Fostering Reflective Impact Orientation in Transdisciplinary Research (TDR) – a Multi-Method Workshop Format

Via an iterative case-study based process, we developed and tested a workshop format including scientific and non-scientific TDR project team members. The reflective approach draws on Theory of Change as a conceptual framework, combines methodical elements including formulating a joint vision, a brief actor analysis and discussing intended and unintended societal effects of TDR. It allows the participants to reflect on plausible impact pathways and to make implicit assumptions about interlinkages between different forms of societal effects explicit. With this reflective approach, we connect various educational aspects on different levels: First, we usually implement the workshop format in projects, which we accompany applying a formative process evaluation. The approach allows participants to acquire experiences with the integrative practice of impact planning and reflection. Our findings indicate that applying the methodological approach fosters knowledge integration and a shared understanding of project aims and effects. For the self-reflection of projects, we secondly provided a step-by-step-guide for how to conduct the workshop format (Schäfer, Nagy, Kny, 2024). Thirdly, we train phd-students and post-docs in implementing the method in impact-oriented transdisciplinary projects. The workshops are part of the International Summer School “Transdisciplinarity methods and tools for dealing with sustainability and land use conflicts”. The summer school is a joint project by the University Research Institute for Sustainability Science and Technology (ISST) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya and the Center for Technology and Society (ZTG) at Technische Universität Berlin within the project td-Academy funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

This poster highlighted the core steps of the workshop format, the key competencies promoted through its application and testing, and our findings on teaching the workshop format. The poster was presented in the session “How is integration integrated in higher education? An exhibition of innovative teaching and learning formats across different regions” by Sabine Hoffmann and Bianca Vienni-Baptista. Method published: Schäfer, M., Nagy, E., & Kny, J. (2024). Fostering reflective impact orientation in transdisciplinary research–A multi-method workshop format, MethodsX, 13, 102795. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mex.2024.102795