The Scholarship of Practice and Stewardship of Higher Education

Abstract

This chapter describes the enactment of three levels of a scholarship of practice for higher education. The stewardship played by each of these levels constitutes the central focus of this chapter.

Critical considerations for enacting student success

“…This pivot is key given the complexities of higher education institutions and the overlooked labor of those navigating these complexities as they work to enact student success commitments (Taylor, 2021). Improving the implementation of student success efforts requires thoughtful consideration of the contexts within which these efforts are applied (Perna & Thomas, 2006; Taylor, 2021); the roles and knowledges of those responsible for implementation at various levels, especially those of practitioners (Bensimon, 2007; Stanton‐Salazar, 2011; Taylor, 2021); and the kinds of knowledges involved in constituting, shaping, and enacting student success efforts (Braxton & Reams, 2017; Taylor, 2021). While these topics have been and continue to be taken up in various ways, they are often discussed separately.…”

“…Scholarship of practice involves three components, discussed as levels: (1) empirically derived insights that can be used to inform practice and policy‐making; (2) empirical studies that advance practice through replicative, applicatory, and interpretive knowledges; and (3) the construction of a knowledge base for higher education practitioners using empirical studies of practice (Kramer & Braxton, 2017). Braxton and Ream (2017) offer reflections on how scholarship of practice could be enacted, arguing that the highest forms of stewardship of higher education come when senior leaders use empirical insights to inform their policy and decision‐making, and also involve the production and publication of empirical studies that advance practice. Notwithstanding its promise, the actual construction of a scholarly knowledge base to inform practice in higher education is a lofty goal given the diversity and complexity of the roles, functions, and topics that would need to be covered, and the low‐consensus nature of the field (Braxton & Ream, 2017; Kramer & Braxton, 2017; Torres et al., 2019).…”

“…Braxton and Ream (2017) offer reflections on how scholarship of practice could be enacted, arguing that the highest forms of stewardship of higher education come when senior leaders use empirical insights to inform their policy and decision‐making, and also involve the production and publication of empirical studies that advance practice. Notwithstanding its promise, the actual construction of a scholarly knowledge base to inform practice in higher education is a lofty goal given the diversity and complexity of the roles, functions, and topics that would need to be covered, and the low‐consensus nature of the field (Braxton & Ream, 2017; Kramer & Braxton, 2017; Torres et al., 2019).…”

The Scholars We Need: Preparing Transdisciplinary Professionals by Leveraging the Scholarship of Practice

“…They are being trained as disciplinary experts for roles in which they will need to solve transdisciplinary problems. The scholarship of practice is a type of research that aims to improve professional performance of individuals who implement that scholarship and build a knowledge base on efficacious professional practices to help institutional and societal leaders in the academy, industry, and the public sectors (Braxton, 2005). Rosenfield (1992), in her critique of efforts to train transdisciplinary scholars who could address public health concerns, noted that the "institutional and financial obstacles impeding the progression of knowledge and theory are far more stubborn than the conceptual ones" (p. 1355).…”

“…However, preparing graduate students with the foundational competencies to engage in a variety of professional practices is not enough; we also recommend introducing doctoral students to, and having them engage in, a type of reflection known as the scholarship of practice. The scholarship of practice is a type of research that aims to improve professional performance of individuals who implement that scholarship and build a knowledge base on efficacious professional practices to help institutional and societal leaders in the academy, industry, and the public sectors (Braxton, 2005). The dynamism of the contexts within which our doctoral students will be working will require a different type of scholar than was previously produced by our doctoral programs: one strongly anchored in the scholarship of practice.…”