Graduate Student Teacher Training

Abstract

Twenty years ago, Pescosolido and Milkie (1995) reported that 50 percent of U.S. and Canadian sociology graduate programs offered formal teacher training. Despite pronouncements that offerings have increased substantially, no similarly thorough and direct investigation has been published since. In this time of dramatic change and increasing scrutiny of higher education, graduate teacher training is arguably more important than ever before. Thus, we seek to provide a new baseline of teacher training in the discipline. Using a 2013 survey of U.S. and Canadian sociology graduate programs (N = 173), we find that 94 percent involve graduate students in teaching, almost 68 percent provide formal training for graduate student instructors, and 54 percent provide formal training for teaching assistants. We discuss the kinds and frequency of teacher training, as well as the type of graduate programs most likely to offer teacher training, and we provide suggestions for future research.

Good Teaching Starts Here: Applied Learning at the Graduate Teaching Assistant Institute

“…Moreover, the graduate student teaching experience varies wildly across universities and education levels. Traditionally, the role of a graduate teaching assistant is largely to provide instructional support by teaching undergraduate students or performing administrative duties, and this position often serves as the initial stage in the career of an aspiring professor (Blouin & Moss, 2015;Boman, 2013;Park, 2004). Some graduate teaching assistants are more likely to teach in a classroom for the entire school year or semester while other graduate teaching assistants spend limited time in a classroom (Ronfeldt & Reininger, 2012;Weidert, Wendorf, Gurung, & Filz, 2012).…”

“…Since the 1990s, the number of graduate students teaching at larger universities in the United States, Canada, and elsewhere has increased substantially-so much so that the majority of first-year courses in these universities are often taught by graduate students (Austin, 2002;Marbach-Ad, Schaefer, Kumi, Friedman, Thompson, & Doyle, 2012;Wise, 2011). At the same time, the training of graduate teaching assistants (TAs) has received increased attention (e.g., Blouin & Moss, 2015;Boman, 2013;Hoessler & Godden, 2015;Kenny, Watson, & Watton, 2014). The Council of Graduate Schools and the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) developed the Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) program, which charged graduate schools with preparing aspiring academics for a career in higher education (DeNeef, 2002;Kniola, Chang, & Olsen, 2012;Wurgler, VanHeuvelen, Rohrman, Loehr, & Grace, 2013).…”