Learning Objectives

• What is The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning?
• What are scholarly activities and scholarship within the domain of The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning? 

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning relies on the scholarly process to examine connections between pedagogical practices and content knowledge. In other words, it is the study of effective faculty teaching and learning. The value is it can improve the classroom and student outcomes—when instructors engage in it, students are more likely to enjoy the class, be more engaged, and earn higher grades (Trigwell, Martin, Benjamin, & Prosser, 2000).

This domain often begins with reflection. It is important for faculty to reflect on teaching and strategies. Teachers should be always informed in their discipline, widely read, and intellectually engaged. Teachers should also study on effective practices. From there, teachers should integrate new strategies and teaching methods in the classroom. Teachers should learn how to create active learning in the classroom, with students learning to be critical and creative thinkers (Boyer, 1990).

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning is not, however, simply teaching itself. Often a misconception is that trying out new activities in a classroom is scholarship. While this may be considered a scholarly activity, it is not scholarship unless it has been peer-reviewed and published. Shulman (1999) suggested teaching and learning knowledge be considered scholarship if it has the following three qualities: “It should be public, susceptible to critical review and evaluation, and accessible for exchange and use by other members of one’s scholarly community” (p. 5).

Faculty can conduct scholarly activities and then present or publish on them to fulfill scholarship goals in this area. Remember, too, that the domains are meant to overlap, so in this case, you may conduct research on teaching (Discovery), then present findings to a community group (Application) or apply the findings to your own classroom and teaching (Teaching and Learning).

Studies show that many teachers are still unsure what SoTL is or how to engage in it. It is important for faculty to understand the definition and engage in this domain because of how it impacts both the faculty member and the classroom (Secret, Leisey, Lanning, Polich, & Schaub, 2011).

Teachers who are scholars stay engaged in their discipline through reading about current trends and developments within the discipline, along with current teaching methods. The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning involves faculty as life-long learners. Faculty encourage their students to be critical thinkers and creative thinkers in the classroom and for the world beyond the classroom. 

Suggested Readings

Boyer, E. (1990). Scholarship reconsidered: Priorities of the professoriate. Lawrenceville, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Leibowitz, B., & Bozalek, V. (2015). The scholarship of teaching and learning from a social justice perspective. Teaching in Higher Education, 21(2), 109–122. 

McBride Arrington, N., & Cohen, A. (2015). Enhancing the scholarship of teaching and learning through micro-level collaboration across two disciplines. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 27(2), 194–203.

Shulman, L. S. (1999). Course anatomy: The dissection and analysis of knowledge through

teaching. In P. Hutchings (Ed.), The course portfolio: How faculty can examine their teaching to

advance practice and improve student learning, Washington, DC: AAHE

Secret, M., Leisey, M., Lanning, S., Polich, S., & Schaub, J. (2011). Faculty perceptions of the scholarship of teaching and learning: Definition, activity level and merit considerations at one university. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 11(3), 1–20.

Starr-Glass, D. (2011). Reconsidering Boyer’s reconsideration: Paradigms, sharing and engagement. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 5(2), 1–9. 

Trigwell, K., Martin, E., Benjamin, J., & Prosser, M. (2000). Scholarship of teaching: A model. Higher Education Research & Development, 19(2), 155–168. 

Zhang, M. (2014). Broadening the horizons of new instructors to transform the landscape of SoTL. Transformative Dialogues: Teaching & Learning Journal, 7(1), 1–5.