Studies in Higher Education Vol. 30, No. 4, August 2005, pp. 389–405 ISSN 0307-5079 (print)/ISSN 1470-174X (online)/05/040389–17 © 2005 Society for Research into Higher Education DOI: 10.1080/03075070500160095 Charting a critical course on the scholarship of university teaching movement Carolin Kreber * University of Edinburgh, UK Taylor and Francis Ltd CSHE115992.sgm 10.1080/03075070500160095 Studies in Higher Education 0307-5079 (print)/1470-174X (online) Original Article 2005 Society for Research into Higher Education 30 4 000000August 2005 CarolinKreber Department of Higher and Community EducationUniversity of EdinburghPaterson’s LandEdinburghEH8 8AQUKcarolin.kreber@ed.ac.uk It is argued in this article that, despite a steadily expanding literature on the scholarship of teaching, important questions regarding the purpose of the movement have not been sufficiently addressed, and, as such, the scholarship of teaching movement has not yet fully realized its potential to become a catalyst for curricula changes in higher education. The main purpose of this conceptual study was to explore the meaning of the ‘scholarship of teaching’, when conceptualized as the intellectual, practical and critical work done by college and university teachers that facilitates student develop- ment toward significant educational goals. Three such goals, that are also directly linked to the widely perceived need for lifelong learning, are self-management, personal autonomy and social responsibility. In pursuing this objective the theoretical lens of both critical theory and postmodern- ism was applied. Three implications that arise from a critical/postmodern stance on the scholarship of teaching are discussed. The first relates to how the scholarship of teaching is defined and ques- tions the inclusiveness of these definitions. This raises issues as to the purpose of the scholarship of teaching movement. The second implication relates to the goals and purposes of college teaching and how these are negotiated. The third implication relates to the extent to which our teaching prac- tices are aimed at the empowerment and emancipation of students. Introduction and purpose Over the past 15 years, the scholarship of teaching has developed into a concept of considerable popularity in higher education. Introduced by Ernest Boyer in the early 1990s and further developed by his colleagues at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in the United States (e.g. Shulman, 1987, 1998, 2000; Edgerton et al. , 1991; Glassick et al. , 1997; Hutchings & Bjork, 1999; Hutchings & Shulman, 1999; Cambridge, 2000; Huber & Morreale, 2002), the concept soon intrigued scholars also internationally, most notably in the United Kingdom (e.g. Department of Higher and Community Education, University of Edinburgh, Paterson’s Land, Edinburgh EH8 8AQ, UK. Email: carolin.kreber@ed.ac.uk