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Interdisciplinary and Interprofessional Partnerships: Mobilizing the Science of Learning to Impact Real-World Practice. The Australian Experience

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International Handbook on Education Development in Asia-Pacific

Abstract

The science of learning is a multidisciplinary field, which has much to contribute to our understanding of learning across the lifespan. Learning is a highly complex phenomenon, particularly when considering the diversity of learners, content, and learning contexts across the lifespan. Likewise, the research into learning and the teaching that supports it is similarly complex and diverse. While drawing on the key disciplines of the science of learning – neuroscience, psychology, and education – brings a holistic lens to understanding learning, it also brings challenges: challenges in crossing disciplinary boundaries and challenges in mobilizing this knowledge into unique educational contexts. This chapter will discuss some of the challenges of conducting and implementing multi- and interdisciplinary research and synthesize international literature that explores promising approaches to successful multidisciplinary research and its mobilization into practice. It will end with an illustration and some key learnings of successful multidisciplinary research and how it is engaging meaningfully with interprofessional partners to positively impact on learning across the lifespan. This chapter aims to highlight the many reasons why multidisciplinary and interprofessional cooperation should prevail, despite the challenges, and outline how and why this approach is important to shaping a new narrative for education and training.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Stephanie MacMahon & Annemaree Carroll

Authors
  1. Stephanie MacMahon
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  2. Annemaree Carroll
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stephanie MacMahon .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Singapore Institute of Adult Learning, Singapore University of Social Sciences, Singapore, Singapore

    Wing On Lee

  2. School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK

    Phillip Brown

  3. Thomas More Brennan Chair in Education, Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA

    A. Lin Goodwin

  4. Institute of Education, University College London, London, UK

    Andy Green

Section Editor information

  1. Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

    Nancy Law

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MacMahon, S., Carroll, A. (2023). Interdisciplinary and Interprofessional Partnerships: Mobilizing the Science of Learning to Impact Real-World Practice. The Australian Experience. In: Lee, W.O., Brown, P., Goodwin, A.L., Green, A. (eds) International Handbook on Education Development in Asia-Pacific. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-2327-1_124-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-2327-1_124-1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-981-16-2327-1

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