Interdisciplinary Higher Educa4on: Cri4cism, Challenges and Obstacles
Abstract • During the past two decades, extensive a5en6ons have
been paid to interdisciplinary ac6vi6es by educa6onal ins6tu6ons and according to the corresponding needs, it has also been extended to ‘interdisciplinary higher educa6on’. In other words, interdisciplinary studies and ac6vi6es are now a focus of a5en6on for ins6tu6ons promo6ng learning and teaching, as well as organiza6onal and social en66es concerned with higher educa6on. However, they are prac6cally facing mul6faceted cri6cism, obstacles, and challenges. This descrip6ve – analy6cal paper which emphasizes on interdisciplinary higher educa6on, maintains that the most important obstacles and challenges faced by interdisciplinary ac6vi6es in the past two decades can be d iv ided into three major types ; “cu l tura l” , “organiza6onal” and “professional”. In conclusion, par6cular cri6cisms and challenges to interdisciplinary programs in social sciences and the humani6es have been explained.
• Keywords: Higher Educa6on, Interdisciplinarity, interdisciplinary Studies, Educa6onal Sciences Challenges, Cri6cism.
Khorsandi Taskoh, Ali PhD. Candidate, Edu. Policy
[email protected] March 21, 2011