Course EC1

PEDAGOGY OF SCHOOL SUBJECT

Please see
http://understandingdisciplines.webs.com/

Mrs. Megha Gokhe

 Objectives
• To understand the basic concepts associated
with academic disciplines
• To apply the understanding of academic
disciplines in curriculum transaction

Mrs. Megha Gokhe

 Module One
Academic Disciplines

• Unit One: Basics of Academic disciplines

Mrs. Megha Gokhe

 Unit One
Basics of Academic disciplines
• Meaning and characteristics of academic
disciplines
• Emergence of academic disciplines
• Relationship between academic disciplines
and subjects

Mrs. Megha Gokhe

 Meaning of academic discipline
• Discipline is defined by the Oxford English
Dictionary as "a branch of learning or scholarly
instruction." An academic discipline refers to a
form of specific, rigorous scientific training that
an individual is exposed to.

• Discuss relevant examples of different disciplines

Mrs. Megha Gokhe

• Arthur Dirks points out ‘discipline in an academic
sense, pertains to the practice of study of a certain
category of experience, its methodologies, how it
goes about its pursuit of truth. There is fundamental
theory and fact (one might call it doctrine) that
informs the practice of that pursuit, but it is the
pursuit that counts.’
• According to Moti Nissani (1997), a discipline can be
conveniently defined as the study of “any
comparatively self- contained isolated domain of
human experience which possesses its own
community of experts”
Mrs. Megha Gokhe
 Characteristics of academic disciplines
1. Body of specialised knowledge
2. Has theories and concepts
3. Specific terminology
4. Specific object of research
5. Definite methodology of research
6. Institutional manifestation in form of subjects taught ,
professional organizations

• Discuss these characteristics with suitable examples from

some disciplines
Mrs. Megha Gokhe
Subjects are generally classified under these discipline heads

• Humanities (also called Arts and Humanities)

• Social Sciences
• Natural Sciences
• Mathematics
• Business

Mrs. Megha Gokhe

 Humanities ●
ancient and modern languages, Literature,
(seek to understand & Arts, History, Communication studies,
explain human
Cultural studies, Philosophy and Religion
experience)

Social Sciences
(concerned with society ●
Economics, Political Science, Human
and relationship Geography, Sociology, Demography,
between individuals in Anthropology, History and Law
the society)

Natural Sciences ●
Physics, Chemistry, Geosciences
(concerned with the
(Oceanography, Ecology, Geology), Life
rules that govern the
Sciences (Biology, Zoology, Botany)
world around us)
Mrs. Megha Gokhe
 Mathematics
(searches for study of quantity, structure,
●

patterns and space and change reflected in

uses them to arithmetic, algebra, geometry
formulate new and analysis respectively
inferences)

Accounting and Finance, Business

Busines
●

Information Systems, Economics,

Management, Marketing and
s Human Resource Management
Mrs. Megha Gokhe
Discuss all the five broad disciplines with
• Examples of subjects
• The main focus of the study of the discipline
• Methods used to expand disciplinary
knowledge (eg Science uses scientific inquiry,
experimentation etc while Social sciences use
Social critique , interpretative methods)
• Impact of these disciplines on our lives
• Professions and the disciplines

Mrs. Megha Gokhe

 Emergence of academic disciplines
Emergence and evolution of
• Language as a discipline
• History and Geography
• Science
• Mathematics

Mrs. Megha Gokhe

 Relationship between academic disciplines
and subjects
Subjects within a disciplines have common
features understanding of the disciplines helps
to understand a subject better
• The subtle differences between disciplines and
subjects
• Disciplines and subjects are like ground and
figure

Mrs. Megha Gokhe

 Why do teachers need knowledge about
disciplines and subjects?
• Definite focus while teaching a subject
• Appreciate other subjects within one’s
discipline
• More meaningful learning experiences can be
arranged
• Clarity of concepts
• Teachers may need to give vocational and
academic advice to students
Mrs. Megha Gokhe
 Why do teachers need knowledge about
disciplines and subjects?
• Creates interdisciplinary bent of mind
• Help in research work
• Community of practice benefit, better
contribution to academic bodies and journals
• Helps to face real world challenges

Mrs. Megha Gokhe

 Recap Unit One
Basics of Academic disciplines
• Meaning and characteristics of academic
disciplines
• Emergence of academic disciplines
• Relationship between academic disciplines
and subjects

Mrs. Megha Gokhe

 MODULE I

• Classification of academic disciplines: Becher

-Biglan typology ( pure-hard, pure-soft,
applied-hard, applied-soft types) with
emphasis on nature of knowledge in each
type.

Mrs. Megha Gokhe

 THANK YOU &
ALL THE BEST

See
www.understandingdisciplines.webs.com

Mrs. Megha Gokhe