Understanding Disciplines

This presentation will be helpful in knowing the concepts of disciplinary knowledge, interdisciplinary knowledge, nature and scope of disciplines, knowledge as construction of Experience, various kinds of thinking and how knowledge is different from information

1. UNDERSTANDING DISCIPLINE AND SUBJECTS B.ED 107

2. COURSE CONTENT UNIT 1 KNOWLEDGE AND METHODS OF ENQUIRY UNIT 2 LEARNER AND THEIR CONTEXTS UNIT 3 PEDAGOGIC PRACTICE AND THE PROCESS OF LEARNING UNIT 4 CRITICAL STUDY OF ICTs AND DEVELOPING CAPACITIES PRACTICAL ASSIGNMENT: Analysis of school text books to construct and discuss nature and type of knowledge and pedagogic elements Observing, documenting and interpreting classroom discourse (teaching-learning episodes) 2

3. Hello! I am Poonam Sharma I am here to unfold the concepts of Knowledge,discipline and Subjects You can find me at [email protected] 3

4. SUGGESTED READINGS Ms. Bhavna Shukla: Understanding Discipline and Subjects Prof. Saroj Sharma: Understanding Discipline and Subjects Anita Woolfolk : Educational Psychology BES-125: IGNOU Study Material N. Mohan: Understanding Discipline and Subjects Dr.Rajesh KumarVashishtha : UDS in (Hindi Medium)

5. Disciplinary Knowledge Interdisciplinary Knowledge Knowledge as construction of experience Knowledge as distinct from Information Methods of Inquiry and different types of thinking etc. 5 Knowledge and Methods of Enquiry Unit-I

6. Learner and their Contexts Unit II Interface between Knowledge, Subjects, Curriculum,Textbooks etc. Alternative frameworks of Children’s Thinking Child and Adult Misconceptions Everyday concepts and Situated Cognition Concerns of Inclusive Education in Schools 6

7. Pedagogic Practice and the Process of Learning Unit-III Critical Examination of Terms and Notions associated with Child-centered Education Concept formation, Enquiry based learning and project based learning etc. Interrogating disciplinary practices and Creating non-threatening learning environment 7

8. Critical Study of ICTs and Developing Capacities Unit- IV Critical examination of the role of ICT in Effective Curriculum Transaction and Evaluation Capacity development of teachers and students in the use of ICTs ICT-based teaching learning approaches in schools Role of Open and Distance Learning in catering to diversity in Learners and Learning Styles. 8

9. Knowledge and Methods of Enquiry Let’s start with the concept of Knowledge 1 9

10. Knowledge is justified true belief. 10

11. Two requirements for Knowing Objective requirement (p must be true) Subjective one (one must believe p) Necessity of evidence or a reason to believe p (Suggested Readings: BES-125 IGNOU) 11

12. Discipline + Knowledge Disciplinary Knowledge 12

13. The term ‘discipline’ originates from the Latin word ‘ discipulus ’- which means pupil, and ‘ disciplina ’ – which means teaching (noun). EtymologicalMeaning As a verb : training someone to follow a rigorous set of instructions, but also enforcing obedience (Krishnan, 2009). 13

14. What is a discipline ? A discipline is an organised body of knowledge with a logical structure. It is a network of concepts and generalisations which explain the relationships among a body of facts. A discipline is characterized by its structure which includes domain, method and history . 14

15. What constitutes discipline? First, it has a domain, a field of phenomena (subject matter), with which it deals. This may refer to different aspects of reality – scientific, logical (Science and Mathematics) or with different degrees of overlapping between them. Second, every discipline has its own methods and modes of inquiry and also a set of rules to validate the knowledge. The use of methods again implies the form/type of knowledge it deals with. The rules of one discipline cannot be applied to other, but similar practices of methods in different contexts can be used across the disciplines. Third, a discipline has its own history which describes its domain of knowledge, rules and philosophy. 15

