Editorial "Interdisciplinarity in education, within a framework from institutional rhetoric to the reconfiguration of knowledge."

Abstract

The consolidation of a scientific journal is not defined by the periodicity of its issues, but by its capacity to intervene in the central discussions of the field in which it is situated. In this sense, the publication of the second issue of the Revista Vanguardia Interdisciplinaria Educativa does not represent a mere editorial continuity, but rather a positioning concerning one of the most widely used and, simultaneously, most problematized concepts in contemporary research: interdisciplinarity.

In current academic discourse, interdisciplinarity has become an almost unquestionable imperative. However, as Edgar Morin warns, complexity cannot be approached through the simple juxtaposition of disciplines, but through a profound reorganization of frameworks of thought. Convergently, it is argued that knowledge integration requires levels of reality and logic that transcend traditional disciplinary approaches. Nevertheless, a large part of contemporary educational production continues to operate under fragmented schemes, in which interdisciplinarity is invoked more as a label than as an effective epistemological practice.

This tension reveals a critical gap: the distance between the rhetoric of interdisciplinarity and its effective implementation in educational research. In terms of scientific production, this gap translates into studies that declare integrative approaches but lack conceptual articulation, methodological consistency, or substantive contributions to knowledge. As Michael Gibbons and colleagues propose, the transition toward contextualized, socially distributed, and application-oriented forms of knowledge demands not only new methodologies, but also a transformation of the criteria for scientific validation.

This issue deliberately situates itself at this turning point. The works that comprise it are not to be read here as isolated contributions, but rather as attempts—with varying degrees of development—to answer a central question:

Under what conditions is it possible to produce truly interdisciplinary educational knowledge?

The answers that emerge address key dimensions such as theoretical integration, methodological hybridization, the critical use of digital technologies, and the connection between research and concrete social contexts.

In a scenario marked by accelerated digitalization, the expansion of hybrid learning environments, and increasing pressure for the social relevance of research, the educational field faces a structural reconfiguration. Knowledge production can no longer be sustained by closed models or exclusively disciplinary logics. On the contrary, it requires moving toward analytical frameworks capable of operating at the intersection of education, technology, culture, economy, and politics. This implies recognizing that interdisciplinarity is not a methodological option, but a condition of possibility for understanding contemporary educational complexity.

Now, assuming this position carries concrete editorial implications. The Revista Vanguardia Interdisciplinaria Educativa establishes, from this issue onward, a clear line: contributions that merely declare interdisciplinarity without demonstrating it will not be considered. Consequently, evaluation criteria prioritize:

• Coherence between theoretical framework and methodological design
  • Explicitness of disciplinary integration processes
  • Analytical rigor and conceptual clarity
  • Verifiable contribution to the advancement of educational knowledge

This delimitation is not restrictive in thematic terms, but it is demanding in epistemological terms. Thematic openness without methodological rigor leads to dispersion; specialization without integration leads to fragmentation. The journal thus positions itself at an intermediate point: between openness and rigor.

Additionally, this issue reaffirms the commitment to open circulation of knowledge and recognizes that scientific visibility constitutes a strategic component for the consolidation of academic communities. However, visibility without quality lacks impact. In an ecosystem dominated by metrics, indexations, and rankings, differentiation is not achieved through the volume of publications, but through the capacity to generate knowledge that engages with international debates and contributes to their transformation.

This second issue should be read, then, as an inflection point. The sustainability of the editorial project will depend on its ability to attract high-level research, sustain rigorous evaluation processes, and consolidate a recognizable scientific identity. In this process, interdisciplinarity ceases to be an institutional slogan to become an operational criterion for the production and validation of knowledge.

The final invitation is significant: the academic community is called upon to overcome analytical superficiality, to confront the limits of its own disciplinary frameworks, and to produce research that not only describes educational reality but contributes to its reconfiguration. In a context of profound transformations, education requires less accumulation of fragmented studies and more knowledge capable of articulating complexity, rigor, and impact.