Abstract
SoTL scholars have written about the importance and utility of teaching from a guiding theoretical framework. In this paper, ecological theory and specifically Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model, is examined as a potential framework for synthesizing SoTL research findings to inform teaching and learning scholarship at the college level. A general overview of the bioecological model of human development and its application to the SoTL literature are provided. The benefit of adopting an ecologically-based framework to better understand and exploit the interdisciplinary nature of SoTL is discussed.
Highlights
SoTL scholars have written about the importance and utility of working from a guiding theoretical framework when teaching and conducting research, yet a theoretically grounded framework for integrating scholarship on teaching and learning is absent from the SoTL literature (Felten, 2013)
In this paper the bioecological model is proposed as a theoretical framework for integrating SoTL research findings and facilitating interdisciplinary collaborations among faculty
An ecological theoretical framework is appropriate for synthesizing SoTL research because it draws attention to the dynamic interplay between students’ individual characteristics and their learning environments, and how multiple factors are important to consider as instructors prepare for a productive academic year
Summary
SoTL scholars have written about the importance and utility of working from a guiding theoretical framework when teaching and conducting research, yet a theoretically grounded framework for integrating scholarship on teaching and learning is absent from the SoTL literature (Felten, 2013). In this paper I propose Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model as a theoretical framework for integrating research on teaching and learning in higher education. The bioecological model is studied in many disciplines and broad enough to capture proximal and distal influences on student learning, while attending to individual variation and student-environment interactions.
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