16. Nature of Discipline Every discipline has a history. It implies the development of that particular discipline and the chronology of its growth and modification. Each discipline has certain domain of knowledge (cognitive, affective and psychomotor). Discipline has a particular object of research, though the object of research may be shared with another discipline. Discipline has a substantial body of knowledge and research, which is specific to it and not generally shared with another discipline. Discipline uses specific terminologies 16

17. Nature of Discipline Discipline uses specific terminologies or specific technical language. Discipline has developed specific research methods according to its specific research requirements. A discipline has a group of intellectual followers, who have strong belief in that discipline. 17

18. Meaning of Disciplinary Knowledge Disciplinary knowledge refers to knowledge associated with one academic discipline or profession. 18

19. Disciplinary Knowledge It describes types of knowledge, expertise, skills, people, projects, communities, problems, challenges, studies, inquiry, approaches, and research areas that are strongly associated with academic areas of study or areas of professional . For example , the phenomenon of gravitation is strongly associated with academic discipline of physics, and so gravitation is considered to be part of the disciplinary knowledge of physics . 19

20. Categorisation of Knowledge for Constituting a Discipline Categorisation of Knowledge Observation, inquiry, experimentation, scientific discovery, scientific exploration, scientific innovations, personal experiences, intuition, empiricism, rationalisation,etc . Problem solving, analytical and synthetic thinking, logical reasoning, inductive and deductive thinking,etc . Constituting a Discipline and its processes Broad discipline of Science Discipline of Mathematics 20

21. Categorisation of Knowledge for Constituting a Discipline Categorisation of Knowledge Observation, social inquiry, historical discovery, social exploration, social innovations, narratives, socio-personal experiences, etc. Thinking, creating, narrating, appreciating, reflecting, realising, etc. Constituting a Discipline and its processes Broad discipline of Social Sciences Discipline of Humanities 21

22. Nature and Scope Disciplinary Knowledge 22

23. It is an individual understanding of a subject matter, concept and how these concepts relate to form large body of knowledge. Concept of Disciplinary Knowledge

24. Nature of Disciplinary Knowledge 24

25. Nature of Disciplinary knowledge 25 Disciplinary knowledge comprises a few theories, like the discipline of Science consists of knowledge about theory of ‘Gravity’, theory of ‘Relativity’ etc. Disciplinary knowledge is transacted through a few methods. Key concepts in a discipline are defined according to the nature of the discipline. Disciplines take their own ontological stance toward the nature of reality

26. Nature of Disciplinary knowledge 26 Discipline take their own epistemological stance. Ex: method of validating knowledge in Science is different from that of philosophy. Disciplinary Knowledge may be associated with particular ethical, ideological practices. Disciplines are identified by with some major thinkers.

27. Nature and Scope 27 Nature and Scope of Disciplinary Knowledge

28. Activity Relating to your discipline of study and teaching at school, suggest sources and ways of acquiring knowledge in that discipline and pedagogies for effective transaction of learning experiences. 28

29. Meaning and Concept Interdisciplinary Knowledge 29

30. inter- , which means "between" in Latin, and  disciplinary , which is from the Latin  disciplina  and means teaching or knowledge. Etymological Meaning 30

31. Meaning Interdisciplinary  is best seen as bringing together distinctive components of two or more disciplines. Interdisciplinary  means between fields, but they don't have to be unrelated disciplines. for example : An interdisciplinary conference on biology and computer science might include workshops on both fields. interdisciplinary typically applies to four realms: knowledge, research, education, and theory. 31

32. Meaning in Hindi अंतर्विषयकता  ( interdisciplinary) दो या उस से अधिक विद्यार्जन विषयों के मिश्रित अध्ययन क्षेत्र को कहते हैं। उदाहरण के लिये  भूमंडलीय ऊष्मीकरण  में  भौतिकी ,  भूगोल ,  जीव विज्ञान  और कई अन्य विद्या शाखाओं का एक अंतर्विषयक क्षेत्र है। 32

33. Many complex or practical problems can only be understood by pulling together insights and methodologies from a variety of disciplines.  Those who forget this simple truth run the intellectual risk of tunnel vision and the social risk of irresponsible action. 33

