Faculty engaging in SoTL come from a wide range of research contexts and disciplines, a situation that brings richness to the field while posing challenges to the researcher. Many are not familiar with research methods in SoTL and the constraints related to conducting research involving human participants (Fenton & Szala-Meneok, 2010). The dual role that most SoTL researchers embrace as both educators and scholars further complicates their entry into the field. As MacLean & Poole (2010: 1) aptly point out, “teachers who act also as scholars of teaching and learning in the practice of their discipline must consider the ethics of their dual roles in situations in which their students are also their subjects of research.”
This guide seeks to provide guidance to York faculty interested in engaging in SoTL, in particular with regards to the ethical dilemmas introduced by their dual role as teacher and researcher.
