Ethical Considerations within SoTL Research

Early in graduate school, I was introduced to the idea of the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL). At that time, I was learning that my interest in academia was centered on teaching, but I was still invested in research. I saw SoTL research as an opportunity to use the classroom as a tool for research. It allows me to assess my classes, with the potential for improving learning outcomes for my students. As a doctoral student that will soon be on the job market, I like the idea of being able to evaluate my classroom or a new technique and publish my findings in a peer-reviewed journal. It helps me improve my teaching, and adds an extra line on my CV. It’s a win-win. However, as I gain more experience as an educator, I have learned to think of SoTL as a tool to improve teaching, rather than thinking of the classroom as a tool for research. ​

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