Progress and challenges to the recognition and reward of the Scholarship of Teaching in higher education

Abstract

For more than 20 years there have been growing and widely expressed concerns that teaching is not sufficiently rewarded and recognized in universities, particularly in comparison to research. Individuals, institutions and governments have each responded in different ways to promote changes in institutional systems and practices. Two of the major initiatives to raise the status of teaching have been the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and Teaching Quality movements. These share similar goals and many concepts, but began with a different impetus. This paper reviews initiatives to increase the status of teaching through better recognition and reward of teaching in universities. Current practices and evidence of change are reviewed. The paper concludes that while there has been significant progress made to date, the ultimate symbols of recognition and reward – promotion and tenure – are proving to be elusive but not unattainable for those who focus on the Scholarship of Teaching.

Keywords:

• reward and recognition
• Scholarship of Teaching
• tenure and promotion
• status of teaching