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

In 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 courses were assessed with students of varying grade levels. Better understanding of student and teaching assistant expectations can provide valuable insight towards the design of graduate teaching assistant training and support programs to help foster a more beneficial and positive experience for both the teaching assistants and their students.