In this presentation we interrogate the meaning of the term " Scholarship" in the " Scholarship of Teaching and Learning"(SoTL) . This is part of a process of conceptualising SoTL from its early introduction leading to its adoption within South African Higher education context.

1. Scholarship of Teaching
and Learning: An Overview
of Historical Becoming
UCDP SOTL PROJECT WORKSHOP
UNIVERSITY OF THE WITSWATERSRAND
17-04-2023
Rita Ndagire Kizito , Email: r.n.kizito@utwente.nl

2. Summary of Presentation
oWrestling with the term scholarship
oWhat is the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL)?
Conceptualization, context & debates
o Doing SoTL
o Examples of SoTL

3. Scholarship of
teaching
Scholarship of
discovery
Scholarship of
integration
Scholarship of
integration
Work of the
professoriate
Boyer is credited for placing the
scholarship of teaching at the center of
the higher education agenda and
identified four different overlapping
scholarships:

4. Wrestling with the term“ Scholarship”
What do we mean by the term “scholarship” in teaching
and learning ? Let’s try out Activity 1
Each one of us is good at
some aspect of teaching
particular concept, theory, or
idea that we feel we are
especially good at teaching,
or a particular approach or
style that seems to work very
well.
• Please take a minute or two and write
down one or more of these
(you can share these in the Teams
chat).
• Tell us how you know that you are
good at this. How do you know that
this works as you hope that it does?
What evidence do you have?
Remember: the issue is not how well we
teach, but how well students learn.

5. Wrestling with the term“ Scholarship”
What is the difference between scholarly teaching and
SoTL?
Scholarly teaching is defined as :
teaching grounded in critical reflection
using systematically and strategically
gathered evidence, related and explained
by well-reasoned theory and
philosophical understanding, with the
goal of maximizing learning through
effective teaching.
Scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) is
defined as:
the systematic study of teaching and learning, using
established or validated criteria of scholarship, to
understand how teaching (beliefs, behaviours,
attitudes, and values) can maximize learning, and/or
develop a more accurate understanding of learning,
resulting in products that are publicly shared for
critique and use by an appropriate community.
Potter, M. K., & Kustra, E. (2011). The relationship between scholarly
teaching and SoTL: Models, distinctions, and clarifications.

6. Wrestling with the term“ Scholarship”
Effective teaching, Scholarly teaching and SoTL
Potter, M. K., & Kustra, E. (2011). The relationship between scholarly
teaching and SoTL: Models, distinctions, and clarifications.
“there are effective teachers
who have never engaged in
SoTL, nor have they had
access to the literature
needed to inform the
systematic reflection
necessary for scholarly
teaching”

7. Wrestling with the term“ Scholarship”
Kanuka, H. (2011). Keeping the scholarship in the scholarship of teaching and
learning. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 5(1), 3.
• What is considered to be scholarly within the educational
research community ?
• Meaning of scholarship is ambiguous
• Concern about the erosion of the credibility by educators
whose expertise is in the field of teaching and learning in
higher education.
• Lack of theory and awareness of other published work in SoTL
journals
Kreber and Cranton (2000) suggested using traditional criteria to
assess scholarly work, requiring a high level of discipline-related
expertise, innovation, replicability, elaboration, documentation, peer-
reviews, and levels of significance

8. Dimensions of Activities Related to Teaching (DART)
Source : Kern, B., Mettetal, G., Dixson, M., & Morgan, R. K. (2015). The role of SoTL in the academy: Upon the 25th anniversary of
Boyer’s Scholarship Reconsidered. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 1-14.
SoTL
Scholarly
teaching
Practice of
Teaching
Sharing about
teaching

9. SoTL conceptualisation
o A lack of consensus around conceptualizations of SoTL persists
(e.g., Chalmers, 2011; Potter & Kustra, 2011).
o There is diversity in conceptualizations brought about by:
 Evolution of the field arising from the utilization of
different forms of inquiry into teaching in the different
disciplines
 Differing values across institutions. The assertion is that
for greatest impact, SoTL strategies must be aligned
with the culture of the institution (Martensson, Rox and
Olsson,2011).

