Making it “Count”: Translating your Teaching Innovations into Research Output

Inspired by life-changing teachers, many of us have pursued academia to share our love of classroom learning with the next generation of students. But our pedagogical innovations and the quality of our instruction do not always play a role in hiring and promotion. Many of us have been warned not to invest significant time into teaching, especially early in our careers. Even in venues specifically crafted to celebrate exciting pedagogical approaches to the ancient world (like the “Creative Pedagogies for Teaching the Ancient Near East and Egypt” I organized with Marta Ameri at the 2018 and 2019 American Schools of Overseas Research annual meeting), a frequent refrain about teaching brilliantly is that “this won’t get you tenure!” This reflection explores strategies of reframing, presenting, and translating your classroom innovations in ways that more academic institutions recognize.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO WRITE ABOUT TEACHING?

Readers of Ancient Jew Review are accustomed to articles featuring the teaching activities and strategies of colleagues. The popularity of these articles attests to their usefulness as readers try these ideas in their own classrooms. Over the past few years, through five institutions (and seven years spent on the job market), I have come to think about my teaching as a source of innovative, synthetic, and applied scholarly work. With this view, publishing about pedagogy can include the organization of conferences or sessions, presentations, podcast recording, website design, writing blog or magazine articles, and of course, the production of full-length peer-reviewed articles. Starting to write about pedagogy for publication might involve reflecting on questions like:

• How can we teach this principle or idea? How may different sources or activities convey these concepts effectively?

• How can I encourage my students to engage the ancient world with empathy? Can I relate practices or behaviors from the past to my student’s lives?

• How can I overcome the physical, resource-based, or diversity-related limitations of my institution and others like it, to teach about the ancient world?

• How can I limit tendencies toward over-simplification; xenophobic, racist, or orientalizing thinking? What type of classroom settings foster self-reflection on the assumptions or unconscious biases we bring to our analysis?

• Does this class / activity / source actually work pedagogically the way I think it does? Can I test it or reproduce those results reliably?

• Can I adapt theory or best practices from K-12 or higher education literature to the complex sources used to teach about the ancient world?

• Does teaching my area of expertise have relevance for teaching other disciplines?

Many academics only write about their teaching at three key moments: composing application dossiers, writing course syllabi, and perhaps when reflecting for annual reviews or tenure submissions. But there are many venues that, with the right framing, could showcase how you translate your expertise for students and what you have learned from the trial-and-error repetition of activities, paper prompts, and entire courses.

SHOULD I WRITE ABOUT TEACHING?

As with many features of the academic publishing world, advice for writing and publishing about your teaching methods will be subfield and institution specific. But a few general points can help academics at different stages of their careers navigate this potential secondary research focus. There may be some colleagues who will argue that this kind of publishing work is never worthwhile if it detracts from time spent on original research in our respective subfields. This argument rests on dual assumptions that are worth examining: first, that academic jobs are awarded solely on the basis of the quantity and quality of our published subfield research, and second, that any work done to obtain a wider audience for our teaching comes directly at the expense of other research. I would argue that both these assumptions are dubious.

Given the multiple demands on our time, we should of course be selective about our writing projects. Publishing about your teaching may be a good investment of your time if:

1. You have a (rare!) long-term position that explicitly values research on teaching. Many of the institutions which explicitly value this type of work will be small liberal arts colleges (SLACs), other undergraduate-only serving institutions, or para-academic fields like museum education. Some institutions heavily emphasize publications in your main research area, while others might make no distinction between peer-reviewed articles on teaching versus your research specialization. Familiarizing yourself with any policies clarifying criteria for faculty tenure or promotion is the first step. One example of an institution that clearly and explicitly values the scholarship of pedagogy is Wofford College (in Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA) which produced the following statement outlining four types of scholarship (based on Boyer’s four types of scholarship) to be counted for tenure and promotion:

This statement presents a clear and unambiguous position on the value attributed to scholarship on pedagogy and offers useful categories for early career scholars framing their research. Other institutions might be less clear, in which case a new faculty member could first approach their chair or department’s tenure and promotion committee to ask that language about the scholarship of pedagogy be clarified or added to existing documents. Given the lengthy and often nebulous process of tenure and promotion decisions, it is advisable to request written rather than verbal clarifications.

2. You are seeking a permanent position in an academic market (like the United States) which requires teaching as a central focus, but you have little experience with undergraduate instruction. Those who did not get many chances to teach while graduate students or who held research postdocs may find themselves in this position. Published work on teaching can be a convincing supplement to more limited teaching experience, and can, in some cases, persuade hiring committees you are committed to the craft of teaching. Finally, since so many on the job market are highly qualified, having accomplishments in multiple research areas may set you apart.

