#223: Disciplinary Dynamics in Interdisciplinary Learning: Comparing STEM and SHAPE Student Outcomes in Team-Based Education

Interdisciplinary education equips students to address complex societal challenges by integrating diverse perspectives. This study examines how disciplinary differences influence knowledge transfer and integration in an interdisciplinary curriculum. Mixed-method analysis of 2,623 STEM and SHAPE students showed parity in Horizontal Knowledge Transfer outcomes, with differences in discourse: STEM students favored cross-domain application, while SHAPE students emphasized abstraction. Knowledge Integration was shaped by team structure and educator facilitation, reframing differences as epistemic orientations rather than gaps.