Student and Teaching Assistant Perspectives on Characteristics of an Effective Teaching Assistant

Abstract

B.A. Liberal Studies and M.A. Education from Vanguard University of Southern California. M.S. Civil Engineering Texas Tech University. Currently pursuing a PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering with focus on the biological treatment of waste water for re-use applications. I am passionate about both engineering and education. I am specifically interested in student motivation, formative assessment, service learning, and the influence of the affective domain. Daniel Baldwin Maeghan Marie Brundrett, Texas Tech UniversityCurrent PhD student at Texas Tech University in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Main research focus is on the fate and occurrence of chlorate in the environment and its use as an alternative solution for remediation of the salt marshes impacted by the BP Horizon oil spill. Ms. Paula Ann Monaco, Texas Tech UniversityPursuing Doctorate of Philosophy in Civil Engineering with a research focus in anti-fouling and scaling technology and pharmaceutical and personal care product transport through the subsurface contaminating groundwater supplies.Actively involved with STEM outreach programs ranging from K-12 summer camp classes to one day hands-on-activities increasing interest of environmental engineering. Student and Teaching Assistant Perspectives on Characteristics of an Effective Teaching Assistant AbstractIn addition to their research and coursework responsibilities, many graduate students are placed in the role of teaching assistant. Theoretically, this position will benefit both the student and the department by allowing the graduate student to gain valuable classroom experience while filling a teaching need in the sponsoring department. However, in practice, these experiences can range from rewarding to challenging for both the teaching assistants and the students under their care. These challenges raise an important question, what are the characteristics of an effective teaching assistant? In assessing teaching effectiveness, both the affective and cognitive domains must be taken into account. This study seeks to address the affective aspect for both students and teaching assistants by assessing their perceptions of what makes an effective teaching assistant. As such, the objectives of this study are to examine any gaps between student and teaching assistant perceptions, assess differences between different types of teaching assistant roles (i.e. lab vs. lecture), and compare the results to accepted best practices from literature and the personal experience of experienced teaching assistants. Surveys consisting of Likert scale and open-ended questions were given to teaching assistants and students. The study utilized mixed methods with descriptive statistics used to assess the Likert results and a qualitative analysis of the open-ended questions to determine common themes. Since teaching assistant roles can vary widely, several different types of classes were assessed within the environmental and water resources engineering curriculum. Both laboratory and lecture cour...

Adding the Extra 5 Percent: Undergraduate TA's Creating Value in the Classroom

“…From a small sample size of 6 graduate TAs at Texas Tech University, survey results suggested that graduate teaching assistants view preparedness, fair grading, and enthusiasm as the most important aspects of being an effective TA, while topics such as "treats all students with respect", "encourages students to ask questions", "cares about student success", and "is an expert in the content area" were the lowest traits on the ranked list [12], indicating that TAs are not being pushed to view their UGTA role as a trial for a potential career in academia where the goal is to focus on the students. Results from a study performed by Weidert et al show many selfreflected benefits of an undergraduate teaching assistant experience, including confidence, team abilities, and personal insight [13].…”