Embodied learning for wicked problems and societal transitions: perspectives from transdisciplinary higher education practitioners

Abstract

Higher education plays a crucial role in supporting societal transitions towards more sustainable and equitable futures. As universities evolve to prepare learners to tackle wicked problems and lead long-term systems change, embodied teaching and learning approaches are gaining attention for their ability to integrate felt experiences with analytical thought, fostering boundary-spanning thinking. While the value of embodied approaches in learning is evident, limited research explores how educators understand and enact these approaches in practice in higher education. This study investigates how educators at an Australian University conceptualise and apply embodied approaches to support students in addressing complex challenges and leading societal transitions within transdisciplinary higher education. Through an autoethnographic case study inquiry, we contextualise our understanding and practice within the scholarship on transdisciplinary higher education, embodied learning and societal transition. Our findings reveal four dimensions of practice that speak to how we understand and enact these approaches: (1) Transdisciplinary sensemaking, (2) Emotion-driven creativity, (3) Empathetic enactment and, (4) Embodied boundary-spanning. Each dimension is illustrated through autoethnographic vignettes that demonstrate the diverse ways we enact these approaches to support reflexive, creative and critical engagement with wicked problems and systems change, fostering core knowledge integration and boundary-spanning capabilities.