So, What Is This “Scholarship of Teaching and Learning” (SoTL) Everyone’s Talking About?
Ever overheard a colleague mention “SoTL” in the hallway, seen it pop up in a conference program, or noticed it listed in a job description, and found yourself wondering, “Anyone here familiar with the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) field? What exactly is that?” You’re definitely not alone. While it’s gaining significant traction, SoTL remains a field many educators find intriguing but slightly elusive. Let’s pull back the curtain and explore what SoTL is, why it matters deeply for education, and how you might engage with it – even if you’re not a formal “researcher.”
Beyond Gut Feeling: Defining the Core of SoTL
At its heart, the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) is the systematic, evidence-based study of how students learn and how teaching practices influence that learning within our specific disciplines and contexts. Think of it like this: just as scientists rigorously investigate natural phenomena, SoTL practitioners (that is, educators like you!) rigorously investigate the phenomena happening right in their classrooms, labs, studios, and online spaces.
It moves beyond simply reflecting on teaching (which is valuable!) or relying solely on anecdotal experience. SoTL involves:
1. Asking Meaningful Questions: Identifying specific puzzles or challenges related to student learning (“Why do students consistently struggle with this concept?” “Does this new active learning strategy actually improve understanding?” “How does participation in online discussions correlate with final grades?”).
2. Gathering Evidence: Using appropriate methods (surveys, interviews, analysis of student work, grades, classroom observations, learning analytics, etc.) to collect data relevant to your question.
3. Analyzing Rigorously: Applying disciplinary or educational research methods to interpret the evidence fairly and critically. This doesn’t always mean complex statistics; qualitative analysis is often incredibly powerful in SoTL.
4. Sharing Findings Publicly: Presenting your process, results, and conclusions at conferences, publishing in teaching-focused journals, or sharing within departmental communities. This step is crucial – it transforms private inquiry into public scholarship.
5. Peer Review: Subjecting your work to critique and validation by peers, just like traditional research. This ensures quality and builds collective knowledge.
6. Iterating and Applying: Using what you’ve learned to refine your teaching practice, develop new strategies, and inform future inquiry. The cycle continues!
Why Bother? The Powerful Impact of SoTL
You might be thinking, “My plate is already overflowing. Why add research?” Engaging with SoTL offers profound benefits, not just for students, but for educators and the entire educational ecosystem:
Improved Student Learning: This is the ultimate goal. SoTL provides concrete evidence about what works (and what doesn’t) for your students in your setting. It moves teaching beyond guesswork and tradition towards practices proven to enhance understanding, engagement, and success. Imagine knowing exactly which assignment tweak boosts critical thinking or which feedback method students find most helpful!
Evidence-Based Teaching Practice: SoTL empowers you to make informed pedagogical decisions. Instead of adopting trends blindly, you can evaluate innovations based on evidence collected in contexts similar to yours. It grounds teaching in data derived directly from the learning environment.
Professional Growth and Fulfillment: Deeply investigating your teaching can be incredibly intellectually stimulating and professionally rewarding. It connects you to the core purpose of education – fostering learning – and provides avenues for recognition and advancement beyond traditional research metrics. It reignites the spark of inquiry that drew many to academia.
Bridging the Theory-Practice Gap: SoTL directly addresses the disconnect that sometimes exists between educational theory and the messy reality of the classroom. It allows practitioners to test theories in action and generate context-specific knowledge that complements broader educational research.
Building a Shared Knowledge Base: When educators share their SoTL findings, we collectively build a richer, more nuanced understanding of effective teaching and learning across diverse disciplines and student populations. Your insights in biology can inspire a colleague in history; a study in online calculus can inform design choices in literature seminars.
Enhanced Institutional Reputation: Institutions that support and value SoTL signal a deep commitment to teaching excellence and student success, making them more attractive to prospective students and faculty.
Okay, I’m Intrigued. How Do I Do SoTL? (Hint: You Probably Already Have Skills!)
You don’t need a PhD in Education Research to start. SoTL thrives on being accessible to disciplinary experts who are passionate about teaching. Here’s how you can engage:
1. Start Small & Focused: Don’t try to boil the ocean. Identify one specific question about student learning that genuinely puzzles you. It could be related to a particular assignment, a concept students always get wrong, the effectiveness of a new technology, or patterns in participation.
2. Leverage Existing Data: Look at what you already collect. How are students performing on specific exam questions? What patterns emerge in discussion board posts? What feedback do students give in mid-semester surveys? Often, rich data is already at your fingertips.
3. Choose Feasible Methods: Match your methods to your question and resources. A simple pre/post concept test, analysis of a sample of anonymized student papers, short focused interviews, or a well-designed anonymous survey can yield powerful insights. Collaborate with colleagues or your campus teaching center for methodological support.
4. Make it Disciplinary: Your expertise in your field is invaluable. Frame your questions and interpret your findings through the lens of your discipline. How does learning this specific thing work? What are the unique challenges in this field?
5. Seek Community: Talk to colleagues! Join a SoTL reading group, attend teaching conferences (look for sessions specifically on SoTL or your discipline’s teaching), or connect with your campus center for teaching and learning. Sharing ideas and challenges is crucial.
6. Share Your Work: This might feel daunting, but it’s essential. Start locally: present at a department meeting or a campus-wide teaching event. Submit a proposal to a conference focused on teaching in your discipline. Consider writing for a teaching-focused journal or a discipline-specific pedagogical publication. The sharing creates dialogue and advances the field.
Addressing the Elephant in the Room: Challenges and Considerations
Engaging in SoTL isn’t without its hurdles:
Time: It does take time. Integrating inquiry into your existing workflow is key. View it as an investment in more effective, less frustrating teaching down the line. Seek institutional support (grants, course releases) if possible.
Expertise: Many disciplinary experts haven’t been trained in educational research methods. This is where collaboration (with education specialists, librarians, assessment experts) and professional development (workshops, online resources) are vital.
Recognition: While improving, institutional reward structures don’t always value SoTL equally to traditional disciplinary research. Document the impact of your SoTL work clearly for tenure, promotion, or review files. Advocate for its recognition.
Ethics: Always prioritize student privacy and well-being. Ensure any data collection has appropriate ethical review (e.g., through an Institutional Review Board – IRB). Anonymize data rigorously and ensure participation is voluntary.
So, Is Anyone Familiar with SoTL? Let’s Get More People Saying “Yes!”
The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning isn’t an exclusive club for education researchers. It’s a vibrant, necessary field rooted in the everyday practice of teaching across all disciplines. It’s about educators bringing their inherent curiosity and analytical skills to bear on the fundamental question: “How can I help my students learn this more effectively?”
By asking questions, gathering evidence, and sharing insights, SoTL practitioners transform teaching from a private act into a public, scholarly endeavor. They build a collective wisdom that elevates teaching practice, demonstrably improves student outcomes, and fosters deeper professional satisfaction.
Whether you’re just starting to wonder about that recurring teaching puzzle or you’re ready to design a full study, SoTL offers a powerful pathway. It’s about making our teaching visible, shareable, and continually better, one evidence-informed step at a time. Why not see what questions your classroom holds? The journey into SoTL might just be the most rewarding professional development you ever undertake.
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