The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and Pedagogic Research within the Disciplines: Should it be Included in the Research Excellence Framework?

Tierney, Anne

Abstract

This paper is a response to Cotton, Miller and Kneale’s 2017 paper on the current state of higher education research within UK universities. It seeks to contribute to the debate surrounding inclusion of pedagogic research (PedR) via SoTL in the UK’s Research Excellence Framework (REF) in the context of researchers who reside within a disciplinary context. The inclusion of PedR in the REF continues to be contentious, despite recommendations in the Stern Report which could make its inclusion more feasible. This paper focuses on PedR which is conducted, published and disseminated by academics situated within Life Science departments, rather than Schools of Education. The twenty-one teaching-focused academics in this study discussed their commitment to PedR integral to their academic identity, the challenges they faced in carrying out PedR, and their thoughts on REF 2014. Their opinions and conclusions give food for thought on decisions regarding inclusion of PedR in REF 2021

Citation

Tierney, A. (2020). The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and Pedagogic Research within the Disciplines: Should it be Included in the Research Excellence Framework?. Studies in Higher Education, 45(1), 176-186. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1574732

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 22, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Feb 17, 2019
• Publication Date: 2020-01
• Deposit Date: Jan 23, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Aug 18, 2020
• Journal: Studies in Higher Education
• Print ISSN: 0307-5079
• Electronic ISSN: 1470-174X
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 45
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 176-186
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1574732
• Keywords: teaching, pedagogic research, higher education, scholarship of teaching and learning, research excellence framework,
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/1526876