Interdisciplinary Curriculum: Benefits and Challenges—A Systematic Review of Cognitive Frameworks, Operational Friction, and Structural Implementation Models

Abstract

The restructuring of academic paradigms from traditional, monodisciplinarysilos to integrated interdisciplinary curricula represents a vital dimension ofcontemporary macro-level educational reform. This systematic review papersynthesizes global literature evaluating the dual landscape of benefits andchallenges inherent in implementing interdisciplinary frameworks acrossprimary, secondary, and higher education. Drawing on constructivistepistemology, schema theory, and cognitive load considerations, the analysis investigates how cross-boundary knowledge integration enhances higher-order critical thinking, non-linear contextual synthesis, and real-world problem-solving capacities. Concurrently, the paper identifies and critically diagnoses persistent systemic, institutional, and operational barriers that introduce substantial friction during implementation. These challenges manifest as high teacher collaborative burdens, assessment rigidity inside standardized testing pipelines, pacing guide conflicts, and severe administrative department inertia. The empirical findings reveal that while interdisciplinary instruction generates significant gains across cognitive and affective dimensions, its sustainable execution depends entirely on moving past tokenistic thematic alignment toward deeply institutionalized, structural co-planning mechanisms. Finally, this review highlights critical research gaps regarding digital transdisciplinary collaboration software and proposes a unified, scaffolded operational matrix designed to optimize cross-departmental educational governance.  KEYWORDS: Interdisciplinary Curriculum, Cognitive Synthesis, OperationalFriction, Assessment Rigidity, Scaffolding Matrix, School Governance.