10. SoTL conceptualisations in different contexts
“any measure of
good practice
must account for
both the
scholarly and the
local context
where that work
is being done.”
Felton, Peter. 2013. “Principles
of Good Practice in SoTL.”
Teaching & Learning Inquiry
1(1): 121–125.
Chng, H. H., & Mårtensson, K. (2020). Leading change from different
shores: The challenges of contextualizing the scholarship of teaching and
learning. Teaching and Learning Inquiry, 8(1), 24-41.
Examples of differences in Contextualisation's in
different contexts

11. SoTL Debates
The recurring debates around the lack of clarity around a definition of SoTL
signposts a phenomenon whose establishment is still a site of contention
(Manarin & Abrahamson, 2016; Kreber, 2015). There does not seem to be
agreement about how constitutive learning areas in
SoTL should be investigated (Shulman, 2000; Hutchings, 2000; McKinney,
2007), and what values underlying its practices should be promoted.
There seems to be a tension between a need to promote SoTL as a
legitimate research field on one hand, while endorsing it as a vehicle or
framework for improving teaching and learning practice, on the other
hand.
Kizito, R., & Clarence-Fincham, J. (2017, July). A possible SoTL Lens for illuminating the role of
reflective tasks in changing academic staff perceptions and practices in teaching. In Proceedings of
the 2017 Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL) in the South Conference (pp. 24-27).

12. SoTL Criticism
• A persistent tendency to use scholarship of teaching as a synonym for
other activities
• Focus on teaching rather than on learning
• Operationalization challenges
• Discourse concerning SoTL can be anti-intellectual , located in a narrow
Neoliberalism
• An uncritical and almost quaint reliance on peer review as the
mechanism to detect scholarship.’ (12-13)
Boshier, R. (2009) Why is the scholarship of teaching and learning such a hard sell?
Higher Education Research and Development, 28(1), 1-15.
“Thorn on the flesh argument”- the time has come to consign SoTL to
history and start the process of asserting the value of higher education
research”
Canning, J., & Masika, R. (2022). The scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL): the thorn in the flesh of
educational research. Studies in Higher Education, 47(6), 1084-1096.

13. So, what then is SoTL?
At its foundation, the scholarship of teaching and learning is “the process
of exploring, researching, developing, refining, reflecting upon, and
communicating better ways and means of producing, promoting, and
enhancing scholarly learning and teaching” (Healy et al. 2013,p.24). ‘Going
public’ is the key factor that distinguishes SoTL from scholarly teaching
(Vajoczki et al. 2011). Being systematic in how to go about observing
learning, gathering evidence of it and disseminating findings in peer-
reviewed venues is another important characteristic of SoTL research.
Source :https://www.yorku.ca/teachingcommons/ethics-of-sotl
research/#h5pbookid=5&chapter=h5p-interactive-book-chapter-9a538618-9c2e-4695-9497-
2cef40ba6957&section=0

14. Doing SoTL
Activity 2: ( in pairs or groups of 3)
Let’s spend some minutes sharing about our current knowledge of
SoTL.
• What strikes you as useful in SoTL ?
• What bothers or challenges you ?
• What would you like to find out ? Resolve?

15. The value of SoTL
“ (SoTL) remains a growing and enduringly important if somewhat elusive
‘movement’ or field of enquiry, with recognition as a transformational
change agent for the Higher Education sector as a whole”
o SoTL breaks down barriers between research and teaching and helps satisfy
personal and institutional expectations of undertaking enquiry
o It provides an opportunity for lecturers to critically and reflectively consider
current provision
o It helps build productive relationships and connections with students as
collaborators, co-producers and contributors (voice and ownership)
o It helps with recognition, reward and career progression (academic promotion
o It allows lecturers to present educational reforms and innovations to others for
critical commentary and peer review
Sharp, J. G. The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL): A review of
literature and introductory guide to the field.

