DDS – Die Deutsche Schule: Issue Transversal Teaching

This article examines the concept of Transverdisal Teaching (TT) as an interdisciplinary approach to lesson planning within the framework of sustainable education. TT promotes subject-specific and cross-curricular skills by enabling learners to systematically tackle complex topics from multiple perspectives, recognize connections, tolerate contradictions, and make responsible decisions. Based on a systematic typology of TT – win-win, subject concept, questioning, and judgement formation –, it demonstrates how learners in primary school, especially in kindergarten and lower primary school (cycle 1), can be introduced to the connection between subject perspectives. The concept distinguishes between incidental and intentional TT in order to combine playful, self-directed learning in kindergarten with structured competence development in primary school. For teachers, TT increases demands on subject-specific and subject-didactical competence, reflective ability, and the ability to collaborate across disciplines and subjects. In terms of teacher training, this means preparing students specifically for the planning and implementation of TT and educational processes. TT contributes significantly to sustainable education by combining subject knowledge with subject-specific and interdisciplinary skills, while also providing impetus for further research and innovative lesson planning.

Keywords
lesson design, skills, future-oriented education, interdisciplinary teaching, early childhood education, primary school