title: Benefits, If Any, of a Knowledge for Contemporary Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Identified by Academic Chairs of Business Education Programs: A Case Study at a Leading Alberta Post-Secondary Institution
Creators: name: Warner, David
Publisher: name: Graduate Studies
Year: 2025
Subjects: subject: Higher Education Leadership
subject: Post Secondary Leadership
subject: Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)
subject: Academic Chair Leadership
subject: Academic Chairs
subject: Polytechnic Institution
subject: Leadership of the Post Secondary Context
subject: Education--Administration
subject: Education--Community College
subject: Education--Business
subject: Education--Curriculum and Instruction
subject: Education--Higher

description: An emergent lens of the post-secondary context is one of increasing demands from governments, businesses, the community, and other key stakeholder groups for improvement of quality in teaching and learning and the general accountability from post-secondary institutions. At the institutional level, these demands have evolved expectations for improvements in leadership and management strategies and practices of teaching and learning, as well as student outcomes and experience. Across the post-secondary sector, there have been appeals for greater soundness, consistency, and coherence in teaching, learning, curriculum, and assessment. The research study explored and informed of the potential benefits, if any, of academic chairs in the business education program at a leading post-secondary institution in Alberta having knowledge of contemporary Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) in relation to their respective programs. The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) involved the systematic study and reflection on teaching practices and student learning to improve educational outcomes. It emphasized evidence-based approaches, fostered innovation, and enhanced the quality of teaching and learning in higher education. The study endeavored to inform post-secondary institutions of potential benefits associated with strategies for hiring, policy development, and succession planning aimed at enhancing the knowledge and backgrounds of academic chairs in relation to the contemporary SoTL. The research illuminated the importance of the susceptibility, capacity, aptitude, and propensity of academic chairs in provisioning and improving the quality of teaching and learning, thereby enhancing student learning outcomes and experiences within the post-secondary context. The sample for this study comprised seven academic chairs from a leading post-secondary institution in Alberta. Academic chairs were the focus of the case study due to their direct leadership and management responsibilities and their influence over competitive business degree, diploma and certificate programs within the school. The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership model and work of Kouzes and Posner (2017) as well as the Seven Principles of Good Practice in Undergraduate Education by Chickering and Gamson (1987) provided the foundation of this research. Data was gathered through in-depth interviews, and the data analysis procedure involved thematic categorization. The key findings that materialized emerged from the interviews and transcripts included: (1) a wide variance in the backgrounds of academic chairs, (2) a consensus among respondents that academic chairs with knowledge of contemporary SoTL are better positioned to promote teaching efficacy, (3) an indication that these chairs can foster greater faculty collaboration and the establishment of communities of practice, (4) an expressed need for professional development focused on SoTL for academic chairs, and (5) a belief that academic chairs knowledgeable in SoTL can more effectively support faculty in aligning research and professional development with SoTL principles. In this study, "academic chair background" referred to the qualifications and experiences that individuals brought to their leadership roles, including their academic credentials, teaching experience, and program administration expertise. Their involvement in curriculum development, faculty development, and educational research, including SoTL, was also considered. These findings are important and highlight the integral role that knowledge of contemporary SoTL plays in enhancing the effectiveness of academic chairs. Understanding these dynamics accentuates the necessity for targeted professional development initiatives, which can ultimately lead to improved teaching quality and better student learning outcomes in post-secondary institutions. The case study facilitated the sharing of diverse perspectives, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of the research question and reinforcing the imperative for academic chairs to engage deeply with SoTL. The research advocates for institutional strategies that prioritize academic stakeholders with expertise in SoTL. By focusing on these stakeholders, institutions can noticeably enhance teaching practices and student learning outcomes. The findings are critical for making sense of the benefits, if any, for academic chairs to have knowledge of contemporary SoTL. The case study encouraged the disclosure of key findings by each respondent and their sharing of unique perspectives and experiences which, in turn, contributed to a more inclusive understanding of the research question. The findings discerned and uncovered a wide variance of backgrounds among the academic chairs. The academic chairs with a knowledge of contemporary SoTL presented a propensity and or predisposition to foster teaching effectiveness, promote scholarly activity, facilitate faculty collaboration, nurture communities of practice, and acknowledge the importance of professional development initiatives for academic chairs in SoTL. The study informed post-secondary institutions of the potential benefits of hiring, policy, development, and succession strategies that emphasize or enhance academic chairs’ knowledge and backgrounds in contemporary SoTL. The research illuminated the importance of academic chairs’ susceptibility, capacity, aptitude, and propensity to improve the quality of teaching and learning and improve learner outcomes and experiences in the post-secondary context