The focus of this research is the centralised provision of professional development opportunities for postgraduate teaching assistants (PGTAs) through accredited and non-accredited courses (ACs and NACs), and their perceived and actual benefits. Evidence on the impact of courses at the University of Birmingham (UK) is synthesised with evidence…

The purpose of this research was to gain a broader understanding of what department heads and doctoral students believe to be the value of credentialed teaching certificates. Using a survey methodology with participants (N= 450), the study focused on the extent to which a credentialed teaching certificate provides a competitive advantage when…

Curriculum alignment is crucial in realizing learning objectives, but in higher education the alignment is often challenged by practical problems. The adverse effect of misalignment is further amplified by the lack of student awareness of their position within the curriculum. We argue for the importance of the visibility of learning trajectories…

This study examined the viva experiences of 87 social science PhD graduates from three Irish higher education institutions through a questionnaire that assessed outcome, preparation, conduct and post-viva. The majority were awarded their PhD with minor corrections, considered their viva as a summative assessment, and emphasised its purpose as…

The last decade has seen intensification in moves to professionalise the practice of university teaching, including graduate teaching assistants (GTAs). It has also seen significant growth in terms of the internationalisation of the postgraduate student body and changing expectations around doctoral training. These transformations have…

Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) and postgraduates in the UK are taking on greater responsibility for teaching, and therefore it has become increasingly necessary to explore the teacher training that supports them in this endeavour. This paper outlines an impact evaluation carried out on a graduate certificate programme primarily aimed at GTAs…