From Reflection to Transformation: Reimagining Teaching Through Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) in Africa.
Ashesi's inaugural annual Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Africa Conference will convene higher education faculty, researchers, leaders, and students from across the continent. The conference is to heighten awareness, best practices, and offer opportunities to reflect on the practices of teaching and learning on the continent.
Conference Details
- 10th & 11th September 2025
- Ashesi University
- sotlafrica@ashesi.edu.gh
The Conference will be held in-person and will feature a mix of sessions to promote engagement, learning, and collaboration. The two-day conference will include keynotes and plenary sessions by leading SoTL scholars, interactive workshops, peer-reviewed paper and poster presentations, a cultural site visit, and networking dinners. Sessions will offer foundational and advanced SoTL content.
The conference registration fee is GHS 2,076.00 (approx. $160.00) for all presenters and in- person attendees. Virtual attendees are required to pay GHS 1,038.00 (approx. $80.00).
Undergraduate and graduate students may apply for a fee waiver by emailing sotlafrica@ashesi.edu.gh with the subject line: “SOTL Africa 2025 – Fee Waiver.
Showcase your completed or in-progress SoTL research and innovation from African institutions (150-word abstract and 500-word proposal, for review process), in the focus areas of:
Discipline-specific SoTL pedagogies with measurable teaching impact
Connecting SoTL to student success, teaching quality, and institutional effectiveness
Using SoTL to promote an inclusive and equitable learning environment.
Presentation Formats
- Paper Presentation: Structured presentation of SoTL inquiry covering methodologies, findings, and implications with audience discussion
- Poster Presentation: Visual summary on printed poster following specified guidelines for interactive discussion
Conference Speakers
Day 1: Wednesday, 10th September 2025 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Time | Activity | |
| 8:00 AM – 5PM | Registration | |
| 8:00 AM – 8:30AM | Breakfast / Snacks | |
| 8:30 AM – 8:45AM | Welcome – Prof. Angela Owusu-Ansah, Provost & Professor, Ashesi University; Vice President – Africa, ISSOTL | |
| 8:45AM – 9:00AM | Welcome – Prof. Michael Rifenburg, Professor, University of North Georgia, USA; President, ISSOTL |
|
| 9:00 AM – 9:30AM | Opening Plenary Speaker – Dr. Patrick Awuah | |
| 9:30 AM – 12:30PM | Concurrent Workshops I & II (3 hours) • Workshop I: Foundational Session Introducing Key SoTL Concepts and Practices. Facilitated by: Prof. Earle Abrahamson • Workshop II: Advanced Session Building on Foundational Content for Deeper Exploration of SoTL. Facilitated by: Dr. Peter Felton and Dr. Nancy Chick Coffee /Cocoa will be provided during the workshops. |
|
| 12:30PM – 1:30PM | Lunch | |
| 1:30 PM – 6:00PM | Sightseeing Site Visits: Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum This period will also offer opportunities for informal networking and social engagement. |
|
| 6:30PM | Dinner: Buka Restaurant | |
| 7:45PM | Drive back | |
| – | ||
Day 2: Thursday, 11th September 2025 | ||
| Time | Activity | |
| 8:00 AM – 5PM | Registration | |
| 8:00 AM – 8:30AM | Breakfast / Snacks | |
| 8:30 AM – 8:35AM | Welcome – Prof. Angela Owusu-Ansah | |
| 8:35 AM – 9:35AM | Opening Plenary – Panel on Embedding SOTL in the African Education Landscape: Making Our Voices Heard Panel Moderator: Dr. Hassan Wahab, Associate Professor, Department of Humanities & Social Sciences |
|
| 9:35AM – 10:35PM | The conference will feature five sets of paper presentations and two sets of poster presentations, showcasing peer-reviewed research from participants. Sessions will run in two venues concurrently: • Venue 1: Three sets of paper presentations running in sequence. • Venue 2: The remaining two sets of paper presentations and the two poster presentation sessions. Coffee/Cocoa Break will be provided. |
|
| 10:35AM – 10:45PM | Break | |
| 10:45AM – 12:00PM | A SOTL discussion by Prof. Michael Anthony Samuel on Developing a Syntax for SOTL in the South |
|
| 12:00PM – 1:00PM | Lunch | |
| 1:00PM – 2:00PM | Book Presentation: The SoTL Guide: (Re)Orienting the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning by Nancy Chick, Peter Felten, and Katarina Mårtensson A book presentation by Drs. Nancy Chick and Peter Felten Coffee/Cocoa Break will be provided. |
|
| 2:15 PM-2:30 PM | Book Presentation: The SoTL Guide: (Re)Orienting the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning by Nancy Chick, Peter Felten, and Katarina Mårtensson | |
| 2:30PM – 4:30PM | Plenary Workshop with Afrobarometer Afrobarometer will present an overview of their data systems and recent findings, followed by a discussion on how think tanks like Afrobarometer can inform and enrich research in SoTL through evidence-based insights. |
|
| 4:30PM – 5:00PM | Closing Plenary – Keynote Address | |
| 5:00PM – 5:10PM | Group Photograph | |
| 5:10PM – 6:15PM | Dinner Followed by a film screening by a renowned Ghanaian Playwright Uncle Ebo Whyte, Roverman Productions on campus (optional) |
- Proposal Submission Deadline: 30th July 2025
- Notice of Acceptance: 12th August 2025
- Registration Closes: 22nd August 2025
- Presenter Registration Deadline: 15th August 2025.
The conference will take place in-person at Ashesi University, Ghana, from September 10th to 11th, 2025, in the Hive Banquet Hall.
Faculty, higher education leaders, educational developers, students (undergraduate, graduate, and early-career researchers), teaching and research assistants, and anyone interested in enhancing teaching and learning through SoTL are encouraged to attend.
Find out more here: https://ashe.si/3Gw0eNO