Dear guests,

Welcome to the website of the Postgraduate Program (PP) “Didactics of Mathematics, Science and ICT: An Interdisciplinary Approach” (MEd on Interdisciplinary Approach). This PP is an educational community of learning, research and innovation that is on a continuous mission to explore the Didactics of Science, in the light of the Interdisciplinary Approach. The program contributes both to the educational reality of our country and internationally, as it promotes the systemic-integrated approach to Science curricula with the interdisciplinary approach.

The PP “Didactics of Mathematics, Science and ICT: An Interdisciplinary Approach” is part of the Department of Early Childhood Education and Educational Planning (T.E.P.A.E.S.) of the University of the Aegean and leads to a Master of Education degree in Education Sciences. The program started its operation in 2014 with the initiative and design of Professor Fragiskos Kalavasis (Y.A. 62055/B7/2014, Government Gazette 1137/05.05.2014, Vol. B). It was re-established in 2018 (Government Gazette 3246/08.08.2018, vol. B’) and operates reformed, following Law 4957/2022, by the Senate’s decision No. 45831 (Government Gazette 7151/10.12.2023, vol. B’). The Senate’s decision No. 14/27.03.2024 was the last modification of its operating framework. The PP is currently undergoing the National Institute for the Promotion of Education and Research (NIFAE) accreditation process, to which it has submitted an accreditation proposal dossier in January 2024.

This PP is a pioneer in Didactics due to its Integrated Approach to Mathematics, Science, Computer Science and Technology, or STEM fields as they have been abbreviated in recent years, aiming at excellence, in the sense of continuous improvement, teacher qualification, research, and innovative applications in the field of interdisciplinary learning, as a methodology of the “integrated approach” to education. The ‘integrated approach’ to education refers to the combination of different disciplines in the educational process to provide a more holistic, connected, and relevant educational experience for students than the conventional single-subject/mono-disciplinary approach and the discrete and isolated teaching of the subjects of each discipline.

The main methods of integration include interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, and transdisciplinary. The interdisciplinary approach exploits the connections and relationships between disciplines, allowing students to discern the combination of concepts and methodologies from different disciplines to better understand each field. A multi-disciplinary approach involves studying a topic from the distinct perspectives of different disciplines, where knowledge is synthesized to provide a more global understanding. The transdisciplinary approach breaks down boundaries between disciplines and often involves the co-creation of knowledge with stakeholders outside academia.

The importance of the interdisciplinary approach

An interdisciplinary approach to education provides important advantages because it can improve learning by promoting a more holistic understanding of complex systems and allowing students to observe issues more broadly by connecting different areas of knowledge. In addition, it can enhance students’ ability to critically solve complex real-world problems that require knowledge and skills from multiple disciplines, as issues are analyzed from different perspectives. At the same time, the Interdisciplinary Approach encourages students’ active participation, and fosters communication and collaborative skills, making learning engaging and more meaningful. The Interdisciplinary Approach also facilitates the development of the capacity for innovation and creativity, as students learn to think beyond conventional boundaries and, at the same time, to combine ideas in new ways.

In summary, the interdisciplinary approach to education is about bridging different areas of knowledge to promote deeper understanding and a broader perspective on the study of different subjects. The interdisciplinary approach is emerging as particularly valuable in today’s interconnected and rapidly changing world of computational intelligence, where challenges and innovations typically involve combining knowledge from multiple domains.

The Curriculum

The PP “Didactics of Mathematics, Science and ICT: An Interdisciplinary Approach” provides a high-quality Curriculum, systematically revised and improved, which combines in depth the modern Didactics of Mathematics, Science and ICT with Computational Thinking. The PP’s Curriculum is designed with firm principles to reflect current educational theories, developments in Teaching and Learning Technology, and best practices for teaching Science in an integrated, interdisciplinary way. At a time when Artificial Intelligence (AI) is drastically reshaping the content of education and, at the same time, the ways of learning and teaching, the curriculum of the PP emphasizes the understanding and utilization of AI applications as well as its teaching, as a typical example of a contemporary interdisciplinary field. The PP curriculum appropriately prepares our teachers to be at the forefront of competence in the design and implementation of Technology-Enhanced Learning. The examined teaching approaches of the curriculum bridge the STEAM fields with each other at the level of common concepts, methods and representational systems as well as at the level of epistemology. In particular, the courses connect the STEAM fields with the Theoretical Sciences and the Arts through contemporary student-centred pedagogical approaches such as collaborative inquiry, experimentation, work projects, problem solving, designing, tinkering, creative expression, imagination and play. The curriculum courses, in combination with the Practical Training and the Dissertation, provide a balanced framework for building theoretical knowledge and applied skills for use in any kind of educational environment. The research methodology courses and the dissertation also develop our students’ metacognitive skills, so that they can continuously update their knowledge and face new problems that will arise in their future career.

