Gaining insight into interdisciplinary research and education programmes: A framework for evaluation

Abstract

Greater understanding of how interdisciplinary research and education evolves is critical for identifying and implementing appropriate programme management strategies. In this paper a programme evaluation framework is presented. It is based on social learning processes (individual learning, interdisciplinary research practices, and interaction between researchers with different backgrounds); social capital outcomes (ability to interact, interpersonal connectivity, and shared understanding); and knowledge and human capital outcomes (new knowledge that integrates multiple research fields). The framework is illustrated on an established case study doctoral programme. Data are collected via mixed qualitative/quantitative methods to reveal several interesting findings about how interdisciplinary research evolves and can be supported. Firstly, different aspects of individual learning seem to contribute to a researcher's ability to interact with researchers from other research fields and work collaboratively. These include learning new material from different research fields, learning how to learn new material and learning how to integrate different material. Secondly, shared interdisciplinary research practices can be identified that may be common to other programmes and support interaction and shared understanding between different researchers. They include clarification and questioning, harnessing differences and setting defensible research boundaries. Thirdly, intensive interaction between researchers from different backgrounds support connectivity between the researchers, further enabling collaborative work. The case study data suggest that social learning processes and social capital outcomes precede new interdisciplinary research findings and are therefore a critical aspect to consider in interdisciplinary programme management.