BIO

I am a Presidential Scholar and a first-year student at FSU studying hospitality management. My research interests include communication, sociology, and psychology. In my free time, I volunteer at a local elementary school as a Reading Pal, teaching young children how to read at a proficient level. I also serve on the Honors Student Association as a Medallion Chair, writing articles for the quarterly newsletter catered to the honors student body. Outside of extracurriculars and academics, I enjoy reading, painting, and playing tennis.

Perceived Benefits and Challenges for Faculty and Research Scientists in Education Regarding Collaboration with Researchers in Other Disciplines

Abstract

For the past several decades, collaboration in research has become an increasing phenomenon, especially across various disciplines including education and other sciences; however, this does not come without its respective advantages and disadvantages. Our research project focuses on the perceived benefits and obstacles encountered by researchers in education when collaborating with researchers in other disciplines. This research delves into the innate issues that collaboration across disciplines employ, such as communication barriers and differing levels of commitment, as well as the immense advantages, such as the inclusion of multiple perspectives and the overall immersion in other fields. In previous studies, research has been conducted on the significance of gender differences in research collaboration, the collaboration preferences of women in interdisciplinary sciences, and the specific factors involved in disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches in research collaborations. Our project differs from past research because it tackles the specific experiences of researchers in education and their collaborations with scientists in other disciplines, analyzing the likelihood of educators collaborating with those not in education. The research aims to discover the specific reasons behind the desire for educators to work on interdisciplinary collaboration and what obstacles come along with those endeavors. We found the three main themes regarding the advantages of research collaboration: exposure to broader methods of research, newer perspectives, and different ideas. We also found the three main themes regarding the disadvantages of research collaboration: time constraints, language barriers, and differences in expectations or understanding.

Keywords: education, collaboration, research, interdisciplinary