34. Nature of Knowledge Abstract nature of Knowledge : Knowledge is shared understanding; be it justified truth or agreement between two ideas. This attributes to the abstract nature of knowledge. Social nature of Knowledge : Knowledge is socially shared understanding, as it is developed through collective pursuit of the community members of the society. Individuals acquire a great deal of knowledge from their own experience; simultaneously they build up the knowledge through association with fellow humans. Therefore, the knowledge is acquired and built up only in society, and its roots lies in the social activities of man. Knowledge is Cumulative : It is cumulative in nature because it is socially preserved and transmitted from one generation to the future generations. It is continuous to grow and develop in generations with the help of new understanding of reality, knowledge of the reality

35. Knowledge is always on Probation Knowledge meets our daily requirements Means to reach the truth All Inclusive Symbiotic relationship Coherent sequence of impressions, exercises and content Synthesis of ideas and the synthesis of characteristics from many disciplines Nature of interdisciplinary Knowledge

36. 4 realms of interdisciplinary Interdisciplinary knowledge involves familiarity with components of two or more disciplines Interdisciplinary research combines components of two or more disciplines in the search or creation of new knowledge, operations, or artistic expressions. Interdisciplinary education merges components of two or more disciplines in a single program of instruction. Interdisciplinary theory takes interdisciplinary knowledge, research, or education as its main objects of study. 36

37. 37 Need and Scope of Interdisciplinary Knowledge Curriculum development (knowledge, Interests, aptitudes, skills and values) The Growth of Knowledge Transforming the culture of society Research and innovations Interdisciplinary knowledge and application of different disciplines can lead to greater creativity. Students begin to consolidate learning by synthesizing ideas from many perspectives and consider an alternative way of acquiring knowledge. Exploring topics across a range of subject boundaries motivates students to pursue new knowledge in different subject areas.

38. Sum Up: Interd isciplinary Knowledge 38 Students learn by making connections between ideas and concepts across different disciplinary boundaries. Students learning in this way are able to apply the knowledge gained in one discipline to another different discipline as a way to deepen the learning experience. 

39. Knowledge as construction of Experience

40. What is Knowledge Construction? The generation, or thoughtful creation, of new ideas and understandings lies at the heart of knowledge construction. When students apply critical thinking to go beyond knowledge reproduction by generating ideas that are new to them and understanding that are new to them. If knowledge construction is a process by which students generate ideas and understandings, the focus of classroom instruction should be on helping students to learn and experience this process. 40

41. Activities that require students to generate new ideas typically include Interpretation : Drawing inferences beyond the literal meaning Analysis : Identifying relationships among the parts of a whole Synthesis : Identifying relationships among multiple ideas Evaluation : Judging quality, credibility, or importance of data, ideas, or events. 41

42. Education needs to be geared toward the HANDLING of data rather than the ACCUMULATION of data. David Berlo 42

43. Identify if each is an example of requiring some knowledge construction. 43 No Yes Students write a paper describing the crime a character committed. Students are merely describing information they have collected. Students use details in a story to infer the reasons why a character committed a crime. Students are using inferences to go beyond the literal information they have collected to construct an argument about why a character behaved a certain way. Does this activity require some knowledge construction?

44. 44 No Yes Students search the Internet for several YouTube videos showing different ways to solve a mathematical problem, then write a description of each method. Students are only describing information they have collected. Students search the Internet for several YouTube videos showing different ways to solve a mathematical problem, then write a paper comparing and contrasting the merits of each method. Students are collecting information, and evaluating the information by constructing a judgment of its relative merits. Does this activity require some knowledge construction?

