Working together in Higher Education: How to develop collaboration among academics in a new organisational unit to promote an interdisciplinary approach

Broster, Paul

Abstract

Academe has faced many challenges over recent years including a cultural shift to increase collaboration to provide a greater interdisciplinary approach to teaching, learning and programme delivery (Englund, 2018).
This paper aims to explore what the terms ‘collaboration’ and ‘interdisciplinary’ mean in this context and how this may be best achieved, focusing on an academic department in a UK University, which was recently created with this aim.
Using a qualitative approach through semi-structured interviews with academics, the report draws on the Cultural-Historical Activity Framework (CHAT), to seek to establish how existing activity in the staff community contributes to the aim, how teams might further enable these approaches and what obstacles need to be overcome.
The report is also informed by a review of literature which contextualises definitions of ‘collaboration’ and ‘interdisciplinary’ along with the identity of the academic profession and its cultural shift within organisations.
Though narrative and grounded analysis of data, the report concludes that interdisciplinary approaches in the department remain limited and largely undefined.
Its findings also propose the basis of an emergent strategic framework for the department, institution and wider sector to consider potential solutions and identify challenges to enabling this approach.
Finally, the report highlights limitations in its scope and methodology and includes recommendations for future research to build on its findings.

Citation

Broster, P. Working together in Higher Education: How to develop collaboration among academics in a new organisational unit to promote an interdisciplinary approach. The University of Salford

• Report Type: Project Report
• Deposit Date: Jan 6, 2024
• Keywords: Interdisciplinary, collaboration. Cultural-Historical Activity Framework, organisational culture, organisational change