When questions keep circling
Many educators recognise this feeling.
You sense that something in your teaching or programme is not quite working.
Students struggle.
Learning outcomes fall short of what you hoped for.
Good ideas keep circulating, but do not really land.
You care deeply about quality.
You want learning to improve.
But you do not want another “nice idea”, quick fix or generic training.
A more grounded way forward
This is where the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, or SoTL, can help.
SoTL starts from your own teaching and learning context.
From questions that matter to you and your students.
It creates space to look more carefully, before deciding what to change.
It helps you understand what is happening, before acting on it.
For many educators and teams I work with, SoTL brings relief.
It creates focus, structure and confidence in situations that previously felt complex or overwhelming.
What SoTL looks like in everyday teaching practice
In practice, SoTL is not about large research projects.
And it is not about adding extra work.
It is about systematically inquiring into what is already happening in your teaching or learning environment.
This often means:
- starting with a concrete question from practice
- thinking through and designing a small, informed teaching or learning intervention (grounded in what we know about student learning)
- trying this out in your own context
- gathering small but meaningful evidence of what happens
- reflecting, discussing and sharing what you learn, so others can build on it
SoTL sits between everyday teaching and formal research.
Inquiry by educators, for educators.
Embedded in real contexts and focused on improving student learning.
If you want a concise introduction, the SoTL Quick Guide offers a clear starting point.
It explains what SoTL is (and is not), why it matters, and how to take a first step in your own context.
What changes when SoTL is used well
When SoTL is used well, it supports improvement on several levels at once:
For students
– Learning becomes more active and engaging
– Motivation increases as learning makes more sense
– Students are better able to connect ideas and apply what they learn
– Teaching choices are informed by how students actually learn in this context
For educators
– Teaching questions are shared rather than carried alone
– Conversations about learning become richer and more grounded
– Educational choices can be explained, discussed and developed together
– Educators increasingly feel part of a learning-oriented community
For teams and organisations
– Insights from teaching practice become visible and shareable
– Educational impact can be articulated and discussed more clearly
– Collaboration across courses or programmes is strengthened
– Quality and development are grounded in evidence from learning, not only in formal requirements
SoTL helps connect everyday teaching practice to broader conversations about quality and improvement — in ways that are meaningful, explainable and sustainable.
How I work with SoTL
I work with SoTL as a way to help educators, teams and organisations make sense of questions about teaching and learning in their own contexts.
Over the years, my work with SoTL has taken place at different levels of practice and organisation.
I have worked with individual educators, with teams and with institutions.
I have also been active internationally in the SoTL community, contributing to exchange, recognition and development of the field.
In practice, this means I work with educators and teams to:
- clarify learning-focused questions that matter in their context
- explore how SoTL can become shared practice, not just individual projects
- design SoTL work that is feasible within everyday constraints
- translate insights about student learning into concrete improvements
What I value most about SoTL is the way careful inquiry, disciplinary perspective and collective learning come together.
Working on real questions about student learning, and seeing insights travel within teams and communities, is what makes this work meaningful to me.
My background in scientific research and educational development allows me to work comfortably with complexity and with different disciplinary ways of knowing. I am used to working with SoTL from within disciplines, rather than approaching teaching questions primarily from educational science. Many educators recognise this stance as practical and supportive.
Ways of working together
Depending on your context and questions, there are different ways of working together with SoTL.
This can include:
- one-on-one sparring or mentoring around SoTL questions and project design
- workshops or sessions for teams or programmes
- longer-term trajectories supporting SoTL-informed development
- embedding SoTL in existing structures, such as teaching portfolios, professional development or review pathways, curriculum work or quality conversations
These forms of collaboration can stand alone or be combined — depending on what fits your context.
Getting in touch
If this sounds like a good fit, you are welcome to get in touch.
You can message me here or email me at info@irmact.com.
We can start by exploring what SoTL might look like in your setting.