Exploring Indoor Rowing as Active Learning: A Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Protocol for Multidisciplinary University Students

This project investigates an innovative approach to university teaching by integrating short indoor rowing sessions into active learning environments. Grounded in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), the study uses a mixed‑methods, pre–post repeated‑measures design to evaluate how an eight‑week indoor rowing intervention influences students’ psychosocial, performance, and academic outcomes. Multidisciplinary undergraduate and postgraduate students will participate in weekly sessions incorporating goal-setting micro‑lessons, rowing bouts on Concept2 ergometers, immediate performance feedback, and structured reflection. Quantitative data will be collected using validated measures of exercise self‑efficacy, resilience, basic psychological needs, intrinsic motivation, group cohesion, academic engagement, and challenge–threat appraisals. Physical performance outcomes, including 500 m rowing time, stroke rate, and split metrics, will also be recorded. Weekly written reflections will provide qualitative insight into students’ experiences, motivation, and engagement and will be analysed thematically. Quantitative analyses will include paired t‑tests and mixed‑effects models, with qualitative findings integrated to create a comprehensive interpretation of learning processes and outcomes. By combining physical activity with reflective learning and real-time data interpretation, this study addresses gaps in the implementation of active learning practices in higher education. Findings will contribute to evidence‑based pedagogy by revealing how embodied, authentic tasks can support student engagement, confidence, resilience, and academic success. The research has the potential to inform curriculum design, enhance wellbeing, and provide a replicable framework for innovative teaching across disciplines.