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The questions we ask ourselves as teachers are central to meaningful reflection and professional growth.  Reflective practice involves critically examining our teaching experiences, identifying areas for improvement, and implementing changes based on our observations and feedback (Brookfield, 2017). By reflecting on thoughtful, purposeful pedagogical questions, we can uncover insights about our teaching effectiveness and our students’ learning experiences. For example, we might ask, “How effectively did my lesson engage all students?”, “What evidence do I have that students understood the key concepts?”, and “What adjustments can I make to better support students who are struggling?” Questions like these promote a cycle of continuous improvement and mindfulness about how well our teaching responds to students’ needs for learning.

SoTL as Reflective Practice

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) provides a structured approach to reflective practice. SoTL involves systematically and critically examining our teaching and students’ learning to generate evidence-based insights that can inform and improve education.  SoTL research involves formulating focused research questions, collecting and analyzing data and sharing our findings publicly. 

I often meet faculty in workshops or consultations who have great ideas for SoTL projects or, at the very least, a sense of gaps in their teaching practices, classroom environment, or student learning that are worth investigating. However, many find it challenging to narrow down a topic to a purposeful, focused question to guide their inquiry. Here’s an example of a typical first draft of a SoTL question:

Do college-level students, currently struggling to collaborate effectively on group projects, become more competent at essential teamwork skills that enable the ability to create cohesive, productive, and high-quality group work when they are supported by group contracts, structured supports, and training sessions about group work that expose them to active learning opportunities in communication, coordination, conflict resolution, and project management?

With so many angles to examine the dynamics in our classrooms, it can lead to questions like the one above that are too complicated, too wordy, or try to cover too much of a topic.

But why does the quality of the question even matter?

Crafting Good SoTL Research Questions

Bishop-Clark and Dietz-Uhler (2012) emphasize that a well-formulated research question is foundational to a successful SoTL project. They highlight that a good question should be clear, focused, and researchable, guiding the entire research process from design to data collection and analysis. This clarity ensures that the study remains relevant and impactful, ultimately contributing valuable insights for teachers themselves and to teaching and learning more broadly.

To support reflection and the development of effective SoTL questions, I encourage faculty to experiment with a framework for different types of SoTL questions, paired with generative AI as a valuable thought partner for brainstorming and refining their questions. Let’s explore these ideas further below!

Four Types of SoTL Questions

Hutchings (2000) proposes a framework to support educators in reflective practice through formulating focused questions leading to impactful SoTL research.  The four types of questions include the following:

Type of Question	Description	Example
1. What works?	These questions focus on evaluating the effectiveness of different teaching approaches, strategies, or interventions.	In what ways does [technology/tool] contribute to [student engagement/retention]?
2. What is?	These questions describe a practice or condition in the classroom without necessarily evaluating its effectiveness.	How do students perceive [specific instructional strategy] in terms of [motivation/understanding]?
3. What would it look like?	These questions encourage teachers to visualize specific teaching practices or classroom scenarios	What changes would students notice if we shifted from [traditional approach] to [innovative approach]?
4. Emerging theories	These questions invite teachers to consider new or emerging theories in the field	How might [innovative approach] contribute to the evolution of educational theory?

If you have a SoTL topic in mind or a draft research question, you might want to experiment with different versions of it based on the four types of questions.

Using Generative AI as a Thought Partner

Generative AI can be an invaluable thought partner in generating good SoTL research questions. While tools such as Microsoft Copilot or ChatGPT can help to brainstorm research topics by analyzing data, identify trends and pinpoint aspects of teaching and learning for research, they are also incredibly useful for brainstorming and refining research questions.

AI can generate a range of potential research questions based on your topic, providing a starting point for deeper inquiry. In Chapter 7 of the Generative AI Guidebook for Teaching and Learning at Conestoga, we offer some examples of how to explore SoTL topics and use Microsoft Co-pilot to suggest research questions based on those topics.  Additionally, AI can help refine research questions by suggesting modifications and improvements based on best practices and relevant literature. This iterative process ensures that the research questions are well-informed, targeted, and capable of driving meaningful investigations.

Let’s improve the previous example question by using the 4 types SoTL questions and AI as a thought partner. 

