Author Information
Clarice Sim, Singapore Polytechnic, SingaporeLi Min Chong, Singapore Polytechnic, Singapore
Mark Lu, Singapore Polytechnic, Singapore
Abstract
With the world and its challenges growing in complexity, singular disciplines are no longer sufficient to solve these multifaceted issues. Transdisciplinary Thinking, a skill to connect the dots among disciplines in order to transcend their boundaries, is increasingly recognized as a means for addressing many of today’s complex social challenges through innovative problem-solving. Despite the increasing recognition of the importance of Transdisciplinary Thinking, there is no consensus on its conceptual definition, nor is there a validated instrument to measure this construct as a competency. This is a critical gap in transdisciplinary education, in the context of teaching, evaluating and assessing educational initiatives aimed at developing this important ability in students. In this paper, we tested out self-report survey items with a local and international expert panel (n = 8), refined the items based on expert feedback, and validated the survey with a tertiary student population (n = 100) through an exploratory factor analysis. The results suggest a unidimensional construct of Transdisciplinary Thinking with 19 items. The survey instrument is shared in this paper. At the presentation, we also shared classroom activities and real-world student projects to help nurture students in Transdisciplinary Thinking. Our work on measuring Transdisciplinary Thinking and teaching it in a classroom setting will be beneficial to other educators seeking ways to evaluate and foster holistic development in their students.
Paper Information
Conference: ACE2025Stream: Interdisciplinary
This paper is part of the ACE2025 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Sim C., Chong L., & Lu M. (2026) Competencies in Transdisciplinary Thinking: Development of a Measurement Instrument for Tertiary Students ISSN: 2186-5892 – The Asian Conference on Education 2025: Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 453-469) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2186-5892.2026.35
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2186-5892.2026.35
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