Growing a scholarship of teaching and learning institutionally

Creating Spaces and Enabling Transitions for Engagement in SoTL: Can Policy Provide a Framework for Action?

“…In the SA context, SoTL, when conducted properly, can be a means of addressing deeper historical issues in higher education (Leibowitz 2010) as more students from different backgrounds access higher education. Vithal (2016: 3) says the following in this regard:…”

“…One feature is collaboration (working with other people such as peers and students), which requires openness as professionals systematically engage with their teaching practice in order to improve student learning. A second feature is broadening engagement across disciplines in an attempt to find new ways to solve teaching and learning problems (see also Vithal 2016). Leibowitz (2010) maintains that the deep reflection process should interrogate the assumptions informing practices in disciplines as these often shape teaching processes and views on knowledge and its production.…”

“…Moutlana and Moloi (2014) argue that a system of recognition and rewards can embed SoTL in an institution in the same way that the culture of research has been established. Vithal (2016) concurs and adds that because SoTL cannot be imposed on scholars, an 'organic approach' is needed that takes shape over time and that is 'inclusive and multidimensional' to drive the uptake of SoTL across the institution. It is here that this paper seeks to make a contribution by analysing an institutional policy that calls for the use evaluations of teaching to reflect on areas of teaching and learning requiring further investigation as part of SoTL.…”

“…This paper reflects on the extent to which the policy enables meaningful engagement in SoTL. Drawing on Vithal's (2016) idea of growing SoTL organically, the purpose of the paper is not to 'sell' policy as a way to mandate engagement in SoTL. It argues merely that when policy is used to create space for the development of SoTL, underpinning policy principles should be adopted to develop a strategy to support the achievement of SoTL goals.…”

“…This will help create a critical mass of scholars so that the 'transformative potential' of SoTL (Booth &Woollacott 2015) can be realised. Ways have to be found to enhance the uptake of SoTL by moving from engagement by interested individuals to a movement across institutions (Moutlana & Moloi 2014;Vithal 2016). Moutlana and Moloi (2014) argue that a system of recognition and rewards can embed SoTL in an institution in the same way that the culture of research has been established.…”