The Influence of a Teaching Assistant Orientation on Teaching Assistant Perceptions of Self-Efficacy

Abstract

Graduate students at large, research-intensive institutions are often funded as teaching assistants (TAs) for undergraduate courses. Although content-specific training programs are beneficial for TA development, training in general pedagogical principals is also required given that most TAs lack the pedagogical knowledge required to teach effectively. Thus, developing a sense of selfefficacy related to pedagogical principles is important for TA development. This is especially relevant for international TAs who must become familiar with the American classroom while also learning how to teach. In order to increase TA self-efficacy and provide pedagogical knowledge training, many universities coordinate teaching assistant orientation (TAO) programs prior to the start of the academic semester. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the impact of a TAO coordinated at a large, research-intensive university in developing TA’s selfreported feelings of self-efficacy related to pedagogical knowledge. Results indicate that graduate students reported higher levels of confidence in their ability to implement principles of pedagogical knowledge after participating in the TAO than they did on the pre-survey. Follow up 2x2 ANOVAs indicated that there was a statistically significant interaction between time and TAs international student status, but not between time and TAs’ discipline affiliation. Recommendations for increasing TA self-efficacy and preparedness are provided as are directions for future research.