Abstract
Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) are used extensively as undergraduate science lab instructors at universities, yet they often have having minimal instructional training and little is known about effective training methods. This blind randomized control trial study assessed the impact of two training regimens on GTA teaching effectiveness. GTAs teaching undergraduate biology labs (n = 52) completed five hours of training in either inquiry-based learning pedagogy or general instructional “best practices”. GTA teaching effectiveness was evaluated using: (1) a nine-factor student evaluation of educational quality; (2) a six-factor questionnaire for student learning; and (3) course grades. Ratings from both GTAs and undergraduates indicated that indicated that the inquiry-based learning pedagogy training has a positive effect on GTA teaching effectiveness.
Highlights
Graduate teaching assistant (GTA)-run introductory science courses are the norm at higher education institutions in North America, Australia and New Zealand, and are becoming more prevalent elsewhere [1]
Graduate students gain income and teaching experience, and science departments gain a pool of inexpensive laborers versed in discipline-specific content, but because GTA teaching can be inconsistent, and students find it difficult to learn from inexperienced teachers, ensuring that undergraduates receive high-quality teaching from GTAs is one of the main teaching issues facing science departments [4,5,6,7]
Content might be as important as format – a 2004 study cited the lack of adequate preparation for facilitating open inquiry labs as a major difficulty both for undergraduate students and the GTAs themselves [5]
Summary
Graduate teaching assistant (GTA)-run introductory science courses are the norm at higher education institutions in North America, Australia and New Zealand, and are becoming more prevalent elsewhere [1]. GTAs are part-time employees (often research students) hired to lead lab sessions, grade papers, and provide assistance to course instructors, and account for many of the contact hours undergraduates have with the department. A 1997 survey of 153 biology departments in the United States indicated that 49% of GTA programs required no formal training whatsoever [10]. For those programs that do require formalized GTA training, the form that training takes can vary widely, from university-wide mass orientation workshops to subject-based instruction from instructors, supervisors or peers [4]. Content might be as important as format – a 2004 study cited the lack of adequate preparation for facilitating open inquiry labs as a major difficulty both for undergraduate students and the GTAs themselves [5]. When participants selected “not applicable”, that question was given a null value and excluded from further analyses
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
