Nurturing epistemic agency through interdisciplinary enquiry

Epistemic knowledge describes what student-teachers and their pupils learn about the methods, processes and norms of thought related to distinct disciplines. OECD considers such knowledge imperative for the 21st century (OECD, 2018, 2021). Epistemic knowledge enables student-teachers and their pupils to think and act like scholars. It provides relevance and purpose to their learning and develops ‘disciplinary knowledge’ (Ofsted, 2021). The Epistemic Insight (EI) initiative at Canterbury Christ Church University allows student-teachers to create pedagogies for developing pupils’ epistemic insight and agency in schools (Billingsley, Nassaji et al., 2018).

Three case studies illustrate how student-teachers could become research-active practitioners with the tools to develop children’s epistemic curiosity and interdisciplinary thinking. Student-teachers explored the impact of teaching approaches that cross disciplinary boundaries in placement schools.

The first case study illustrates the potential of scientific observation for furthering primary student-teachers understanding of the nature of science. With this understanding, they can support their pupils' articulation of the importance of observations in advancing scientific knowledge. The other two emphasise how primary and secondary classroom-based research projects enable student-teachers to investigate their epistemic insight. In each case study, student-teachers gain the agency to research aspects of their teaching and respond to the unique perspectives of their pupils. Such experiences prepare student-teachers to become leaders of learning and reflective practitioners.