3. You have a motivated collaborator. Many in the humanities have already discovered the joy of writing collaboratively as a way to increased productivity (with social rewards!) and deeper analysis. One excellent example of this kind of partnership is Anne McLaughlin and Alicia McGill’s “Explicitly Teaching Critical Thinking Skills in a History Course” article, published in 2017 in Science and Education. McGill, a historian and anthropologist at North Carolina State University, partnered with a colleague in the department of psychology to complete a quantitative controlled study measuring the effect of an introductory-level history course (“Frauds and Mysteries of History”) on students’ critical thinking abilities. This collaboration served several ends: as a high-value peer-reviewed publication, external validation for McGill’s teaching methods, and a demonstration of how humanities courses can improve measurable critical thinking skills.

4. You find this mode of writing easier than your research writing. The past year has for many of us highlighted the ways in which caretaking, the health of our emotional ecosystems, and world events impact our abilities to focus on or even care about our academic work. Writing about your teaching shifts attention to the day-to-day impact you are having on your students, and the longer-term reverberations your courses could have. This type of writing can therefore feel more relevant and immediate, especially if you are reflecting on social justice themes or fostering empathy and critical thinking.

5. After tenure you may find it a particularly fruitful moment to reflect on the evolution of your teaching. Writing about your practices will offer early career scholars in your subfield valuable insights as they develop their own approaches to the classroom and can underscore the importance of thoughtful teaching for the next generation of scholars. You might also find this kind of analytical writing more suited to shorter pieces and conducive to writing “around” administrative tasks or service obligations.

HOW CAN I WRITE ABOUT TEACHING?

• Seek out resources, including possible collaborators. I recommend that you look for departments, centers, or institutions that support teaching and learning you might have access to, as an alum or a current affiliate. This might be as minimal as someone in your library system, or a colleague who keeps an email list for those interested in collaborating about teaching. You may also have access to a robust center for research on learning and teaching within your institution. Reaching out with an email as simple as “I’m an early career scholar looking for support around publishing about my teaching” will invite orientation to what kinds of support are available to you. Even if you can not locate personalized support, there are several centers that have excellent public websites which are worth referencing (e.g., Boston University’s Center for Teaching and Learning and the University of Michigan’s Center for Research on Learning and Teaching).

  You might have ideas already about colleagues you would like to approach for low-stakes collaborative writing. Initiating conversations about teaching, the scholarship of pedagogy, and publishing about your classroom experiences, you may also find unexpected interlocutors – especially across disciplines.

• Pick a project. Is there a class or teaching activity you are particularly proud of? Do you already feel excited to learn whether something you are doing in the classroom is really working? Were you inspired by a book on pedagogy and want to work out its implications for your subfield? Start with something that inspires confidence or curiosity.

If you are concerned about how to position your teaching innovations, I can suggest a few ways to frame your contributions. The following selective list of methods (with existing bodies of literature) lend themselves well to the textual, artifactual, and historical sources present in our classrooms:

Active learning = activities that involve student-driven engagement with learning, rather than passive memorization or regurgitation.

Authentic assignments = asking students to reflect on real-world situations related to your class content that they might encounter, even if they don’t continue in your area of expertise.

Case-based learning = engages groups of students in thinking through cases or case studies, which often involve a real-world dilemma or where multiple outcomes are possible.[1]

Close reading = paying slow, detailed, layered attention to a text in order to enrich interpretation.

Community-engaged learning = guiding students in your classes through engagement with community partners (a kind of service learning)

Experiential learning = hands-on or other doing-based activities that encourage students to reflect on these guided experiences.

Inclusive pedagogy = creation of supportive classroom environments that gives each student equal access to learning.

Materiality studies = exploration of physicality and the object world of the past, along with the ways these shaped human experiences.

Metacognitive reflection = writing about one’s own process of thinking (something we can engage in as faculty thinking about our own decision-making while teaching, or that we can encourage our students to practice).

• Select a venue. It can be overwhelming to research relevant journals or to communicate with a professional organization about starting a new session at their conference. Whenever possible, I recommend sending a low-stakes, short email inquiry first to ensure your submission or proposal would be welcome by a program committee, editorial staff, or other gatekeepers. But I would argue that it is also important not to overthink venue selection. Pick a place that intrigues you, look at their guidelines, and give it a shot. Their feedback will allow you to redirect your efforts if necessary for a better fit, and your correspondence will expose a new set of people to your ideas, applications, and personal profile.

