Scholarship of teaching and learning at AACSB accredited business school: who’s doing it, and how’s it captured?

Abstract

Purpose: This paper explores who, amongst the AACSB categorization of academics, conducts scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) research within business schools and how AACSB accredited business schools capture SoTL research as part of their portfolio of intellectual contributions. Design/methodology/approach: This study adopts a qualitative-method research design by collecting primary data through surveys, semi-structured interviews, and secondary data in policy documents focused on AACSB-accredited business schools in Canada and the United States. Findings: The findings establish that scholarly and practice academics who possess rigorously acquired research skills due to their terminal degrees are most likely to conduct SoTL research. The results also reveal an even split among respondents regarding whether their AACSB accredited business school captures SoTL with their journal ranking frameworks. Practical Implications: Based on the findings, two recommendations are offered to foster more SoTL research at AACSB-accredited schools. First, higher education leaders (e.g., business school deans) can further inculcate a culture of SoTL research at the department and institutional levels by creating communities of practice (CoP). Second, AACSB-accredited business schools could adopt more inclusive journal ranking frameworks to capture better and incentivize SoTL research. Originality/value: This is the first known study to explore how AACSB Standards 3 and 8 are implemented and operationalised regarding SoTL research. Understanding how these Standards are adopted and implemented could help institutional leaders, standard setters, and administrators better facilitate SoTL research.