scholarly journals Evaluating the impact of a classroom simulator training on graduate teaching assistants’ instructional practices and undergraduate student learning

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tong Wan ◽  
Constance M. Doty ◽  
Ashley A. Geraets ◽  
Christopher A. Nix ◽  
Erin K. H. Saitta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Student Learning ◽  
Instructional Practices ◽  
Undergraduate Student ◽  
Teaching Assistants ◽  
Graduate Teaching Assistants ◽  
Simulator Training ◽  
Graduate Teaching ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals The Impact of a Pedagogy Course on the Teaching Beliefs of Inexperienced Graduate Teaching Assistants

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. ar5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Star W. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Concept Maps ◽  
Teaching Assistants ◽  
Graduate Teaching Assistants ◽  
Teaching Beliefs ◽  
Secondary School Education ◽  
Graduate Teaching ◽  
The Impact

There has been little attention given to teaching beliefs of graduate teaching assistants (GTAs), even though they represent the primary teaching workforce for undergraduate students in discussion and laboratory sections at many research universities. Secondary school education studies have shown that teaching beliefs are malleable and can be shaped by professional development, particularly for inexperienced teachers. This study characterized inexperienced GTAs’ teaching beliefs about student learning and how they change with a science-specific pedagogy course that emphasized student learning. GTA teaching beliefs were characterized as traditional (providing information to students), instructive (providing activities for students), and transitional (focusing on student–teacher relationships). At the start of the course, traditional, instructive, and transitional beliefs were emphasized comparably in the concept maps and presentations of inexperienced GTAs. At the end of the course, although GTAs’ beliefs remained mostly teacher focused, they were more instructive than traditional or transitional. GTAs included teaching strategies and jargon from the course in their concept maps but provided minimal explanations about how opportunities for active student engagement would impact student learning. These results suggest there is a need to provide ongoing discipline-specific professional development to inexperienced GTAs as they develop and strengthen their teaching beliefs about student learning.

Graduate Teaching Assistants’ Experiences Teaching Physical Education at a Youth Development Center

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Cory E. Dixon ◽  
Jared A. Russell ◽  
Peter A. Hastie
Keyword(s):  
Physical Education ◽  
Youth Development ◽  
Teaching Assistants ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Graduate Teaching Assistants ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Graduate Teaching ◽  
First Case ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Development Center

Purpose: This study examined the pedagogical experiences of former graduate teaching assistants following their teaching experiences at a youth development center. Method: A case study approach was utilized to investigate each participant case while a phenomenological approach was employed to analyze each case. The participants, Malik, Dante, and Ray, previously taught physical education at a youth development center as graduate teaching assistants. Results: The results of this study are presented as three cases centered on the participants and their experiences. The first case, “developing people from where they are, not where you want them to be . . .” (Malik) highlights the participants’ appreciation of their students’ culture and context. The second case, “resiliency to teach well regardless of circumstance or situation . . .” (Dante) features the participants’ ability to teach diverse learners. The third case, “uphill battles . . . you cannot learn this in a textbook . . .” (Ray) features the challenges faced while teaching at the youth development center. Discussion: Consistencies across participants’ experiences, the impact on their current careers, and implications for introducing culturally relevant and sustaining pedagogies via nontraditional settings are discussed.

We don’t get any training: the impact of a professional development model on teaching practices of chemistry and biology graduate teaching assistants

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 106-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacinta M. Mutambuki ◽  
Renee Schwartz
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Teaching Practices ◽  
Teaching Assistants ◽  
Graduate Teaching Assistants ◽  
Chemistry Laboratory ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Graduate Teaching ◽  
Laboratory Courses ◽  
Reflection Prompts ◽  
The Impact

This study investigated the implementation of best teaching practices by science graduate teaching assistants [GTAs] (3 chemists and 2 biologists) in five inquiry-based, interdisciplinary chemistry-biology experiments during a six-week professional development (PD) program,EngagePD. Additionally, we examined GTAs’ experiences in implementing specific PD aspects. The PD program took place as the GTAs taught sections of biology and chemistry laboratory courses, each comprising five interdisciplinary experiments. The PD aspects included defining expected learning outcomes, subject-matter knowledge, relevance to real-world and chemistry-biology connections, and other active classroom teaching practices. Data were collected through classroom observations, reflection questionnaires, and individual interviews. Findings indicated that 57% of the PD aspects investigated were implemented in the five interdisciplinary experiments. Results also revealed GTAs’ initial areas of struggle in implementing specific PD aspects. Perceived implementation difficulties were attributed to individual perceptions and beliefs, and contextual factors. Through practice, continuous feedback, and reflections, most GTAs overcame the hurdles and refined their teaching. Findings imply the need to design training PD programs that offer mentoring and support to GTAs and future faculty in implementing teaching innovations. The teaching context and reflection prompts are helpful in identifying areas of difficulties and how to improve.

scholarly journals Finding a Balance: Characterizing Teaching and Research Anxieties in Biology Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miranda M. Chen Musgrove ◽  
Kate Petrie ◽  
Alyssa Cooley ◽  
Elisabeth E. Schussler
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Teaching Assistants ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Academic Career ◽  
The United States ◽  
Graduate Teaching Assistants ◽  
Teaching And Research ◽  
Graduate Teaching ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTGraduate students in the United States are reporting increased anxiety, affecting their mental health and attrition in graduate programs. Yet we are only beginning to understand what contributes to graduate student anxiety. Biology Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) have simultaneous roles as teachers, researchers, students, and employees, and factors associated with these tasks may contribute to anxieties in graduate school, particularly in relation to teaching and research responsibilities. To explore factors related to GTA teaching and research anxieties, and guided by social cognitive career theory, we interviewed 23 Biology GTAs at a research-intensive southeastern university. Thematic analysis of interview transcripts revealed five major factors related to GTA anxieties: negative impact on self, negative impact on others, lack of self-efficacy, role tension, and personal anxieties. Lack of self-efficacy was most prevalent for research anxieties, compared to teaching anxieties, where the impact on others (e.g. students) was most prevalent. In research contexts, GTAs with academic career aspirations expressed less anxiety about role tensions compared to GTAs with non-academic career goals. By investigating GTA anxieties, this work can inform professional development or mental health interventions for GTAs and encourage greater awareness and dialogue about mental health issues in academia.

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