Challenges to Disciplinary Knowing and Identity: Experiences of Scholars in a SoTL Development Program

Abstract

Faculty members from five years of an annual Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) development program were invited to participate in a study about the impact of SoTL on their teaching, scholarship, and career trajectory. During semi-structured interviews, many expressed feeling discomfort during their journey into SoTL. A qualitative analysis using the constant comparison method showed that this discomfort was sometimes due to contrasts between SoTL and their discipline’s epistemology, as well as challenges to their identity as a teacher, researcher, and a colleague. We conclude with suggestions for how faculty development and multidisciplinary SoTL communities of practice can be planned and managed.