Renewing pride in teaching: using theory to advance nursing scholarship

Teaching is, by its very nature, a scholarly activity. However, in the seventeen years since Boyer articulated teaching as a key domain of nursing scholarship, its full scholarly value has yet to be realized. The inherent nature of teaching scholarship is evidenced through mechanisms designed to build "bridges of understanding". Teaching scholarship then advances nursing scholarship by its impact on nursing practice. Recognizing teaching practices as scholarship also demonstrates pride in teaching. This article demonstrates the scholarship of daily educational practice by describing how reflections on the teaching-learning relationship, associated role changes, and time impact the "bridges of understanding". Theoretical frameworks of learning partnerships, learner-centered teaching, and critical inquiry are brought to life when described in terms of actual course activities. This, in turn, demonstrates how teaching advances nursing scholarship.