Interdisciplinary teaching by teams of diverse faculty is highly effective in providing students with intellectual tools for creating innovative solutions to 21st century problems. This article examines the effective practices for interdisciplinary teaching used by a five-membered, disciplinarily diverse faculty team with expertise in chemistry,…

Purpose: This paper discusses the elements of successful university-level, cross-disciplinary course development using best practices to foster richer relational networks and to meet the complex demands of education and treatment for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Design/methodology/approach: The three authors created and taught a…

Employers increasingly desire new graduates to work across boundaries, in teams, and with developed soft skills, especially in public affairs. Likewise, students increasingly seek academic experiences for learning, practicing, and honing transferable, competency-based skills. This suggests instructors should explore alternative pedagogy engaging…

We have witnessed, over the past century, an evolution in the manner in which students with disabilities are educated. Indeed, the quality of education students with special needs receive, in many ways, may be more aptly termed a revolution -- from a legal and pedagogical perspective. The tremendous strides special education has made during this…

Purpose: The aim of this study is to explore whether and to what degree community development of teacher teams takes place and how community development comes about, that is, what community-building efforts teacher teams undertake. Design/methodology/approach: Using a multi method approach, quantitative and qualitative data were gathered from…

One middle school recently adopted a team teaching model as a result of principal directive in order to improve staff communication and better serve students. Because seventh and eighth grade teachers had never been teamed in this particular middle school, research was needed to investigate how teaming was implemented and how these teachers…

The field of education has highly varied educational practices and facilities needs. Still, much of education continues to be delivered in the recognizable tradition of teachers working alone in isolated classrooms and buildings planned based on rows and rows of those classrooms. But there is no longer one single, universal view of how education…

Policymakers and industry leaders are calling for a 21st century education that is more interdisciplinary in nature, including the ability to solve problems and think creatively. Traditional teaching practices that present subjects as separate and distinct disciplines do not encourage students to make connections between subjects in school and in…

Change in higher education, as manifested in curriculum reform, can be particularly difficult as the structures of academia, such as rank and tradition, retard the process. Two recent reports from the Modern Language Association (MLA) strive to address needed curricular adaptations and offer a roadmap of considerations for modifications. The 2007…

Two educators recount critical dilemmas in the development of a secondary level interdisciplinary teaching team, discussing three phases in the development of the team: consolidated, laissez-faire, and shared power. Lessons learned include: it is difficult, if not impossible, to separate issues of interpersonal relations from substantive team…

Describes the University of Hartford's All-University Curriculum, which includes 25 interdisciplinary courses, most team taught. Addresses institutional buy-in, resources, team formation, conflict resolution, institutional policies, and ongoing development. (SK)

This booklet summarizes research on best practices for implementing successful small learning communities and career academies. When well implemented, improvements in instructional and personalization strategies in combination with structural supports have demonstrated improved student attendance and learning. "From High School to Learning…

This publication examines research on an instructional practice called teacher teaming as conducted in K-12 schools. Teacher teaming involves grouping two or more teachers together with responsibility for a group of students for instructional purposes. The report describes the major literature about the relationship that exists between teacher…

Biggest obstacle to Eugene, Oregon's plans to integrate middle school curricula is finding time to enable staff to develop a common vision of the future to build upon. Despite adoption of a flexible scheduling pattern, more time is needed for staff development, training, and cooperative instructional unit development. Creating teaching teams to…

Classrooms in the United Kingdom are beginning to open up, with teachers working in multidisciplinary teams composed of classroom assistants, nursery nurses, learning support auxiliaries, educational psychologists, community educators, health and social workers, and parent volunteers. This paper identifies published sources of information on…