Interdisciplinary Team Teaching on Sustainable Development in Costa Rica

Abstract

The authors developed an interdisciplinary field course in Costa Rica focused on sustainable development. Taught by three primary professors and augmented by various on-site discussants, the semester-long curriculum integrated sociology and political economy with agricultural ecology. Their guiding philosophy dictated that the curriculum be empirically based, involve working collaboratively, and utilize multidisciplinary investigation. Faculty members and students worked together in a number of sites throughout the country to investigate the human and environmental problems of sustainability. Students were open to interdisciplinary approaches and cooperated to produce scientific field reports. Although teaching an integrated field course abroad is challenging for faculty members and students alike, they conclude that this approach is an excellent way to teach about sustainability. This report adds to the literature on teaching and learning abroad by also considering interdisciplinary collaboration and the formation of a learning community