Toward a Scholarship of General Education: Findings from a Scoping Review (2010–25)

Most universities collect data to ensure that their general education programs are functioning effectively, but those data do not always translate into a shared body of evidence-based practice. In this session, we will present the findings from a rigorous scoping review of research on general education (2010–25), which highlights open questions, lines of inquiry, and opportunities to advance evidence-based practice in general education.

Through their analysis, the presenters (co-editors of the Journal of General Education) will argue for the development of a distinctive “scholarship of general education” and outline a potential scholarly agenda for the field going forward. The session should be especially relevant to those who may be interested in conducting research on their own practice—or supporting others who do—with a particular focus on developing data that can address critiques, whether at the course, program, or institutional level of general education.