Original Question:

Do college-level students, currently struggling to collaborate effectively on group projects, become more competent at essential teamwork skills that enable the ability to create cohesive, productive, and high-quality group work when they are supported by group contracts, structured supports, and training sessions about group work that expose them to active learning opportunities in communication, coordination, conflict resolution, and project management?

Next, I asked Microsoft Copilot to improve the question, using a specific prompt about the qualities and focus of the question, giving it some parameters to work within:

Prompt for Copilot: Make this a “What works” SoTL research question that is more specific, clear, and focused on a particular aspect of group work. It should also be open-ended to allow for in-depth exploration and analysis.

CoPilot Output: How do structured supports, such as group contracts and training sessions on communication and conflict resolution, impact the effectiveness and cohesion of college-level student group projects?

Copilot suggested a much clearer question, focusing on how specific structured supports “work” to impact group projects. At this stage, I may choose to continue to revise the question, if it is not exactly focused on the part of the topic that I want to explore.

If you’re unsure whether your research question is suitable for guiding your research, you can continue refining your prompt. Additionally, you might consider assessing your question using AI and some helpful criteria for good SoTL research questions.

Criteria for Good SoTL Research Questions

Criteria	Description	Sample AI Prompt
Relevance	Your question should be relevant to your field of study and has the potential to contribute to the existing body of knowledge. It should address a gap in the literature or offer a new perspective on an existing issue.	“Using research articles from the past 5 years on [insert topic], provide feedback on my research question about how relevant it is to existing research in the field [your area].  It should address a gap in the literature or offer a new perspective on an existing issue.”
Clarity	Your question should be clear and concise. Avoid jargon and ensure that the question is understandable to someone outside of your field. It should specify what you aim to explore, analyze, or understand through your research.	“Revise my research question for clarity and focus. Ensure that it is understandable to someone outside of [insert your field/focus] and it clearly demonstrates the purpose of my research”
Feasibility	Consider the feasibility of your question. Do you have the resources, time, and expertise to answer it? If not, you may need to narrow your focus or adjust your question to make it more manageable.	1. “Given my research question [insert question] please suggest some of the resources, time and expertise that I may need to carry out this study.” 2. “Given I have [resources, time and expertise] please adjust my research question accordingly.”
Methodological Alignment	Your question should align with your chosen methodology. The question should be designed in a way that it can be answered through the research methods you plan to use.	“Can you help me ensure that my research question aligns with my chosen methods [insert methods you will use to collect data]? The question should be designed in a way that it can be answered through the research methods I plan to use. Also provide guidance on how to achieve this alignment.”

Conclusion

SoTL, as a form of reflective practice, requires asking good research questions.  Good questions are essential for collecting meaningful data for making evidence-informed improvements to our teaching and our students’ learning. It can be helpful to use frameworks such as Hutchings’ four types of SoTL questions to provide structure in articulating a research topic, or more generally to gain a sense of gaps in learning and teaching in your classroom.  Additionally, it is useful to continue to explore how generative AI serves as an effective thought partner in planning, refining, and assessing your ideas and plans at various stages of the SoTL research process. 

For much more information and helpful guidance on incorporating AI in your teaching and SoTL research, be sure to check out the Generative AI Guidebook for Teaching and Learning at Conestoga. 

References

Bishop-Clark, C., Dietz-Uhler, B. (2012).  Engaging in the scholarship of teaching and learning: A guide to the process, and how to develop a project from start to finish. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003444497

Brookfield, S. D. (2017). Becoming a critically reflective teacher. Jossey-Bass.

Glassick, C. E., Huber, M. T., & Maeroff, G. I. (1997). Scholarship assessed: Evaluation of the professoriate. Jossey-Bass.

Poole, G. (2019). The scholarship of teaching and learning: A Canadian perspective. University of British Columbia Press.

Hutchings, P. (2000). Opening lines: Approaches to the scholarship of teaching and learning. Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

AI Disclosure

Microsoft Copilot was used to edit and refine the main paragraphs of this post for clarity and flow. It was also used to generate examples of the 4 types of SoTL questions and for refining the sample SoTL research question.