Using transdisciplinarity in the university: Giving a voice to the voiceless in the grounding program at Fort Hare

Abstract

In this article giving a voice to students in higher institutions acknowledges that there is much to be gained from entering into the students’ world and respecting their versions of reality. If transdiciplinarity is to be achieved in institutions of higher education, knowledge should be presented through mutual learning and dialogue across disciplines towards a horizon of shared understanding. The student participation, transdisciplinary interface provides a critical framework and an experience of building a diverse intellectual community as a basis for curriculum renewal. This paper builds upon fieldwork conducted amongst students enrolled for the Grounding Program also known as Life Knowledge Action and staff. Unstructured interviews were used. Narrative descriptions where derived and were analysed through content analysis. The findings indicated that, the student participation-transdisciplinarity interface is elucidated through the case of the Life Knowledge Program under the Centre for Transdisciplinary Studies at the University of Fort Hare. The interface is embedded in the exchange of ideas which supercedes mono-inter- discipline, addressing cross cutting issues that create additional value. The discourse of Transdisciplinarity has been promoted through the structure of the curriculum and emphasis placed on the attainment of mutual dialogue amongst learners themselves and with lecturers.