Reflecting on the “I” in ISSOTL
Several complicated conversations arose throughout our study around differing concepts of what the “I” in ISSOTL stands for. Key questions were raised including the following:
- What does it really mean to be an international organization?
- What are the key benefits and challenges of being international?
- How do different members define what it means to be an international society?
We realized, as did many participants, that people hold varied concepts of internationality. Below, you can read some of the ways in which participants described what it means to be international within ISSOTL.
- Internationality being about location: To be an international society is about geographic representation and inclusion within the society. To this end, rotating the conference each year is a key contributor to a sense of geographic internationality.
- Internationality being about language: To be an international society is to support conference sessions in languages other than English. It might also mean publishing Teaching and Learning Inquiry in languages other than English as well.
- Internationality and concepts of diversity: To be an international society is to value diversity. At the same time, diversity means different things to different people and therefore ways of honoring diversity differ as well. To what extent is ISSOTL’s understanding of diverse representation informed by Euro-North American values around diversity, equity, and inclusion? What other perspectives should perhaps be represented?
A related tension that exists within ISSOTL is the need to balance the organization’s philosophical or ideological values with practical realities of running a volunteer organization. ISSOTL members who have occupied leadership roles clearly prioritize the international mandate of the society and have worked to enhance the organization’s inclusivity. At the same time, they articulated the very real barriers that may exist in implementing some of the ideas that would further enhance the “I” in ISSOTL. These may include budgetary constraints, the time and particular expertise of journal reviewers or conference organizers, and logistical issues.
