which scientific and/or religious knowledge may be applicable.
This research will shed light on educational topics of interest to educators looking to equip young people with the skills they need to be active, responsible, engaged citizens – young people ready to face ‘real-world’ questions in the face of complexity, uncertainty and the different views of others.
If you are interested in this work, please contact Cara Parrett at: kids@faraday.cam.ac.uk
Prof Michael Reiss
Cara Parrett
Dr Ana Jones
Steph Bryant
