What’s troubling you? Examining how biology teaching assistants talk about teaching concerns
ABSTRACT Undergraduate students in science classes are more engaged and demonstrate increased performance when instructional methods include authentic science practices and active learning strategies. Non-majors students (i.e., those enrolled in science classes to fulfill a degree requirement) typic...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
American Society for Microbiology
2025-08-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jmbe.00226-24 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849230040397512704 |
|---|---|
| author | Hillary A. Barron Lorelei E. Patrick Julie C. Brown Sehoya Cotner |
| author_facet | Hillary A. Barron Lorelei E. Patrick Julie C. Brown Sehoya Cotner |
| author_sort | Hillary A. Barron |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Undergraduate students in science classes are more engaged and demonstrate increased performance when instructional methods include authentic science practices and active learning strategies. Non-majors students (i.e., those enrolled in science classes to fulfill a degree requirement) typically receive instruction that is more lecture-based and prescribed, however, which contributes to disinterest, diminished self-expectations, and lower performance. Teaching assistants (TAs) often interact with undergraduate students more closely in science classes than faculty and thus could potentially have far-reaching impacts on these students. Therefore, understanding how TAs think about their science teaching and the concerns they have about their methods can lead to designing more effective TA professional development (PD). In this qualitative study, we explored TA written reflections and employed first- and second-cycle analysis techniques to identify themes reflecting TAs’ perceptions of their science teaching and concerns for improvement. We found that TAs’ concerns about their teaching centered on three themes: subject-specific concerns, student-centered concerns, and delivery and presentation concerns. Further, these concerns changed over time and varied across TA experience level. We offer insight into how TAs’ teaching concerns evolve and discuss the implications of these insights for TA PD. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b7ea38c7038c41a78fdd6770ea135933 |
| 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-b7ea38c7038c41a78fdd6770ea1359332025-08-21T13:02:16ZengAmerican Society for MicrobiologyJournal of Microbiology & Biology Education1935-78771935-78852025-08-0126210.1128/jmbe.00226-24What’s troubling you? Examining how biology teaching assistants talk about teaching concernsHillary A. Barron0Lorelei E. Patrick1Julie C. Brown2Sehoya Cotner3Department of Biology, School of Sustainability and Life Sciences, Bemidji State University, Bemidji, Minnesota, USADepartment of Biological Sciences, Fort Hays State University, Hays, Kansas, USACollege of Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USAUniversity of Bergen, STEM Education Research Center, Bergen, NorwayABSTRACT Undergraduate students in science classes are more engaged and demonstrate increased performance when instructional methods include authentic science practices and active learning strategies. Non-majors students (i.e., those enrolled in science classes to fulfill a degree requirement) typically receive instruction that is more lecture-based and prescribed, however, which contributes to disinterest, diminished self-expectations, and lower performance. Teaching assistants (TAs) often interact with undergraduate students more closely in science classes than faculty and thus could potentially have far-reaching impacts on these students. Therefore, understanding how TAs think about their science teaching and the concerns they have about their methods can lead to designing more effective TA professional development (PD). In this qualitative study, we explored TA written reflections and employed first- and second-cycle analysis techniques to identify themes reflecting TAs’ perceptions of their science teaching and concerns for improvement. We found that TAs’ concerns about their teaching centered on three themes: subject-specific concerns, student-centered concerns, and delivery and presentation concerns. Further, these concerns changed over time and varied across TA experience level. We offer insight into how TAs’ teaching concerns evolve and discuss the implications of these insights for TA PD.https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jmbe.00226-24biology teaching assistantsprofessional developmentteaching concernsqualitative analysis |
| spellingShingle | Hillary A. Barron Lorelei E. Patrick Julie C. Brown Sehoya Cotner What’s troubling you? Examining how biology teaching assistants talk about teaching concerns Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education biology teaching assistants professional development teaching concerns qualitative analysis |
| title | What’s troubling you? Examining how biology teaching assistants talk about teaching concerns |
| title_full | What’s troubling you? Examining how biology teaching assistants talk about teaching concerns |
| title_fullStr | What’s troubling you? Examining how biology teaching assistants talk about teaching concerns |
| title_full_unstemmed | What’s troubling you? Examining how biology teaching assistants talk about teaching concerns |
| title_short | What’s troubling you? Examining how biology teaching assistants talk about teaching concerns |
| title_sort | what s troubling you examining how biology teaching assistants talk about teaching concerns |
| topic | biology teaching assistants professional development teaching concerns qualitative analysis |
| url | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jmbe.00226-24 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT hillaryabarron whatstroublingyouexamininghowbiologyteachingassistantstalkaboutteachingconcerns AT loreleiepatrick whatstroublingyouexamininghowbiologyteachingassistantstalkaboutteachingconcerns AT juliecbrown whatstroublingyouexamininghowbiologyteachingassistantstalkaboutteachingconcerns AT sehoyacotner whatstroublingyouexamininghowbiologyteachingassistantstalkaboutteachingconcerns |