While Ancient Jew Review will remain an accessible, peer-reviewed option for reaching a broad audience, there are additional venues to pursue. To help get you started with journal selection, I have compiled a list of (I) explicitly pedagogically oriented journals in subfields related to the study of antiquity; and (II) journals in higher education pedagogy more generally, for which submissions from our subfields may be rarer or of more novel interest. For the latter type of journal, note that most are looking for deep engagement with broader conversations around theory and method, and sometimes require reflection on international or national conversations in higher education. Often these journals will state clearly on their websites something like: “The journal will not publish purely descriptive accounts of data collection or uncritical reports of teaching and course delivery methods” (Arts and Humanities in Higher Education).[2]

List of explicitly pedagogically oriented journals and publishing venues in disciplines or subfields relating to the ancient world:

• Anthropology and Education (ISSN 1548-1492)

  • “a peer-reviewed journal that draws on anthropological theories and methods to examine educational processes in and out of schools, in US and international contexts. Articles rely primarily on ethnographic research [including study of students in the classroom -H. Dixon] to address immediate problems of practice as well as broad theoretical questions.”[3] Published by the American Anthropological Association.

• Art History Pedagogy and Practice (OCLC 967671355)

  • “a peer-reviewed open access e-journal devoted to scholarship of teaching and learning in art history.”[4] Published by Art History Teaching Resources, in conjunction with the City University of New York.

• Classical World: A Quarterly Journal on Antiquity (ISSN 0009-8418 [print] or 1558-9234 [online])

  • “a [peer-reviewed] journal for teaching scholars and scholarly teachers. It publishes substantive scholarship on Greek and Roman literature, history, and society as well as classical reception and the history of classical scholarship. The journal also actively engages the pedagogical community in schools, colleges, and universities by incorporating pieces on the teaching of Greek, Latin, and classical civilizations. …[it] is the official journal of the Classical Association of the Atlantic States (CAAS).”[5] Published by Johns Hopkins University Press.

• Hebrew Higher Education (ISSN 1058-3351)

  • “an online journal for methodology and pedagogy for teaching of Hebrew in institutions of higher learning.”[6] The Journal of the National Association of Professors of Hebrew.

• The History Teacher (ISSN 0018-2745)

  • “a peer-reviewed quarterly journal [that] … publishes inspirational scholarship on traditional and unconventional techniques in history education.” [7]

• Issues in Middle East Studies (OCLC 880144923)

  • Biannual newsletter of the Middle East Studies Association (MESA) that has a section dedicated to the Committee for Undergraduate Middle East Studies. Editorially reviewed. Reach out to the editor for more information (currently Sara Palmer, Sara[at]mesana.org).

• The Journal of Classics Teaching (ISSN 2058-6310)

  • “aims to be the leading journal for teachers of Latin, ancient Greek, Classical Civilisation and Ancient History internationally. JCT covers the primary, secondary and tertiary education sectors….”[8] Open access. Published by Cambridge University Press.

• Teaching Anthropology (ISSN 2053-9843)

  • “a peer-reviewed, open-access journal dedicated to the teaching of anthropology. A journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, TA promotes dialogue and reflection about anthropological pedagogies in schools, colleges and universities.” [9]

• Teaching Classical Languages (ISSN 2160-2220)

  • “the peer-reviewed, online journal dedicated to exploring how we teach (and how we learn) Greek and Latin.”[10] The journal of the Classical Association of the Middle West and South (CAMWS).

• The Wabash Center Journal on Teaching (ISSN 2689-9132)

  • “The journal publishes the scholarship of teaching (SoTL) in the fields of religious and theological studies, in both undergraduate and theological education contexts. The Wabash Center Journal on Teaching carries forth a particular type of academic writing in which teacher-practitioners critically reflect on their teaching practice -- surfacing their assumptions, and analyzing their pedagogical intentions and designs.”[11]

List of relevant international or national peer-reviewed journals in the field of higher education pedagogy:

• Active Learning in Higher Education (ISSN 1469-7874 [print] or 1741-2625 [electronic])

  • “an international, refereed publication for all those who teach and support learning in higher education (HE) and those who undertake or use research into effective learning, teaching and assessment in universities and colleges. The journal is devoted to all aspects of development, innovations and good practice in higher education teaching and learning.”[12] Published by SAGE Journals.

• Arts and Humanities in Higher Education (ISSN 1474 0222 [print] or 1741 265x [online])

  • International peer-reviewed article that seeks to “publish articles characterized by profound thought about both the interface between research and teaching in the subject in question and the transformational purposes of a higher education.”[13] Published by SAGE Journals.

