What is SoTL?
Engaging with and producing Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) is a key activity for academics on the Teaching and Scholarship career track. It is the way that T&S academics develop and disseminate their practice. This page shares more about this important and impactful field of work.
Introducing SoTL​
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) publications are critical, reflective and evaluative of teaching practices and innovations, and advance ideas on how a subject should be taught. Primarily, SoTL work is disseminated through peer-reviewed journals, although there are a range of different ways to share teaching and learning outputs.
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Kern et al.’s (2015) contrasting of SoTL with other activities related to teaching can be illustrative in further defining an understanding of SoTL:
While all of the activities listed in Kern et al's Dimensions of Activities Related to Teaching are useful paths to develop strong and impactful teaching practices, this framework sets SoTL apart as work that is both systematic and public. If you wish to learn more, this video from the Centre for Engaged Learning provides some insightful perspectives on SoTL.
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Politics and International Relations is a discipline that has been noted as having a long-standing record of limited innovation in terms of its teaching and learning practices, which means there are significant opportunities for growth and the opportunity to foster more dynamic, evidence-based approaches to pedagogy.
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Engaging with and producing SoTL is a key aspect of teaching-focused academic careers. As a report into SoTL from the HEA has stated, ‘SoTL is a tool that is gaining traction internationally to develop and recognise teaching competence/excellence’. Through ASPIRE, we aim to promote the creation and dissemination of SoTL in the field of political science and international studies. See below for SoTL work produced by members of the ASPIRE network, as well as peer-reviewed journals that publish SoTL work related to Politics and International Relations.
Engage with SoTL
Use the links below to explore Politics and International Relations SoTL and the opportunities for developing your own SoTL through the ASPIRE Network
SoTL journals [coming soon]
There are a number of great journals that publish SoTL work in the field of Politics and International Relations. Finding the right publication for you and your work is a key step towards to getting your SoTL work out there.
Reading SoTL is an important part of staying engaged with contemporary teaching and learning practices. Through ASPIRE, we share the latest SoTL publications produced by our members, providing a great source of key reading on Politics and International Relations education.
Develop your SoTL [coming soon]
Members of the ASPIRE Network have the opportunity to work together to develop their SoTL work - make sure to check back soon to find out more