Cracking the Code of Scholarship : The Knowledge Structures of Journal Articles in Scholarship of Teaching and Learning From the Perspective of Legitimation Code Theory

Tang, Jonathan and Ashwin, Paul (2024) Cracking the Code of Scholarship : The Knowledge Structures of Journal Articles in Scholarship of Teaching and Learning From the Perspective of Legitimation Code Theory. PhD thesis, Lancaster University.

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Abstract

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) is an interdisciplinary field in higher education that helps improve how we teach and learn at universities. However, many new researchers find it hard to understand how to write and publish in this field. In my thesis, I explore the hidden rules of the game in writing and publishing SoTL by analysing 93 journal articles published in international SoTL journals. Using concepts from Legitimation Code Theory (LCT), I analysed the articles to find out what objects and relations of knowledge were emphasised in these articles, and how research outcomes were judged to determine their value to the field. My study found that: 1) successful publication was mainly based on what authors know rather than who they are; 2) the objects of study were clear, but the overall structure of the field was not; 3) authors often failed to sufficiently bring theoretical resources together; 4) qualitative approaches, questionnaires and surveys were most often used to study the research objects; 5) authors often failed to sufficiently evaluate their work critically; and 6) much SoTL work did not add consequentially to the field. These findings offer important insights into what counts as scholarship in SoTL journals. The key implications are: 1) faculty developers should understand the objects and relations of knowledge valued in journal publication to better help new authors; 2) new authors need to increase the accessibility of their work to ensure usefulness across countries and higher education systems, and explore new ways to evaluate teaching and learning beyond just surveys and interviews; and 3) new editors and reviewers may need to understand the interplay between how theory is used and how contributions are made in SoTL journals to better appreciate where and how the field needs to strengthen if it is to achieve its goals of enhancing teaching and learning.