• College Teaching (ISSN 8756-7555 [print] or 1930-8299 [online])

  • “an interdisciplinary academic forum on issues in teaching and learning at the undergraduate or graduate level. The journal publishes three kinds of articles. Regular, full-length articles of up to 5,000 words reporting scholarship on teaching methods, educational technologies, classroom management, assessment and evaluation, and other instructional practices that have significance beyond a single discipline. …Quick Fix articles, up to 500 words, present techniques for addressing common classroom problems. Commentaries, up to 1,200 words, provide thoughtful reflections on teaching.” [14] Double-blind peer reviewed. Published by Taylor & Francis.

• The Journal of Effective Teaching in Higher Education (ISSN 2578-7608)

  • “an open access electronic peer-reviewed journal that advances the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) focused on institutions of higher education. Theoretical explorations, evidence-based studies, and praxis submissions are welcome.”[15] Supported by the Center for Teaching Excellence and Center Faculty Leadership at the University of North Carolina Wilmington

• Journal of Online Learning and Teaching (ISSN 1558-9528)

  • “a peer-reviewed, open-access, online publication that aims to promote scholarship in the use of the Internet and web-based multimedia resources in higher education.”[16] Published by MERLOT, an initiative of the California State University Office of the Chancellor.

• Journal on Excellence in College Teaching (ISSN 1052-4800)

  • “peer-reviewed journal published at Miami University by and for faculty at universities and two- and four-year colleges to increase student learning through effective teaching, interest in and enthusiasm for the profession of teaching, and communication among faculty about their classroom experiences.”[17]

• Transformations: The Journal of Inclusive Scholarship and Pedagogy (ISSN 1052-5017 [print] or 2377-9578 [online])

  • “a peer-reviewed interdisciplinary forum for pedagogical scholarship exploring intersections of identities, power, and social justice. The journal features a range of approaches, from theoretical articles to creative and experimental accounts of pedagogical innovations, from teachers and scholars from all areas of education.”[18] Published by Penn State University Press.

As we continue to write, think, and publish about aspects of our teaching, it is my hope and prediction that a distinct pedagogy of the ancient world will begin to emerge. Scholarship on our teaching as well as our writing for a broader audience stands as applied research, valuable for our institutions as well as broader publics. A fine example of this is the 2020 volume An Educator's Handbook for Teaching about the Ancient World, edited by Pinar Durgun, and available as a free open access resource through ArchaeoPress. This volume represents a useful and timely collaborative contribution for those trying to adapt their usual teaching plan to online or hybrid settings. But its publication actually inspired the ASOR Honors and Awards committee to create a special award to recognize its unique value to the field. While many of us are cautious about pursuing this type of scholarship, it may well be that recognition can only follow those who bravely attempt these contributions and thereby illustrate its rich potential to shape historical studies across the academy.

Helen Dixon specializes in Phoenician mortuary practices, religion, and social history in the first millennium BCE. She currently serves as Assistant Professor of History at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, where she teaches courses on the history of magic, the ancient Middle East, the Greco-Roman world, as well as public history and museum studies. She has held previous appointments as Assistant Professor of Religion at Wofford College, Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Helsinki, and Postdoctoral Teaching Scholar at North Carolina State University. You can follow her on Twitter.

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[1] For a good summary of how to successfully use cases in this way, see the Boston University Center for Teaching and Learning’s write up.

[2] https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/journal/arts-and-humanities-higher-education (accessed 17 June 2020).

[3] https://anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/hub/journal/15481492/aims-and-scope/read-full-aims-and-scope (accessed 19 June 2020).

[4] https://academicworks.cuny.edu/ahpp/ (accessed 19 June 2020).

[5] https://www.press.jhu.edu/journals/classical-world-quarterly-journal-antiquity (accessed 19 June 2020).

[6] http://www.naphhebrew.org/publications/higher-education-hebrew (accessed 19 June 2020).

[7] https://thehistoryteacher.org/ (accessed 18 June 2020).

[8] https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-classics-teaching (accessed 19 June 2020).

[9] https://www.teachinganthropology.org/ (accessed 19 June 2020).

[10] https://tcl.camws.org/ (accessed 19 June 2020).

[11] https://www.wabashcenter.wabash.edu/journal/ (accessed 18 June 2020).

[12] https://journals.sagepub.com/description/ALH (accessed 18 June 2020).

[13] https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/journal/arts-and-humanities-higher-education (accessed 19 June 2020).

[14] https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=aimsScope&journalCode=vcol20 (accessed 19 June 2020).

[15] https://jethe.org/index.php/jethe/about (accessed 18 June 2020).

[16] https://jolt.merlot.org/ (accessed 18 June 2020).

[17] http://celt.miamioh.edu/ject/about.php (accessed 18 June 2020).

[18] http://www.psupress.org/Journals/jnls_Transformations.html (accessed 19 June 2020).