The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: Changing the Dominant Narrative About (and In) Research Institutions

Abstract

Despite calls for and advances in the scholarship of teaching and learning (SOTL) over the years, research-intensive institutions have a persistent reputation as preferring and demanding Boyer's "scholarship of discovery" at the expense of SOTL work. In this article, we challenge the dominant narrative that research-focused institutions-the Carnegie "R1"and "R2"-do not engage in or value SOTL research in business and management education (BME). In a previous empirical study, we found evidence that a surprising proportion of R1 and R2 schools are already creating and disseminating innovative and impactful BME work. Using diffusion of innovations theory, we argue that those institutions can provide leadership due to their BME work, and examine what this might mean in terms of the prospects for diffusion of BME research among all research-intensive institutions. Due to

Next Steps in Business and Management Education Scholarship

“…Arbaugh and colleagues launched a multiyear (and ongoing) project to map BME as a research field, studying it across traditional disciplinary silos in order to help document and stimulate the vibrancy and growth of the field as a whole (Arbaugh et al, 2017, Arbaugh et al, 2018; Asarta et al, 2018; Fornaciari et al, 2017; Hwang et al, 2019). A particularly interesting aspect of this broad research agenda was that it made it possible not only to obtain a summative picture of the most productive BME scholars and institutions but also to study how that picture evolved over the years.…”

“…This commitment to ongoing collection and analysis of data about BME research is meant not only to generate updated information but also, most important, to allow comparisons, monitor changes, and identify trends to explore their meanings and identify opportunities and obstacles for the evolution of the field. For example, this research agenda item was instrumental in providing an empirical basis to challenge the enduring myth behind the dominant narrative that research-intensive institutions do not value or produce BME research (Asarta et al, 2018). By the same token, this research agenda also identified the persistent nature of the obstacles that constrain the BME productivity of scholars not affiliated with U.S. institutions, thus signaling the need for future studies to understand why these barriers to entry may be so stubborn.…”

“…Several of Arbaugh's colleagues had the opportunity to attend the 2017 Research in Management Learning and Education (RMLE) UnConference in The New School (New York City). Their experience with the conference was stimulating and highly productive, with their conversations resulting in an actionable research agenda that has produced a number of interesting and thought-provoking articles (e.g., Asarta et al, 2018). Several research agenda items, however, remain unanswered or deserve further attention.…”

La Importancia De Investigar Sobre Educacion Superior en Gestion Empresarial

“…El movimiento del SoTL pone a la actividad docente en el primer plano de la vida académica, dignificándola y dotándola de los atributos propios que pueden ser en sí mismos objeto de mejora a través de la investigación científica; estrechando así la brecha que pudiera existir entre investigación y docencia (Asarta, et al, 2018).…”

In This Issue

“…This approach has brought much‐needed attention to teaching practices in business schools. It has also contributed to an increasing acceptance of scholarship of teaching and learning as valid research for tenure and/or promotion at AACSB‐accredited institutions (Asarta et al., 2018). It is my honor to have the opportunity to build on this strong foundation and work to further raise the profile of DSJIE among business education journals.…”