Investigating support for scholarship of teaching and learning; We need SoTL educational leaders

ABSTRACT

In this paper, we focus on the experience of faculty learning to do the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). Our two studies uncovered similar threshold concepts in SoTL in two contrasting contexts; one study done in the United Kingdom with teaching-focused academics while the other study, done in North America, focussed on educational leaders at a research-intensive university. Both studies revealed similar ontological and epistemological transformations of learning and doing SoTL. Underpinning the results of these studies is the reality that educational leaders are situated within a complex cultural network of personal, professional, and financial tensions. There are two levels of institutional culture: university level and departmental level. But, institutional policies are only useful if also supported locally. This paper is of interest to those developing their expertise in supporting SoTL, as well as faculty on a teaching and scholarship career route.

KEYWORDS:

• Scholarship of teaching and learning
• threshold concepts
• academic development
• institutional culture
• higher education

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the participants at ProPEL 2017 who offered valuable feedback for this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Andrea S. Webb

Andrea S. Webb, PhD: Andrea is an Instructor in Social Studies Education in the Faculty of Education at The University of British Columbia. Website: http://edcp.educ.ubc.ca/faculty-staff/andrea-webb/

Anne M. Tierney

Anne M. Tierney, PhD: Anne is a Lecturer and Theme Lead for Research, Scholarship, and Supervision in the Postgraduate Certificate in Learning, Teaching, and Assessment Practice at Edinburgh Napier University. Website: https://www.napier.ac.uk/people/anne-tierney