A pedagogy of connection and boundary crossings: methodological and epistemological transactions in working across and between disciplines

Abstract

This paper develops the idea of a pedagogy of connection for working across and between disciplines by examining transactions that take place at the boundaries between contributing disciplines. Characteristics of cross‐disciplinary work are outlined and a case is made for regarding it as a creative and integrative activity. An analysis of two cross‐disciplinary books is presented as a means of raising some of the methodological and epistemological issues involved in working across disciplines. The issues may be conceptualised as boundary objects and addressed through a pedagogy of connection which takes account of: (1) interventions and the use of tools within the contexts and niches in which they are situated, and (2) the notion of changes in learning behaviour that are of consequence and an environment that affords those changes.

Keywords:

• pedagogy of connection
• boundary object
• boundary crossing
• interdisciplinary
• multidisciplinary