Exploring key factors affecting intergroup conflicts in interdisciplinary teacher professional development community: a mixed study with Delphi and MCDM

Interdisciplinary teacher professional development (ITPD) relies on the support of interdisciplinary teacher professional development community (ITPDC). However, intergroup conflicts frequently arise in ITPDC. In this study, interdisciplinary teacher professional development intergroup conflicts (ITPDICs) was used as a common term for a family of labels given to these kinds of conflicts, which severely hinder the sustainable development of ITPDC. To address this issue, the study firstly drew on the Common Ingroup Identity Model and reviewed the relevant literature to identify a cluster of factors affecting ITPDICs (initial version). The Delphi method was then employed to revise these factors, resulting in the identification of 17 factors affecting ITPDICs. A comprehensive analysis was finally conducted with multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) approach to examine the differences in statuses, hierarchical levels and functional roles of 17 factors. Based on this analysis, 8 key factors were identified including teaching goals, role assignment and task allocation, perceived complementarity and similarity, teachers’ shareable identity, atmosphere of ITPD, degree of familiarity with ITPDC, degree of familiarity with ITPD, and degree of familiarity with interdisciplinary teaching knowledge points. These key factors provide guidance for both theoretical research and the practical management of ITPDC.