How we support the scholarship of teaching and learning

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) refers to efforts to reflect on and enhance the quality of teaching and learning through research and related scholarly activities. Our aim at Massey University is to infuse the SoTL in all of our teaching and learning activities within Colleges and the Centres for Teaching and Learning. However, the term the SoTL can be a little alienating for people outside of the discipline of Higher Education and we often talk about the concept using Griffiths' (2004) four dimensions of the research-teaching nexus:

• Research-led teaching

- learning about others' research

• Research orientated teaching

- learning to do research

• Research-based teaching

- learning in research mode

• Research-informed teaching

- pedagogic research on teaching and learning

Five goals

Massey University has set five goals in relation to the SoTL:

• To raise academic staff awareness of the benefits of reflective teaching and the potential contribution of SoTL to quality enhancement;

• To provide clear personal and institutional career incentives for staff to engage in SoTL as a form of research;

• To provide information on grant acquisition and publishing opportunities in SoTL and to clarify human ethics requirements for research on teaching;

• To establish international networks with leading SoTL organisations and universities; and

• To articulate strategic goals for the SoTL as part of Massey University's Teaching and Learning Framework.

Page authorised by Director, National Centre for Teaching and Learning
Last updated on Thursday 30 March 2017