Mentoring the mentors: a scalable professional development model for graduate teaching assistants and undergraduate learning assistants in large-enrollment CUREs
ABSTRACT Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) incorporate authentic research into undergraduate curricula, offering significant benefits in student retention, graduation rates, and pursuit of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. However, graduate teach...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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American Society for Microbiology
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jmbe.00040-25 |
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| author | Kevin Hernández García Alexander H. Bower Ana Elisa García-Vedrenne |
| author_facet | Kevin Hernández García Alexander H. Bower Ana Elisa García-Vedrenne |
| author_sort | Kevin Hernández García |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) incorporate authentic research into undergraduate curricula, offering significant benefits in student retention, graduation rates, and pursuit of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. However, graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) and undergraduate learning assistants (ULAs) rarely receive the specific pedagogical training required for CURE instruction. We share an integrated professional development (PD) model for GTAs and ULAs in a large-enrollment CURE that addresses this need. Our model integrates training for both GTAs and ULAs simultaneously into mandatory instructional meetings, providing just-in-time training for upcoming topics and addressing unique CURE facilitation needs. This PD model has been effective in a CURE with a large instructional team and can be scaled up or down as needed. We present results from a post-pre survey asking instructional team members to reflect on their self-efficacy regarding the nine learning outcomes of the implementation. All learning outcomes show an increase in self-efficacy for GTAs and ULAs. By equipping both GTAs and ULAs to navigate the unique challenges of CURE instruction, this PD model may enhance the overall effectiveness of these valuable undergraduate research experiences. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2548e2578e5c485083b77e664ab7f6fc |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1935-7877 1935-7885 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | American Society for Microbiology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education |
| spelling | doaj-art-2548e2578e5c485083b77e664ab7f6fc2025-08-21T13:01:54ZengAmerican Society for MicrobiologyJournal of Microbiology & Biology Education1935-78771935-78852025-08-0126210.1128/jmbe.00040-25Mentoring the mentors: a scalable professional development model for graduate teaching assistants and undergraduate learning assistants in large-enrollment CUREsKevin Hernández García0Alexander H. Bower1Ana Elisa García-Vedrenne2Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USADivision of Teaching Excellence and Innovation, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USADepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USAABSTRACT Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) incorporate authentic research into undergraduate curricula, offering significant benefits in student retention, graduation rates, and pursuit of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. However, graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) and undergraduate learning assistants (ULAs) rarely receive the specific pedagogical training required for CURE instruction. We share an integrated professional development (PD) model for GTAs and ULAs in a large-enrollment CURE that addresses this need. Our model integrates training for both GTAs and ULAs simultaneously into mandatory instructional meetings, providing just-in-time training for upcoming topics and addressing unique CURE facilitation needs. This PD model has been effective in a CURE with a large instructional team and can be scaled up or down as needed. We present results from a post-pre survey asking instructional team members to reflect on their self-efficacy regarding the nine learning outcomes of the implementation. All learning outcomes show an increase in self-efficacy for GTAs and ULAs. By equipping both GTAs and ULAs to navigate the unique challenges of CURE instruction, this PD model may enhance the overall effectiveness of these valuable undergraduate research experiences.https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jmbe.00040-25course-based undergraduate research experienceprofessional developmentgraduate teaching assistantundergraduate learning assistantcollaborationPD model |
| spellingShingle | Kevin Hernández García Alexander H. Bower Ana Elisa García-Vedrenne Mentoring the mentors: a scalable professional development model for graduate teaching assistants and undergraduate learning assistants in large-enrollment CUREs Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education course-based undergraduate research experience professional development graduate teaching assistant undergraduate learning assistant collaboration PD model |
| title | Mentoring the mentors: a scalable professional development model for graduate teaching assistants and undergraduate learning assistants in large-enrollment CUREs |
| title_full | Mentoring the mentors: a scalable professional development model for graduate teaching assistants and undergraduate learning assistants in large-enrollment CUREs |
| title_fullStr | Mentoring the mentors: a scalable professional development model for graduate teaching assistants and undergraduate learning assistants in large-enrollment CUREs |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mentoring the mentors: a scalable professional development model for graduate teaching assistants and undergraduate learning assistants in large-enrollment CUREs |
| title_short | Mentoring the mentors: a scalable professional development model for graduate teaching assistants and undergraduate learning assistants in large-enrollment CUREs |
| title_sort | mentoring the mentors a scalable professional development model for graduate teaching assistants and undergraduate learning assistants in large enrollment cures |
| topic | course-based undergraduate research experience professional development graduate teaching assistant undergraduate learning assistant collaboration PD model |
| url | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jmbe.00040-25 |
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