Reimagining Teaching Recognition : Motivational Incentives in University Merit Systems

This study explores systems for recognizing and rewarding teaching excellence in higher education, where engagement in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) is considered an important merit. Nearly a decade ago, Fanghanel et al. (2016) identified the underutilized potential of teaching recognition as an institutional tool. More recently, Graham (2025) has documented a transformation in university teaching reward systems, shaped by shifting institutional priorities and policy changes. Drawing on interviews with over 130 leaders and change-makers from 26 countries, Graham highlights initiatives that could redefine teaching recognition in the sector.Our study investigates the merit systems at three research-intensive Swedish universities known for their commitment to rewarding teaching excellence. SoTL is embedded within the assessment criteria of these reward systems, shaping how teaching excellence is evaluated. We focus on the motivational factors presumed to attract educators to participate in these systems and examine their justification from both institutional and individual perspectives. Using a framework proposed by Bolander Laksov et al. (2025), we categorize six motivational incentives: status, recognition, power and influence, financial compensation, autonomy, and personal development.The first phase of our research involved an analysis of institutional documents outlining the structure and purpose of these merit systems. Findings indicate that universities primarily emphasize external motivational factors such as status and financial compensation. The ongoing second phase consists of interviews with educators and university leaders, revealing a more nuanced motivational landscape, where autonomy and personal development emerge as particularly salient.By examining the narratives of educators and university leaders, our research contributes to a broader conversation about the future of teaching recognition in academia. As universities continue to reshape their merit systems, our findings highlight the importance of aligning institutional incentives with educators’ intrinsic motivations to imagine new horizons – where teaching is not only acknowledged but meaningfully rewarded.References:Bolander, K., Jons, L. & J. Edsjö (in press). Pedagogisk meritering utan pedagogisk meriteringsmodell, går det? In Winka, K. & Åsa Ryegård, Å. (Eds.). Pedagogisk meritering i och för förändring. Västerås: Mälardalens Universitet.Fanghanel, J., Pritchard, J., Potter, J., & Wisker, G. (2016). Executive summary defining and supporting the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL): A sector-wide study (Report14 SAGE Open No. HEA-RT05). University of West London and Higher Education Academy.Graham R. (2025). Rewarding teaching in academic careers. Advancing Teaching. Available at: https://www.advancingteaching.com/resources/2025-Global-mapping-report.pdf. Accessed 3 March 2025.