Finding your people, finding your place: Institutional collaborative writing groups as a compassionate approach to developing a professional SoTL identity

Abstract

Practising the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) has been shown to help staff from non-traditional backgrounds (e.g. professional backgrounds) develop a sense of belonging within academia. This article examines how institutional collaborative writing groups support inexperienced SoTL practitioners in finding their place within their institution. Drawing on literature about SoTL identity and collaborative writing groups (CWGs), we consider how these CWGs assist colleagues in shaping their professional identities. We found that some staff did not see themselves as ‘academics’ or ‘researchers’, especially when their job emphasised teaching, such as ‘Teaching Fellow’. However, they strongly desired recognition and appreciation for their expertise and experience as teachers. We argue that institutional collaborative writing groups provide a compassionate approach to academic development, fostering a sense of community and belonging among participants, which helps them build confidence as SoTL practitioners and as valued members of the university.