Interdisciplinary Teaching Is Possible? Pros and cons in perspective of a Mathematics teacher

Abstract

The interdisciplinary approach in teaching has been in question for a long time. However, what is the epistemological perception of math teachers on interdisciplinary practice? We use pros and cons statements about the interdisciplinary approach written by 56 educators, and in the light of discursive textual analysis, we seek to uncover the ways which teachers understand the interdisciplinary practice. We identify simplified and rudimentary conceptions of the surveyed teachers and found that these epistemological gaps make the teachers afraid to accept interdisciplinary practice in their daily practices, either by considering that mathematics would be devalued or by feeling isolated from other areas of knowledge. This study led us to believe that the initial and continuous training of teachers, within the interdisciplinary approach would favor the acceptance of interdisciplinarity in school for these teachers.

Keywords:
Interdisciplinarity; Epistemological Conceptions; Teachers Education