Preparing Teaching Assistants to Work With All Learners: The Impact of Accessibility Training

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of accessibility training on incoming teaching assistants’ (TAs) awareness of and preparation to implement academic adjustments and accommodations for students with disabilities. Pre‐ and postworkshop questionnaires and data gathered from weekly in‐service group discussions indicated that TAs’ knowledge of and confidence in implementing accommodations increased, as well as their awareness concerning legal mandates and accessibility issues in general. Recommendations regarding the training and mentorship of TAs are offered.

Reflections on the Process of Growing into Faculty: A Collaborative Experience in Being Apprentices

“…Our prior TA training programs prepared us for some of the execution, grading, or interactional components of teaching [8], [9], [38], [39]. Still, they did not prepare us fully for all the details of teaching hidden behind the curtains, nor did these training programs prepare us for how much we would grow.…”

“…Further, these roles often receive little to no formal preparatory training [1]- [3]. Some training programs exist, focusing on topics such as pedagogical preparation [4]- [7], accessibility training [8], [9].…”