What is SoTL?

Wednesday, September 10, 2025

Written by

Have you ever tried something new in your teaching and found yourself wondering whether it supported student learning as you intended? Or noticed students engaging with an assignment in ways that surprised you? These moments of curiosity can be more than passing questions; they are opportunities for engaging in scholarly inquiry! In this article, we’ll explore some common questions about SoTL and then share a real-world case study that shows how questions like these can evolve into meaningful SoTL research.

First, to answer the question in the title: SoTL stands for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, and it is a way for instructors to explore their teaching with curiosity and reflection, like how they may approach scholarly activities or research in their own fields. Instructors engaging in SoTL typically begin with a question about teaching or student learning. They gather evidence from their courses in a scholarly manner and share their findings so others can learn from their experiences. By reflecting meaningfully on their own teaching, instructors deepen their own practice while also contributing to broader conversations about how students learn (Chick, n.d.; Chick, 2018).

Felten (2013) describes five key principles for effective SoTL: inquiries should focus on student learning, be grounded in the teaching context, use sound methods, involve students, and be shared publicly. SoTL is not limited to any single approach; it can include social science research (Yeo et al., 2024), narrative inquiry (Ng & Carney, 2017), or arts-based and humanities-informed approaches (Center for Engaged Learning, n.d.-a). Because it can draw on many different methods, SoTL is a multidisciplinary dialogue enriched by a variety of perspectives and approaches (Nasrollahian Mojarad et al., 2024).

What is the Purpose and Value of SoTL?

Traditional pedagogical research often begins with a gap in the literature, while SoTL starts with lived teaching experiences, such as an interest, curiosity, or challenge. Rather than viewing challenges as failures, SoTL frames them as opportunities to learn more through inquiry (Bass, 1999). Bass (2020) describes many modern teaching challenges as “wicked problems,” because they are complex and interconnected. SoTL offers a scholarly way to engage with these questions, which can lead to growth in both teaching practice and scholarship (Miller-Young & Chick, 2024).

Because SoTL is rooted in classroom experience, it is inherently reflective. It encourages instructors to examine their beliefs, behaviors, and assumptions (Hamilton & McCollum, 2024), and consider how these shape student learning. Through thoughtful reflection and analysis of classroom evidence, instructors can uncover insights that inform meaningful, data-driven enhancements to their teaching (Gayle et al., 2013).

A SoTL study is stronger when situated within educational literature, theory, and teaching frameworks, which provide context and deepen the analysis (Miller-Young & Yeo, 2015). Equally important, SoTL findings can be shared through presentations, publications, or other scholarly outlets, allowing peers to give feedback, build on the work, and advance broader understanding of teaching and learning. Because SoTL is both reflective and rigorous, it has the potential to serve as meaningful evidence in promotion and tenure reviews (Gansemer-Topf et al., 2022). We encourage instructors, departments, and colleges at the University of Iowa to begin conversations about how SoTL work might be recognized as a form of scholarship and reflection within these processes.

What Does SoTL Look Like in Practice?

To illustrate SoTL in practice, the following example shows how an instructor can turn a moment of insight and curiosity into a SoTL inquiry, beginning with a reflective question and leading to meaningful ideas and changes in practice. This case study is adapted from a real SoTL study (Prado & Brandriet, 2025).

SoTL Case Study: Belonging in Introductory STEM

An instructor of a large introductory chemistry course was curious about her students’ sense of belonging. Despite frequent group work and support from learning assistants (former students who excelled in the course and now help facilitate group work), the instructor noticed that some students were engaged and connected while others seemed withdrawn or uncertain. This led to her SoTL inquiry: How do students describe their sense of belonging in a large active learning course facilitated with learning assistants?

To explore these questions, the instructor adapted a classroom survey focused on belonging that she found in the literature. The survey included both rating scale and open-ended questions. This allowed students to rate how they felt about their sense of belonging in the course and explain their experiences in their own words. The analysis of the data showed a clear connection between students’ sense of belonging and their course grades, even when they were asked not to focus on performance. These findings led the instructor to make thoughtful changes to her teaching. She began offering more individual support, including one-on-one conversations after exams to help students see that setbacks do not define their place in the course and that there are paths for growth.

This example shows how SoTL can grow from simple classroom insight and a question into a reflective, evidence-based inquiry that helps understand students’ experiences, improve teaching, and contribute to broader teaching conversations.

How Can You Get Started?