45. Knowledge as construction of Experience Analysing, synthesizing, and consolidating the data; linking it with personal experiences; connecting it with one’s thinking and cognition and presenting it in an understandable form are the processes involved in construction of knowledge. Engage Explore Explain Elaborate Evaluate 45

46. Thanks! Any questions? 46

47. Knowledge distinct from information Information are the building blocks, but knowledge is the building. Processing of data results in information, which when further manipulated or processed becomes knowledge. Suppose a person possess plethora of information about a particular subject, but this does not mean that he/she can make a judgement or draw inferences on the basis of the available information because to make a sound judgement, one should have ample experience and familiarity with the subject, which is possible through knowledge. 47

48. 48 Knowledge distinct from information Information denotes the organized data about someone or something obtained from various sources such as newspaper, internet, television, discussions, etc. Knowledge refers to the awareness or understanding on the subject acquired from education or experience of a person. Information is nothing but the refined form of data, which is helpful to understand the meaning. On the other hand, knowledge is the relevant and objective information that helps in drawing conclusions.

49. Data compiled in the meaningful context provides information. Conversely, when information is combined with experience and intuition, it results in knowledge. Processing improves the representation, thus ensures easy interpretation of the information. As against this, processing results in increased consciousness, thus enhances subject knowledge. Information brings on comprehension of the facts and figures. Unlike, knowledge which leads to the understanding of the subject. 49 Knowledge distinct from information

50. Information can be reproduced in low cost. However, exactly similar reproduction of knowledge is not possible because it is based on experiential or individual values, perceptions, etc. Information alone is not sufficient to make generalization or predictions about someone or something. On the contrary, knowledge has the ability to predict or make inferences. Every information is not necessarily a knowledge, but all knowledge is an information. 50 Knowledge distinct from information

51. Methods of Inquiry Scientific Thinking Social Scientific Thinking Critical Thinking Creative Thinking Mathematical Thinking 51

52. Scientific Thinking Scientific thinking refers to both thinking about the content of science and the set of reasoning processes that permeate the field of science: induction, deduction, experimental design, causal reasoning, concept formation, hypothesis testing, and so on. 52

53. First kind of Scientific Thinking People are engaged in scientific thinking when they are reasoning about such entities and processes as force, mass, energy, equilibrium, magnetism, atoms, photosynthesis, radiation, geology, or astrophysics (and, of course, cognitive psychology!). 53

54. Second Kind of Scientific Thinking The second kind of scientific thinking includes the set of reasoning process: induction, deduction, experimental design, causal reasoning, concept formation, hypothesis testing, and so on. 54

55. Mathematics is the music of reason’ James Joseph Sylvester 55

56. Mathematical Thinking It is a whole way of looking at things, stripping them down to their essentials, whether it’s numerical, structural or logical and then analyzing the underlying patterns. Math is about patterns. 56

57. Steps of Mathematical Thinking break task down into components identify similar tasks that may help identify appropriate knowledge and skills identify assumptions select appropriate strategy consider alternative approaches look for a pattern or connection generate examples 57

58.  Quality of creativity and the quality of technique leads to great mathematical thinking

59. Social Scientific Thinking Social science, which is generally regarded as including psychology, sociology, anthropology, economics and political science, consists of the disciplined and systematic study of society and its institutions, and of how and why people behave as they do, both as individuals and in groups within society. "scientific thinking" entails a systematic and disciplined method of acquiring knowledge, and that knowledge must be verifiable knowledge. 59

60. Social Scientific Thinking Social scientific thinking involves how to organise , analyse , interpret and critically review discourses in society. Tools of Social Scientific thinking …….. social science perspectives, social science causality, social science evidence, social science inference and social science abstraction 60

61. 61 Instances of Social Scientific Thinking: Exercises like role-play revolving around climate issues or writing papers on poor countries’ situations tend to give students a view of globalization characterized by realism.

62. Critical Thinking Critical thinking is that mode of thinking — about any subject, content, or problem — in which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skillfully analyzing, assessing, and reconstructing it. Critical thinking is self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking. 62

63. In its exemplary form Critical thinking is based on universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter divisions: clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth and fairness. 63

64. Qualities of Critical Thinker A well cultivated critical thinker: raises vital questions and problems, formulating them clearly and precisely; gathers and assesses relevant information, using abstract ideas to interpret it effectively comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, testing them against relevant criteria and standards; thinks open mindedly within alternative systems of thought, recognizing and assessing, as need be, their assumptions, implications, and practical consequences; and communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems. 64

65. Thank You