16. Engaging with SoTL involves
o Evidence-based critical reflection on practice aimed at improving practice
o Transforming the curriculum development and pedagogy to impact on
thought and practice
o Probing the relationship between teaching and learning
o Using both pedagogical knowledge and content knowledge to
understand how students learn
o Dialogic discourse of presenting own positions with justifications and
listening to other participant positions
o Commitment to scholarship in the disciplinary field and to successful
student learning through teaching and effective institutional practices

17. How does one carry out SoTL projects?
Carnegie Foundation standards:
(1) the work has clear goals,
(2) requires adequate preparation,
(3) make use of appropriate methods,
(4) produce significant results,
(5) demonstrate effective presentation, and
(6) involve reflective critique.
Overall, the developments in practice and the focus on themes
presented are predominantly from the global North to the
virtual exclusion of local pedagogies and methodologies,
reflecting an intellectual dependency on the North.

18. Examples of SoTL projects
o https://www.sotl-south-journal.net/index.php/sotls

19. Any Questions?

20. References
Boshier, R. (2009) Why is the scholarship of teaching and learning such a hard sell? Higher Education Research and Development, 28(1), 1-15.
Boyer, E. 1990. Scholarship reconsidered: Priorities of the professoriate. Princeton ,NJ: The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
Canning, J., & Masika, R. (2022). The scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL): the thorn in the flesh of educational research. Studies in Higher
Education, 47(6), 1084-1096
Chalmers, Denise. 2011. “Progress and Challenges to the Recognition and Reward of the Scholarship of Teaching in Higher Education.” Higher Education
Research & Development 30(1): 25– 38.
Chng, H. H., & Mårtensson, K. (2020). Leading change from different shores: The challenges of contextualizing the scholarship of teaching and learning. Teaching
and Learning Inquiry, 8(1), 24-41.
Cranton, P. 2010. A transformative perspective on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Higher Education Research and Development,, 30 1:75 – 86.
Felton, P. 2013. “Principles of Good Practice in SoTL.” Teaching & Learning Inquiry ,1(1): 121–125.
Healey, M., Marquis, B., & Vajoczki, S. (2013). Exploring SoTL through international collaborative writing groups. Teaching and Learning Inquiry, 1(2), 3-8.
Hutchings, P., & Shulman, L. S. (1999). The scholarship of teaching: New elaborations, new developments. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning,31(5), 10-15.
Kanuka, H. (2011). Keeping the scholarship in the scholarship of teaching and learning. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 5(1),
3.
Kern, B., Mettetal, G., Dixson, M., & Morgan, R. K. (2015). The role of SoTL in the academy: Upon the 25th anniversary of Boyer’s Scholarship
Reconsidered. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 1-14.
Kreber, C 2015, 'Furthering the ‘theory debate’ in the scholarship of teaching: A proposal based on MacIntyre’s account of practices' Canadian Journal of Higher
Education, vol 45, no. 2, pp. 99-115.
Kreber, C., and P. A. Cranton. 2000. Exploring the Scholarship of Teaching. The Journal of Higher Education, 71: 4: 476-495. Ohio State University Press. Stable
URL:
Kizito, R., & Clarence-Fincham, J. (2017, July). A possible SoTL Lens for illuminating the role of reflective tasks in changing academic staff perceptions and
practices in teaching. In Proceedings of the 2017 Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL) in the South Conference (pp. 24-27).
Manarin, K., & Abrahamson, E. (2016). Troublesome Knowledge of SoTL.International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 10(2), 2
McKinney, K. (2007). Enhancing learning through the scholarship of teaching and learning. Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing Company.
Potter, M. K., & Kustra, E. (2011). The relationship between scholarly teaching and SoTL: Models, distinctions, and clarifications
Sharp, J. G. The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL): A review of literature and introductory guide to the field.
Vajoczki, S., Watt, S., Vine, M. M., & Liao, X. (2011). Inquiry Learning: Level, Discipline, Class Size, What Matters?. International journal for the scholarship of
teaching and learning, 5(1), n1.