Supporting the Pedagogical Development of Graduate Teaching Assistants: A Self-Directed Approach

Despite increases in formal pedagogical training opportunities for graduate teaching assistants across institutions in recent decades, students participate in instructional roles with different levels of participation, experience, and autonomy in teaching. This project examines the existing professional development available to graduate teaching assistants, their self-reported needs, and provides a pedagogical development planning tool for graduate teaching assistants. The Pedagogical Development Plan for Graduate Teaching Assistants incorporates suggestions from reviewed literature, as well as andragogy theory (Knowles, 1980) and self-efficacy theory (Bandura, 1982). The framework consists of a self-guided planning document tool and catalog of pedagogical development opportunities available to graduate teaching assistants. Through setting pedagogical goals and reflecting on learning, graduate teaching assistants utilizing the tool can evaluate how self-selected pedagogical training opportunities aligned with their professional development needs. Given that a large proportion of graduate teaching assistants aspire to the professoriate and significantly contribute to the learning and success of undergraduate students, providing a self-guided pedagogical development tool can assist them in strengthening their pedagogical skillset and identity

Supporting the Pedagogical Development of Graduate Teaching Assistants: A Self-Directed Approach

PURPOSE: Despite increases in formal pedagogical training opportunities for graduate teaching assistants across institutions in recent decades, students participate in instructional roles with various levels of preparation, experience, and autonomy in teaching. This project examines existing professional development available to graduate teaching assistants, their self-reported needs, and aims to develop a pedagogical development planning tool for graduate teaching assistants. PROCEDURES: The Pedagogical Development Plan for Graduate Teaching Assistants was developed based on analysis of existing literature, as well as incorporation of andragogy theory (Knowles, 1968) and self-efficacy theory (Bandura, 1982). OUTCOME: The framework consists of a self-guided planning document tool and a catalog of pedagogical development opportunities available to graduate teaching assistants. Through setting pedagogical goals and reflecting on learning, graduate teaching assistants utilizing the tool can evaluate how self-selected pedagogical training opportunities aligned with their professional development needs. IMPACT: Given that a large proportion of graduate teaching assistants aspire to the professoriate and significantly contribute to the learning and success of undergraduate student populations, providing them with a self-guided pedagogical development tool can assist them in strengthening their pedagogical skillset and identity