👉 A fun way to get started is by registering for the Designing Your SoTL Study workshop on September 26. The session is open to all, whether you’re just getting started or looking to deepen your inquiry.

👉 To schedule an individual SoTL consultation, contact us at teaching@uiowa.edu.

👉 If you’re interested in joining our SoTL Faculty Learning Community or accessing our asynchronous SoTL ICON resource, please email us at teaching@uiowa.edu. We invite you to join to connect with other colleagues who are also exploring teaching through scholarly reflection.

In partnership with University Libraries, we’ve created a SoTL LibGuide with recommended books, articles, and journals to support your research, and we encourage you to explore this guide. Here are several especially helpful titles, available online through the UI Library or open access:

Please stay tuned for the next piece in this series focused on SoTL research questions, which will appear in an upcoming newsletter.

References

Bass, R. (1999). The scholarship of teaching and learning: What’s the problem? Inventio, 1(1).

Bass, R. (2020). What’s the Problem Now? To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development, 837. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/podimproveacad/837

Bishop-Clark, C., & Dietz-Uhler, B. (2012). Engaging in the scholarship of teaching and learning: A guide to the process, and how to develop a project from start to finish. Stylus Publishing.

Center for Engaged Learning. (n.d.-a). Arts & Humanities and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/studying-engaged-learning/what-is-sotl/

Center for Engaged Learning. (n.d.-b). SoTL vs Scholarly Teaching. https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/studying-engaged-learning/sotl-vs-scholarly-teaching/

Chick, N. L. (n.d.). The SoTL guide. Nancy L. Chick: SoTL scholar, scholarly teacher, faculty developer. Retrieved August 26, 2025, from https://nancychick.wordpress.com/sotl-guide/

Chick, N. L. (Ed.). (2018). SoTL in action: Illuminating critical moments of practice. Routledge.

Felten, P. (2013). Principles of good practice in SoTL. Teaching and Learning Inquiry: The ISSOTL Journal, 1(1), 121–125. https://muse.jhu.edu/article/504206

Gansemer-Topf, A. M., Marcketti, S., Hengesteg, P., & Freeman, S. A. (2022). A decade in the making: Examining the evidence of SoTL through promotion and tenure artifacts. Teaching and Learning Inquiry, 10. https://doi.org/10.20343/teachlearninqu.10.24

Gayle, B. M., Randall, N., Langley, L., & Preiss, R. (2013). Faculty learning processes: A model for moving from Scholarly Teaching to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Teaching & Learning Inquiry: The ISSOTL Journal, 1(1), 81–93. https://doi.org/10.2979/teachlearninqu.1.1.81

Hamilton, M., & McCollum, B. (2024). Moving from “good” to “great” SoTL: The importance of describing your research epistemological and ontological traditions in your SoTL scholarship. Teaching & Learning Inquiry, 12, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.20343/teachlearninqu.12.31

Miller-Young, J., & Chick, N. L. (2024). Becoming a SoTL scholar. Elon University Center for Engaged Learning. https://doi.org/10.36284/celelon.oa6

Miller-Young, J., & Yeo, M. (2015). Conceptualizing and communicating SoTL: A framework for the field. Teaching & Learning Inquiry: The ISSOTL Journal, 3(2), 37–53. https://doi.org/10.2979/teachlearninqu.3.2.37

Nasrollahian Mojarad, S., Santucci Leoni, A., Manarin, K., Miller-Young, J., & Yeo, M. (2024). Positioning theory in SoTL inquiry: Converging perspectives. Transformative Dialogues: Teaching and Learning Journal, 17(1), 14–23. https://doi.org/10.26209/td2024vol17iss11809

Ng, L., & Carney, M. (2017). Scholarly personal narrative in the SoTL tent. Teaching & Learning Inquiry, 5(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.20343/teachlearninqu.5.1.10

Potter, M. K., & Kustra, E. D. H. (2011). The relationship between scholarly teaching and SoTL: Models, distinctions, and clarifications. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 5(1), Article 23. https://doi.org/10.20429/ijsotl.2011.050123

Prado, J. R., & Brandriet, A. R. (2025). Students' Belonging Experiences in an Active Learning Introductory Chemistry Course Facilitated by Learning Assistants. Transformative Dialogues: Teaching and Learning Journal, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.26209/td2025vol18iss11863

Yeo, M., Miller-Young, J., & Manarin, K. (2024). SoTL research methodologies: A guide to conceptualizing and conducting the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Routledge.