Learning and Teaching at Navitas
14 Nov 2024

Promoting SoTL: Characteristics, Benefits, and the Path Forward

At Navitas, the Teacher Lifelong Learning Model supports educators at different career stages, from Foundation to Advanced, and encourages continuous professional development and engagement with Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), tailored to each educator's experience and expertise level:

Foundation Stage: Focuses on developing foundational teaching skills.
Early Career Stage: Introduces reflective practices and small SoTL projects.
Mid-Career Stage: Deepens SoTL engagement with research on teaching practices.
Advanced Stage: Enables seasoned educators to lead SoTL initiatives and mentor peers.

Through this model, educators are encouraged to integrate SoTL activities that align with their career stage, fostering growth and improvement in teaching practices.

Navitas Lifelong Learning Model

 

What is SoTL?

New academic staff who come across the term SoTL for the first time often assume SoTL is predominantly concerned with 'professional development'. While there may be overlaps, certain activities may not qualify as SoTL on their own, like basic training (e.g., software workshops) or committee membership. SoTL focuses specifically on evidence-based practices that directly improve teaching and learning. It is a commitment to examining, reflecting on, and advancing teaching practices to enhance student learning - it involves systematic research into teaching methods and student outcomes, with findings shared to enrich the educational community (TEQSA, 2022).

Domains of SoTL

In 1990, Ernest Boyer identified four domains of scholarship:

  1. Discovery: Pursuing new knowledge.
  2. Integration: Linking ideas across disciplines.
  3. Application: Using research to solve real-world issues.
  4. Teaching: Developing and sharing effective teaching methods.

While the term 'SoTL' emerged after Boyer’s model was developed in 1990, it closely aligns with the model by incorporating the elements of discovery, integration, and application. SoTL (as a holistic approach that encourages reflective and evidence-based teaching to advance education) naturally integrates and embraces all forms of scholarship identified by Boyer’s model (Kern, et.al, 2015).

Boyer's model

 

Why SoTL Matters

SoTL offers valuable benefits for educators, students, and institutions:

  • Professional Growth: Supports career development by fostering reflective practice and research skills.
  • Enhanced Student Learning: Leads to more effective, research-backed teaching methods.
  • Institutional Impact: Drives evidence-based improvements in policy and curriculum.
  • Student Empowerment: Engages students as active participants in educational research.
  • Community Building: Promotes collaboration and cross-disciplinary dialogue.

Principles of Good SoTL Practice

According to Felton (2013), effective SoTL follows five principles:

  1. Focused Inquiry: Aims at a specific question in student learning.
  2. Contextual Awareness: Considers both scholarly and local teaching contexts.
  3. Intential and Rigorous Methods: Uses well-planned, rigorous methodology.
  4. Student Partnerships: Involves students in the research process.
  5. Public Sharing: Shares results for broader academic impact.

SoTL at Navitas

At Navitas, our focus on teaching and student experience aligns well with SoTL, with academic staff at our pathway colleges and managed campuses prioritising teaching quality. This focus on teaching excellence and student success creates an opportunity for educators to engage meaningfully in SoTL. By prioritising the quality of our teaching and the impact it has on our students' learning experiences, we can use our insights and experiences to systematically explore, document, and share what works best in our classrooms. SoTL allows us to approach our teaching with the same rigor and curiosity that researchers bring to their fields, but with a focus on practical, evidence-based actions that directly benefit our students.

How to Get Started with SoTL (“How to SoTL”)

We encourage Navitas UPA academic staff to follow a structured framework to guide them with their SoTL journey. The steps highlighted in the Navitas SoTL Framework include:

  1. Identify Your Research Question: Reflect on a teaching challenge or curiosity.
  2. Review Literature: See what’s already known and identify gaps.
  3. Develop a Research Plan: Outline methodology, tools, and timeline.
  4. Conduct Research and Collect Data: Gather student feedback or other relevant data.
  5. Analyse Findings: Look for patterns and insights.
  6. Seek Peer Review: Gather feedback from colleagues to validate findings.
  7. Share Publicly: Present your findings to contribute to the academic community.
Doing SoTL Framework
Model adapted from Felton (2013) and Meijerman et. al. (2023)

 

SoTL is an iterative process, building on feedback and insights to refine your practice and enhance student outcomes. Embracing SoTL at any career stage promotes continuous improvement, professional growth, and a richer learning environment for all.

Learning and Teaching Services UPA conducted the first session of a 3-part SoTL Workshop series for UPA academic staff in November. Parts 2 and 3 will be delivered in 2025 and promoted via the UPA Teachers’ Lounge (on MS Teams). Contact Karen McRae and Alyce Hogg for more information, discussion, and to start or continue your SoTL journey.

References:

Felton, P. (2013). Principles of Good Practice in SoTL. Teaching & Learning Inquiry: The ISSOTL Journal, 1(1). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259734804_Principles_of_Good_Practice_in_SoTL

Kern, B., Mettetal, G, Morgan, R. (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, 15(3). https://scholarworks.iu.edu/journals/index.php/josotl/article/view/13623

Meijerman, I., Wijsman, L., & Kirschner, F. (2024). Adding a scholarly analysis of teaching and learning to SoTL: the development of the hands-on Utrecht Roadmap for SoTL. International Journal for Academic Development, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/1360144X.2024.2361428 

Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency. (2022) Guidance note: Scholarship. Australian Government. https://www.teqsa.gov.au/guides-resources/resources/guidance-notes/guidance-note-scholarship

Photo by Ingrid Vasconcelos on Unsplash