Co-creation of learning resources that cross disciplinary boundaries within an international learning community

This paper explores preliminary findings from a small-scale research project focused on establishment of an international learning community of teachers and researchers working collaboratively to co-create and implement innovative curriculum resources to address sustainability issues in schools across different countries. We chose ‘Sustainability’ as the topic was its profound importance for teaching and educational research (DfE, 2022; Stirling, 2019). Important sustainability issues internationally include promoting justice, eradication of poverty, inequality, and achievement of United Nations sustainable development goals (United Nations, 2022).
Traditionally, exploration of sustainability issues was through Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) in United Kingdom. Our research approached sustainability issues through the interaction of science, religion, and wider humanities. However, despite the move within academia away from a conflict model of the relationship between science and religion, this remains prevalent in the way the school curriculum is taught. We introduced learning community participants to an epistemic insight (EI) approach to curriculum development. EI explores how knowledge is formed and used within and across disciplines (Billingsley et. al, 2018). Our work with schools and Universities in England indicates that teachers using EI pedagogies develop curiosity, creativity, and reflective critical thinking. The focus on subject curriculum and substantive knowledge in England presents practical issues for teachers seeking to teach across disciplinary boundaries. The research aimed to enable community participants to share their knowledge and experience to create innovative and multidisciplinary teaching resources. We evaluated the impact of this unique approach on students in schools. We explored how participation in the learning community enhanced teachers’ professional knowledge, expertise, and leadership.
During this collaborative journey, we sought to address the challenges arising from using different curricula and teaching models. Teachers engaged in knowledge exchange from diverse cultural and faith perspectives. A community approach promoted teachers’ confidence in the delivery of sustainability education across different curriculum subjects.
Our research used mixed methods focused on examining the learning community’s role in developing teachers' epistemic agency, an ability to understand and navigate knowledge across disciplinary boundaries (OECD, 2018), and confidence. We also explored how they promoted students’ understanding of the interrelationship between ‘disciplinary knowledge’ (Ofsted, 2021) and ‘epistemic knowledge’ (OECD, 2018; OECD, 2022). Such an approach enabled a shared vision for sustainability education, taking account of local and global perspectives. We considered participants teacher leadership effectiveness and capacity to transform pedagogical practices in their schools. The research was underpinned by a robust ethical framework.