The teaching staff

The teaching staff of the PP is composed of experts in their field with a genuine research interest and rich academic work on the interdisciplinary approach to education. Courses are often co-taught by professors from different disciplines, working together to enrich the interdisciplinary nature of the program. Cooperating professors from Greece and abroad deliver lectures and implement workshops in the context of courses or workshops organized by the MSc, often jointly with other institutions, in person and/or via the Internet. Constant international collaborations, participation in conferences, and international research projects adorn the work of the teaching staff and feed the courses and events of the MSc.

Attendance at the PP

The students selected to participate in the program are aware of the importance of the interdisciplinary approach and wish to study it in depth. The PP ensures that students have access to academic resources, efficient administrative services, student welfare benefits, academic advisory support, motivation, and opportunities for study and research to achieve the best possible outcome from their studies. The educational process in the MSc is delivered through a combination of face-to-face and online methods to facilitate the flexible attendance schedule for students who permanently reside and/or work outside the seat of the MSc. During their studies, students have opportunities to participate in research projects, and collaborative activities with international research groups and to gain professional experience in public/private and educational institutions. Students participate through their representatives in meetings of the MSc Steering Committee on issues related to the administration, attendance, and quality assurance of the MSc. By interweaving Science Teaching, Creative Problem Solving, and Creative Expression in the Arts, the PP prepares teachers capable of inspiring new generations of students to think interdisciplinarily in a broad, critical, and innovative way. Our graduates are not only well versed in the interdisciplinary educational approach to STEAM fields using digital technologies but also possess up-to-date, fruitful, and enduring, specialized knowledge of Science Teaching so that they can both work in related fields and continue in the research field.

Quality policies

The PP has and applies a quality management system and an explicitly formulated quality policy for the continuous monitoring and improvement of its services, operations, organisation and results. The Assembly of the T.E.P.A.E.S., the Management of the PP in cooperation with the Steering Committee, the staff, the students, and the Quality Assurance Unit of the University of the Aegean implement the quality assurance policy. Students, partner institutions, and teaching staff evaluate the program regularly to provide information to assess its effectiveness. The continuous revision of the MSc’s MPA is carried out with an international perspective, while the internationalization of the PP”s operation is a key concern of its members.

In conclusion

In the PP “Didactics of Mathematics, Science and ICT: An Interdisciplinary Approach” we aim to transcend the boundaries between the disciplines in which school subjects are conventionally embedded, mapping the inter-disciplinary boundaries between disciplines, thus paving the way for a more holistic and integrated approach to school learning. Our mission is to develop the capacity of teachers to pioneer innovative and integrated interdisciplinary teaching methodologies and the educational design of interdisciplinary learning environments, curricula, applications, educational materials, training and all kinds of educational projects. The PP studies and promotes research-based educational practices that meet the requirements of the digital age.

If you wish to participate in the co-construction of the digital transformation in education and are interested in exploring the interdisciplinary approach combining STEAM pedagogy with Computational Thinking, Artificial Intelligence and modern Educational Theories in a Systemic way, this Mastet in Education is for you.

We invite you to join the educational community of the Master in Education program, to actively participate in the scientific dialogue on the future of education in Mathematics, Science, and Digital Technology, and to co-create transformative, empowering learning experiences for democratic, creative, sustainable, inclusive and critical thinking students around the world.

With warm wishes
On behalf of the Coordinating Committee,
The Director of the Postgraduates’ Program.

Prof. Dr Georgios Fesakis