Exploring the nature and scope of teacher research in higher education: A systematic scoping review

Abstract

Despite the considerable engagement of university teachers in educational research, there have been no systematic, evidence-based investigations into teacher research in higher education. Therefore, a systematic scoping review on peer-reviewed teacher research articles published in academic journals from 2010 to 2019 was conducted to explore the nature and scope of teacher research in higher education. The review searched studies from eight electronic databases, including British Education Index, Education Abstracts, Eric (subscription version), ProQuest Education Journals, Scopus, Taylor and Francis Online Journals, Web of Science and ScienceDirect. The initial search generated 627 studies published in 2010–2019. After initial screening and full-text screening, 275 articles met the final inclusion criteria of the review, based on which a quantitative descriptive analysis was produced. A key finding from the review is that a significant volume of teacher research has been published by university teachers from various disciplines. However, very little of it was underpinned by solid theoretical frameworks which was a deficiency in the available literature. There is a clear need for university teachers who develop careers as academics specialising in teaching and educational research to understand the criteria of sound theory and design that facilitate publication in top-tier journals.