Education Department Statement on Scholarship
The field of education brings to the question of academic scholarship several complex issues. Scholarship in this discipline, of course, takes the same form as it does in other social sciences—research and theory resulting in books, articles, and presentation papers. But complexity arises first from the fact that the objects of knowledge in this field concern teaching and second because scholarship in education is shaped by outside forces beyond the control of the discipline.
First, there is teaching and its inherent element of performativity. Much of the scholarship in education necessitates the performance of particular teaching methods and strategies. That is, at the same time that new methods derive from research, they cannot exist without performance: an intrinsic component of any scholarship relating to teaching methods is the performance of those methods. In this, education differs from other academic fields, since the activity of scholarship requires both research and performance.
Since Boyer’s 1990 volume on multiple scholarships, groups interested in the scholarship of teaching have outlined criteria for the consideration of teaching as a scholarly activity. As Lee Shulman puts it: “To call something scholarship is to claim that it's public rather than private, that it's susceptible to peer review and criticism, and that it can be built upon by others.” In other words, like published research that involves public review, the scholarship of teaching must involve more than the ordinary expectations for course preparation and execution. It must include research, be made public by some means (such as school inservice presentations), be subject to evaluation by others in the field, and be susceptible to use by others. These standards are applicable to the research on teaching of an education department faculty.
But there are other conditions impinging on the scholarship of teaching in education. This second layer of complexity involves the outside forces that shape what it is possible to think of as scholarly work. National standards in the fields of education change the nature of both what is studied and how it is studied. Literacy studies, for example, are defined and circumscribed by national standards and scholarship must fall within their purview to be viable. State mandated changes, often implemented by legislators and not educators, cause revised curriculums and programs, necessitating time-consuming research into acceptable programmatic forms. The Luther education department certifies new teachers in all 50 states and it shapes its curriculum to meet the expectations of three contiguous states; considerable research is required to keep abreast of changes and new state requirements. Finally, teacher educators are required, by the nature of their field, to have a presence in the schools among working pre-K-12 teachers. Teachers rely on teacher educators to bring the latest developments in the field to them via inservices, workshops, student teacher supervision, and informal discussions; teacher educators rely on teachers in the schools to ground their research. Much of what constitutes active scholarship is, in other words, aimed at interaction with the schools.
These conditions of the discipline mean that scholarship in education must take multiple forms, from traditional research and writing, to more engaged and performative work among teachers and students in the schools and communities. The criteria for judgment of these latter forms of scholarship must be developed carefully and with an understanding of the emerging standards for the scholarship of teaching.
Traditional scholarship in education has an impact on the college classroom in several ways. Theoretical work centering on teaching affects classroom teaching directly by influencing decisions about goals, methods, and outcomes. Theoretical scholarship involving philosophical and/or political issues inform courses that concern themselves with the assumptions underlying educational practice, such as foundations and literacy courses. Research on the social contexts of education also has its place in foundation courses, and informs methods and practicum courses.
The scholarship of teaching has a direct impact on the teaching of college education classes. Because of the performative nature of the discipline, research into improved teaching strategies and methods must find application in the actual circumstances of teaching. Thus, the college classroom becomes a kind of laboratory and/or demonstration venue for new research into teaching.
Other scholarly activities in the education department also inform college teaching and learning. The Iowa Reading Journal, for example, a refereed professional journal that originates at Luther, provides an opportunity for publication and editorial work for young teacher/scholars. Luther education faculty have initiated and participated in numbers of college-school collaboration efforts, including the FAST (Families and Schools Together) program in which Luther students assist school children in high-risk families. Luther students serve as email mentors to 9th-graders in research and writing. Program development, in areas like international education and multicultural initiatives, allow Luther students to experience the results of faculty research and grant writing. Education faculty take students to regional and national conferences, encouraging them to present academic papers.
In education, the link between faculty research and student experience in the college classroom is much more direct than in other areas. Because the object of study in education is teaching and learning, the fruits of such studies often have direct applicability to student’s learning in the classroom and early teaching experiences.
The Luther education department is part of a liberal arts, church-related institution. As such it seeks to broaden the learning experiences of its students in a variety of ways, and to provide opportunities for personal and professional growth that exceed the limitations of many other, larger teacher-education institutions. Luther’s Paideia II course, Making Decisions for U.S. Schools, is a unique, interdisciplinary solution to the ubiquitously required “foundations of education” course. It has been noticed by the State Department of Education for its innovative syllabus and structure. Luther offers off-campus programming in education: The Arizona project takes students to reservation schools in a unique program of multicultural learning. New overseas programs provide students with experience in international education. A summer grant project in Postville brings Luther students into contact with the educational challenges of our new national demographics. The intent of the education department is to continue to develop and implement engaging and broadening programs of study for its students, in keeping with its long heritage as an essential component of Luther’s academic life.
Supporting checklist maybe obtained from the Education Department.
“Foreword,” Ethics of Inquiry: Issues in the Scholarship of Teaching and
Learning. Lee S. Shulman.
http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/eLibrary/docs/ethics_of_inq-fore.pdf
http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/eLibrary/inventing.htm