Graduate teaching assistant (GTA) pre-service training programs proliferated in the past two decades as universities realized the importance of training GTAs to provide high quality teaching. It was assumed that GTAs were prepared to take on face-to-face teaching duties after completing their pre-service training. However, there has been little…

Research suggests there are potential benefits to students when taught by instructors who share the same gender and/or race/ethnicity. While underrepresented students have shown increased persistence and academic performance when they were taught by gender- and/or race/ethnicity-congruent faculty, there is little research that has explored the…

On the basis of our long-standing training programs and teaching the graduate teaching assistant (GTA) training course during the pandemic, I reflect on the importance of personal wellness, community building, and collegiality in GTA training courses. By considering GTA training in terms of four important skill areas: pedagogy, technical,…

We have observed a change in students, graduate teaching assistants (GTAs), and instructors as more Gen Z members enter the university. Many are facing mental health issues and sharing about them in ways prior students, GTAs, and instructors did not. Knowing in general that Gen Z students have more anxiety and depression, we argue that empathic…

Student experience and achievement in undergraduate science courses is important for degree retention and generating interest in careers in STEM. Graduate student teaching assistants (GTAs) provide a majority of instruction in STEM laboratory courses at universities and play a critical role in the educational experience of students. Many GTAs…

Graduate students play a major role in teaching in higher education, particularly in undergraduate programs. The purpose of the present study was two-fold: first, to identify graduate students' motives for working as graduate teaching assistants (GTAs), describe some aspects of their work, and ascertain their perceived benefits; second, to predict…

Google Translate App (GTA) use is ubiquitous among second language learners in Saudi Arabia for translating between Arabic and English and vice versa. Learners perform various translation tasks drawing on different features of GTA. However, what specific features they draw on when using Google Translate, and how the app influences their English…

Many undergraduate students will experience being taught by graduate teaching assistants (GTAs); therefore, focusing on GTA pedagogy is in the best interest of the students and university as a whole. Based on a Masters of Arts in Teaching program, a 5-week intensive summer training session for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics…

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…

Many recent studies document the difficulties that students experience when learning organic chemistry, often due to the complex visualization and reasoning skills required to successfully understand the ways molecules interact in specific environments. Many of these studies call on instructors to improve their teaching strategies to support…

Background: In the U.S. college/university setting, physical activity courses are often offered as part of the general education program, where students earn college credits towards the completion of their degree program. These courses are typically taught by graduate teaching assistants (GTAs), who face several challenges in instructing…

Guided by a Foucauldian theorisation, this article explores Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) experiences of their work and subjectivity in a neoliberalised higher education environment. By drawing on a research project with GTAs from one UK university, the article argues that GTA work is increasingly shaped by neoliberal reforms. The GTAs…

Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) play important instructional roles in introductory science courses, yet they often have little training in pedagogy. The most common form of teaching professional development (PD) for GTAs is a presemester workshop held at the course, department, or college level. In this study, we compare the effectiveness of…

Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) are a pervasive presence in undergraduate education. Although GTAs are expected to successfully communicate course content to undergraduate students, they often are inexperienced and receive little training in pedagogy. Therefore, GTAs must learn effective communication behaviors in the classroom. This study…

Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTA) are often the first college instructors that new students meet when they arrive for their first day of class, and as instructors and as students, GTAs are the future of the discipline. As such, GTAs need to receive comprehensive training in a variety of pedagogical, procedural, and professional areas to help…