Interdisciplinary Knowledge Integration and Application as a Cognitive Competence: A Developmental Model Within the VFC Framework

Abstract

This paper conceptualizes Interdisciplinary Knowledge Integration and Application (IKIA) as a critical cognitive competence within the Cognitive Psychology Dimension of the VFC Competence Framework. In response to increasing demands for interdisciplinary problem-solving in education and workforce development, IKIA is positioned as a developmental construct that enables learners to synthesize, abstract, and transfer knowledge across disciplinary boundaries. Grounded in schema theory, experiential learning, cognitive load theory, and knowledge transfer models, the study explains how IKIA supports higher-order cognitive processing and adaptive expertise. The research applies the VFC’s KSAH model—Knowledge, Skills, Attitudes, and Habits—to systematically map the progression of IKIA from novice-level awareness to expert-level integration, innovation, and leadership. Using thematic synthesis and an analysis of empirical micro-cases, the paper illustrates how IKIA manifests cognitively, psychologically, and socially in real-world learning and professional contexts. In addition, the study examines the interaction between IKIA and complementary competencies, particularly Collaborative Intelligence & Influence (CI 2 ), highlighting how interdisciplinary integration is strengthened through social collaboration and collective reasoning. The paper concludes by proposing outcome-based learning indicators and outlining future research directions for the assessment, instructional design, and practical application of IKIA. Overall, this work advances the operationalization of interdisciplinary competence by framing IKIA as a measurable and teachable cognitive capacity, contributing to the development of ethically grounded competence-based education models for 21st-century learners.