Demystifying and framing SoTL: Exploring the Meaning and Purpose of Scholarship in a School of Education

Abstract

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) is central to professional development in higher education, encouraging colleagues to reflect critically on practice and disseminate their insights through publications, conferences, and institutional initiatives. The focus of this paper, the first of two that we propose to JPAAP, serves as an “on-the-horizon” exploration of the concept of scholarship, specifically within a School of Education (SoE). The second paper, which will follow one academic year later, will present an empirical case study examining the culture of SoTL in our School. In this initial paper, we draw on scholarship to frame our discussion around three themes: recognised concepts of SoTL; its positioning within a SoE; and the role of institutional culture in supporting it. Additionally, we will locate the questions above within the context of a SoE and, in doing so, highlight the challenges of establishing a clear and shared understanding of scholarship within the discipline of education. By situating SoTL within the unique disciplinary context of education, we contribute to broader debates about how scholarship is understood and enacted across different parts of the academy. This paper, therefore, lays the conceptual groundwork for a forthcoming case study of how our SoE seeks to demystify SoTL and build a sustainable culture of scholarly support.