Campus Survey on the Status of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL) by Health Sciences Faculty

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) provides an opportunity for clinician faculty to learn, share, and execute research studies aimed at improving teaching and learning. Knowledge of faculty knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs regarding SoTL provide a framework to advance SoTL on health science campuses. However, clinicians generally arrive in academic settings lacking formal education in teaching and learning. Based on the work of McKinney (2007), faculty views on and involvement with the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) were examined at two health sciences campuses. This quantitative survey identified differences in knowledge, experience and attitudes regarding SoTL between faculty with different academic rank, teaching roles, and in different colleges at the same university. The attitudes, experience and knowledge of SoTL among faculty at a health professions university offers an interesting comparison with faculty at a public university. Relevant to clinicians entering academia with little or no formal education about teaching, the importance of SoTL is highlighted.