Strangers in a strange land – on becoming scholars of teaching

This paper reports on a qualitative study that explored the challenges experienced by nine emerging scholars of teaching at a research-intensive university in South Africa. It details three problem areas encountered during the process of becoming scholars of teaching: (1) negative perceptions about the work and related reward concerns, (2) concerns about mastering this form of enquiry, and (3) identity issues. Whilst the first two have been described in SoTL literature, the third – identity issues – has not received attention in the literature in this area. These concerns are discussed using the constructs of Discourse, academic cultures and communities of practice.