Guides: Conduct Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Research: Start Here

What is the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL)?

Intentional inquiry by post-secondary practitioners into teaching and learning in higher education.
Systematic study of teaching and learning with the public dissemination of the findings of this study (McKinney, 2006, Recommended Reading #8).
Intention of SoTL is to improve student learning and enhance educational quality (Poole, Simmons, Land, & Gordon 2014, Recommended Reading #9).

Identify the research question for your inquiry by considering what ‘problem’ you’d like to explore.
Choose and align your methodology to your research question.
Get in touch with the Research Ethics Board to discuss whether your project requires ethics approval.
Share your findings with colleagues!

A Guide from the Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.
Includes an overview of the what, why and how of SoTL, along with practical resources for getting started.

Some key journal in the scholarship of teaching and learning accessible through our Library to get you started:

The scholarship of teaching: What’s the problem (Article)
Bass, R. (1999). The scholarship of teaching: What’s the problem. Inventio: Creative thinking about learning and teaching, 1(1), 1-10.
Principles of good practice in SoTL (Article)
Fenten, P. (2013). Principles of Good Practice in SoTL. Teaching and Learning Inquiry: The ISSOTL Journal, 1(1) 121-125.
Opening lines: Approaches to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (eBook)
Hutchings, P. (2000). Opening Lines: Approaches to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Carnegie Publications, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, 555 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025.
An introduction to ethical considerations for novices to research in teaching and learning in Canada (Article)
MacLean, M. & Poole, G. (2010). An Introduction to Ethical Considerations for Novices to Research in Teaching and Learning in Canada. The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 1(2) Article 7.
Attitudinal and structural factors contributing to challenges in the work of the scholarship of teaching and learning (Article)
McKinney, K. (2006). Attitudinal and structural factors contributing to challenges in the work of the scholarship of teaching and learning. New Directions for Institutional Research, 2006(129), 37-50. doi:10.1002/ir.170