Does Boyer’s Integrated Scholarships Model Work on the Ground? An Adaption of Boyer’s Model for Scholarly Professional Development

Abstract

Boyer’s model of four scholarships as an integrated system engaging and integrating the scholarships of discovery, integration, application, and teaching is being increasingly adopted both by individual scholars and institutions. Here I reflect on my own adoption of this approach almost a decade ago, and I describe one application, its use in defining my professional academic profile. While this does not directly address issues of pedagogy, it provides a sound basis for improved pedagogical practice in higher education. I assess my adoption of Boyer’s model against several benchmarks grounded in the social life of academe: success of promotion; mentoring peers into their own professional development and promotion cycles; the development of a integrating research program; and as a basis for curriculum review and development. Drawing on this reflection, I conclude that Boyer’s model offers both promise and applicability across many domains of university scholarly life, and thus provides a sound basis for enhanced university teaching and learning.