Bob Dylan: ‘A Scholar (and Lyricist) of SoTL’

This article takes lyrics that reference concepts in education from Bob Dylan’s song canon to provoke thought about the nature and role of teaching and learning. The article subdivides a range of topics according to word occurrence in lyrics; information, knowledge, understanding, skills, teachers and teaching, learning, school & schooling, university & research and questions & answers. For example in relation to both schooling and skills Dylan, in Lonesome Day Blues, says “My captain, he's decorated - he's well schooled and he's skilled.” The use suggests a positive outcome from schooling in terms of skills development. What is suggested here is a way to use Dylan’s provocation to engage educators into considering the practice of their profession and the construction of their conception of teaching.