Sustaining SoTL Work in the Future: The Role of Encouragement

Abstract

An important way that SOTL will be sustained that does not appear to have been addressed in existing literature is through the encouragement that faculty who undertake it experience. Adlerian encouragement theory[1] posits that encouragement is crucial to behavior change. Thus faculty will need encouragement in order to change their behavior to align with SOTL. For the last nine years I have mentored over one hundred students’ undergraduate research for presentation at conferences. For this session we will examine the evidence from 30+ e-mails and/or survey responses sent when the instructor sought information about their undergraduate research experience. We will analyze the content of these qualitative sources to discover both what the instructor did to encourage the students and what the students said that has so encouraged the instructor. More specifically, conducting the SOTL inquiry on mentoring student undergraduate research is forcing me to re-evaluate what I do and how to make improvements. It is shaping a protocol of effective undergraduate research mentoring. But reflecting on and analyzing my mentorship of student research has reaffirmed for me the value of my work and has resulted in the rejuvenation of a mid-career faculty member through SOTL. This can happen for other faculty too. After attending this session you may find encouragement from your students as well and a literature may be built around the role of encouragement in sustaining SOTL.

[1] School Counselor Consultation p. 110