Developing interdisciplinary consciousness for sustainability: using playful frame reflection to challenge disciplinary bias

A major challenge for interdisciplinary teamwork on complex sustainability issues is the often-conflicting disciplinary perspectives and underlying values assumptions among collaborators. Interdisciplinary collaboration researchers practitioners therefore requires consciousness (IC): epistemological metaphysical understanding appreciation of one’s own others’ views their differences. Since it cannot be assumed that professionals have IC, there a need explicit training, instance in higher education. We developed Frame Reflection Lab (FRL)—a playful intervention to stimulate development IC through frame reflection—and investigated its application cross-disciplinary student teams collaborating issues. aimed understand how reflection can contribute enhancing by analyzing written oral reflections 23 Master’s degree students. found FRL contributed as sparked cognitive, affective, critical reflection; created safe space helped participants articulate assumptions; balanced structure freedom. Our findings demonstrate prepare collaboration, deeply rooted possibly unconscious preconceptions challenged build awareness This calls explicitly facilitating affective processes, using playfulness, whereas training interdisciplinarity usually focuses cognitive processes. These are promising terms informing inspiring future efforts use education, research, practice support address