The potential of an interdisciplinary approach in pedagogy for the development of critical thinking and creative abilities of students

Abstract

Interdisciplinary approaches in pedagogy open up new opportunities for the development of critical thinking and creative abilities of students. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the potential of interdisciplinarity in the context of modern education. The methodological base includes a systematic analysis, a comparative pedagogical method, and a meta-analysis of empirical data. The sample consisted of 25 study programs at leading universities in the USA and Europe, implementing an interdisciplinary approach. The results show that the integration of knowledge from different subject areas contributes to the development of students' thinking flexibility (d=0.78), creativity (d=0.84) and complex problem solving skills (d=0.72). It is revealed that the key factors for the effectiveness of interdisciplinary learning are: (1) a balanced combination of subject specialization and interdisciplinarity; (2) active involvement of students in research activities; (3) creation of a collaborative educational environment. The discussion section substantiates the value of the findings for optimizing educational programs and training new generation specialists. Prospects for further research related to the development of valid tools for evaluating the effectiveness of interdisciplinary pedagogical practices are outlined. The need for a deeper study of the mechanisms of knowledge and skills transfer between disciplines is emphasized.