Scholarship of teaching – how do we do it?

The scholarship of teaching is upheld by the same principles that support any other research and will have the following characteristics:

Research question(s) The major task of any research is to address a question or questions in a systematic, principled way. Sometimes, but not always, an answer is found.

Research design. The approach to the question(s) will be described and rationalised and will be related to a plan or design which may be precise from the beginning or, as often happens in small-scale studies, may have been modified as the work proceeded. Whichever is the case, the overall design must be explained.

Reliability and validity. Although no study is ever exactly replicable, it should be possible, from your explanation of the design and methods, for another person to know exactly what you did and why. They should be able to carry out a similar study based on your design and methods.

Theoretical underpinnings. The research may be based on theoretical assumptions or the outcomes of the study may lead to theoretical interpretations. How does your investigation support or refute a theory, or does it make you ‘theorise’ what is happening?

Sharing or making it public. Dissemination is an essential, defining part of the process of research and so there is an obligation to make the outcomes available at some level to other people. Reports on research into teaching will be made available to immediate colleagues or to a wider community, perhaps through conference presentations or publications.