I want to make a brief comment on the issue of interdiscipinarity. I
think all attempts to solve real world problems require the integration
of knowledge from different disciplines. Thus dealing with such
educational issues as literacy education, bilingual education,
curriculum development requires knowledge from linguistics, psychology,
anthropology, child development, sociology, physiology etc. But the
application cannot be eclectic any more than it can be isomorphic. That
leads to what I've called one-legged models: taking a single concept of
psychology, linguistics, or anthropology and building a curriculum or
applied research program around it. There are many bad examples such as
the phonics programs in reading built on narrow and often misconceived
notions of the linguistic relationships of oral and written language.
But even some good examples like the Zoped can lead to unfortunate
curricular programs if they are not also base on understandings of the
relationships of teaching to learning and knowledge of linguistic and
psychological development.
I've spent my life building an interdisciplinary base for my work
usually being aware that I could find important insights within the
disciplines but not depending on those working within disciplines to do
my integrative work for me.
Ken Goodman
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