Realizing Promising Educational Practices in Academic Public Health: A Model for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Abstract

This paper presents a conceptual framework and critical considerations for the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) in academic public health. Academic education for public health has undergone significant transformation over the last two decades as the demand for responsive and innovative public health pedagogy and training for preparing graduates to deploy an increasing array of skills has grown. The authors suggest that the role of schools, administrators, faculty, and educational staff in developing promising practices for teaching and learning in public health involves an articulated conceptual framework to guide the development and dissemination of scholarly, pedagogical innovations. Building on seminal philosophical foundations of SoTL, the authors conceptualize SoTL from the foundational belief that knowing and learning are communal tasks and that faculty are both scholars and learners in the practice of education. The paper advocates for SoTL as a form of engaged practice and scholarly inquiry that exists in contextually rich, diverse educational environments that abounds with uncertainty. SoTL is guided by an educational philosophy, values, and learning theories that envision educators critically examining themselves, their teaching practice, scholarly literature, and students' learning to improve their teaching, enhance learning, and promote further inquiry. The authors suggest that SoTL involves the search for multiple forms of evidence and fosters dialogues on multiple interpretations and perspectives of the most promising practices of teaching and learning. The authors advocate for the term promising practices as an outcome of SoTL that supports and nurtures ongoing scientific discovery and knowledge generation, instead of supporting the search for best-ness in teaching and learning endeavors. SoTL should occur across formal, informal, and nonformal education

The evaluator and evaluation: Critical considerations for the future of education and training

“…One vehicle for this would be a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) for the teaching of evaluation. This focus would invite evaluator educators to critically examine themselves, their teaching practice, the scholarly literature, and students/trainees’ learning to improve their teaching, enhance learning, and promote further inquiry (Neubauer et al., 2022) so as to encourage the development and sharing of promising practices of education and training, especially for individuals who have been historically excluded and hurt by evaluation and research. We invite evaluator educators to build from the lessons learned from SoTL in other fields as well as applying their evaluative thinking to the educational experiences they develop and implement.…”

The Impact of e-HRM on Teacher Performance A Case of Higher Educational Institutions in Sindh Province

“…Human Capital Theory posits that investing in employee development enhances their skills and knowledge, leading to increased productivity and performance (Ray, et al, 2023). Similarly, the Resource-Based View emphasises the strategic importance of human resources in organisational success, suggesting that e-HRM can leverage talent through effective practices (Khan & Talib, 2023) The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning movement underscores the continuous improvement of teaching practices as central to faculty development and student learning (Neubauer et al, 2022). e-HRM encompasses various practices, including digital recruitment and selection, online training and development platforms, performance management systems, and employee self-service portals (Ngan, 2021).…”

Editorial: Transforming health and social education to include a greater focus on public health education in the curriculum

“…The diversity of the Research Topic is indicative of the rapidly changing healthcare landscape in which we see new treatment discoveries; changing societal values and perspectives; technological innovation; increased expectations of personalized healthcare; and unresolved inequity despite the advances in healthcare discovery and innovation. The Research Topic adds to a growing body of literature calling for, update and change in public health education (1)(2)(3)(4). Perspectives and interventions within the manuscripts provide examples of the direction that health and social education might take in the future in areas reinforcing the need for curricula change and preparation of new cadres of health professionals.…”