Is it time for schools to adopt interdisciplinary learning?

At The London Interdisciplinary School (LIS), we think it’s quite straightforward to make a case for an interdisciplinary degree: problems are interdisciplinary, and so our curriculum should be too. When it comes to making the case for interdisciplinary learning in schools, however, we have to seriously consider the many other competing demands on schools’ time. When so much effort is required to help students master ‘the basics’, why complicate matters by trying to bring subjects together?

We know well how difficult it is to create interdisciplinary units (and to timetable them). But here are three reasons we think it’s worth it.

1. Early specialisation limits career exploration

Currently, the school curriculum is constructed as if the end goal were for everyone to become a single subject expert: pupils are forced to gradually narrow down the range of subjects they are studying, specialising in ever fewer areas until they end up with one field of post-school study. This pattern has the consequence of delaying career exploration, because young people can choose school subjects based just on what might give them the best chance of getting qualifications or good grades. This delay is particularly detrimental for young people who don’t have much exposure to a range of careers amongst their family or friends.

In addition, this narrowing hardens the divide between ‘academic’ and ‘vocational’ subjects. And inevitably, because it is attached to different post-school destinations, that divide is stratified: whilst university might not be everyone’s first choice in terms of their career interests or how they like to learn, as the pathway that holds open the most doors – and looks best for school outcomes – it is usually the one young people are directed towards.

Interdisciplinary learning aims to break down these divides. We should be able to explore the world of work whilst also studying conceptual and theoretical material. Most areas of work are packed with interesting ‘academic’ content, and there are many benefits to studying this content in the context of a particular problem or opportunity.

2. Applying knowledge in a real-world context

This brings us to a second case for interdisciplinary learning: it allows us to apply knowledge and skills in context. One of the arguments against interdisciplinary learning is that it doesn’t work well for ‘novices’ – that is, those who are learning the concepts or skills of a field for the first time. The risk is that interdisciplinarity might sacrifice clear explanation and practise for the sake of exploration or problem-solving. The same can be said of any curriculum however: with poor pedagogical design, many learners will be left behind. But when carefully designed, interdisciplinary learning can provide a real-world context that can aid in mastering abstract conceptual content. This is what we see in U.S. studies of project-based learning, particularly in areas of Science and Maths.

The potential to raise attainment in core subjects is a key case for interdisciplinary learning. In England, progression rates in these subjects are currently heavily stratified by student background: students who have ever received free school meals are significantly less likely to take Maths or a Science subject at A-Level. Likewise, the gap in attaining a ‘good’ pass in Maths and English at GCSE has remained stubbornly large over the years, despite considerable investment of pupil premium funds in additional tutoring or small group sessions in these subjects.

What if we rethought the place of English and Maths as part of an interdisciplinary curriculum? As a former intervention tutor, I saw how catch-up tutoring was hindered by the de-contextualised nature of the English and Maths GCSE syllabus. These subjects are crying out for meaningful, contextualised applications. At LIS, our students study evolved and applicable versions of English Language and Maths: quantitative and qualitative methods. They learn to understand and apply numbers, words and images as symbol systems. We have undergraduates from a wide-range of backgrounds and a complete mixture between those with A*s at A Level to those who had vowed never to study English or Maths again after GCSE. When set in an interdisciplinary context, however, we have been thoroughly impressed by their perseverance and willingness to develop in areas they previously struggled with. Interdisciplinary learning earlier in the school journey could be key to avoiding these struggles in the first place, and helping students see the purpose of developing a strong foundation in Maths and English language.

3. Integrating knowledge creates better results

There is one final way in which interdisciplinary learning could help to reduce educational inequalities. At the end of the educational journey, the value of what we have learned shows up in what we can do with our knowledge and skills. The act of integrating learning from different subjects and fields is not straightforward, however. We only have to look at the decision-making at different phases of the pandemic to see this: do we listen to epidemiologists modelling progress of the disease mathematically? Historians extrapolating from the case of the Spanish flu? Behavioural psychologists? Finding effective ways to combine the insights from very different fields involves a knowledge and skill all of its own.

We believe that the explicit learning of how to integrate knowledge shouldn’t wait until higher education. The IB demonstrates that young people can engage in ‘Theory of Knowledge’ at key stage 5, and the success of models like Philosophy for Children (P4C) indicates that even primary age children are capable of engaging in important debates about epistemology. We know therefore that school children can engage in thinking about interdisciplinary integration, but there is still a long way to go in helping them actually practise it. One of our goals at LIS is to codify methods to integrate knowledge from different fields, through techniques such as mapping, simulation and the creation of synthetic products. Giving young people the chance to practise these skills at school should help them to come out more confident to take on challenges in the work place and their wider lives, and really maximise the benefits of the education they have had.

How can I adopt interdisciplinary learning at my school?

At LIS, we want to help schools to find space and opportunities for this interdisciplinary learning. If you’re interested in learning more about how we could support your school’s efforts, do get in touch. We offer in person or virtual enrichment sessions for sixth form students. Find out more here. Finally, you can follow our work in partnership with Rethinking Assessment by signing up for updates on their website.

Disclaimer: please note that the views of external contributors to the Teach First blog do not necessarily represent the views of Teach First as an organisation. For more information on how we're fighting to make the education system work for every child, see our mission or read through our manifesto.