Upcoming: Undergraduate Student Perspective on Teaching Assistants

Having access to teaching assistants (TAs) in college classrooms has been shown to be beneficial for student performance. Past research has used surveys and observed student-TA interactions to measure their effectiveness, featuring primarily graduate student TAs. The present research was designed t...

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Main Authors: Jade E. Carriero, Bernard P. Gee
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Indiana University Office of Scholarly Publishing 2025-07-01
Series:Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Subjects:
Online Access:https://scholarworks.iu.edu/journals/index.php/josotl/article/view/36843
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author Jade E. Carriero
Bernard P. Gee
author_facet Jade E. Carriero
Bernard P. Gee
author_sort Jade E. Carriero
collection DOAJ
description Having access to teaching assistants (TAs) in college classrooms has been shown to be beneficial for student performance. Past research has used surveys and observed student-TA interactions to measure their effectiveness, featuring primarily graduate student TAs. The present research was designed to gain insight into how students perceive and utilize their undergraduate TAs. Additionally, it examined TA responsibilities and interactions outside the classroom that previous research does not address in depth. Undergraduate students were asked to complete an online survey divided into three categories: TA profile, interactions with the TA, and TA benefits. Survey results revealed that students felt comfortable asking their TA for assistance. However, the majority of participants reported not utilizing their TAs as much as they wanted due to an unawareness of how to access them. Students who did utilize their TAs found them to be very beneficial as they aided in reviewing the course material and provided useful study tips. Overall, the findings provided insight on how to optimize the role and responsibilities of a TA to increase student engagement and improve their effectiveness in addressing students’ academic needs.
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spelling doaj-art-e9d11d616ede4ca2a7b5b591cc82095f2025-08-20T03:35:40ZengIndiana University Office of Scholarly PublishingJournal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning1527-93162025-07-01253Upcoming: Undergraduate Student Perspective on Teaching AssistantsJade E. Carriero0https://orcid.org/0009-0005-1104-3123Bernard P. Gee1Western Connecticut State UniversityWestern Connecticut State University Having access to teaching assistants (TAs) in college classrooms has been shown to be beneficial for student performance. Past research has used surveys and observed student-TA interactions to measure their effectiveness, featuring primarily graduate student TAs. The present research was designed to gain insight into how students perceive and utilize their undergraduate TAs. Additionally, it examined TA responsibilities and interactions outside the classroom that previous research does not address in depth. Undergraduate students were asked to complete an online survey divided into three categories: TA profile, interactions with the TA, and TA benefits. Survey results revealed that students felt comfortable asking their TA for assistance. However, the majority of participants reported not utilizing their TAs as much as they wanted due to an unawareness of how to access them. Students who did utilize their TAs found them to be very beneficial as they aided in reviewing the course material and provided useful study tips. Overall, the findings provided insight on how to optimize the role and responsibilities of a TA to increase student engagement and improve their effectiveness in addressing students’ academic needs. https://scholarworks.iu.edu/journals/index.php/josotl/article/view/36843teaching assistantundergraduatestudent perspective
spellingShingle Jade E. Carriero
Bernard P. Gee
Upcoming: Undergraduate Student Perspective on Teaching Assistants
Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
teaching assistant
undergraduate
student perspective
title Upcoming: Undergraduate Student Perspective on Teaching Assistants
title_full Upcoming: Undergraduate Student Perspective on Teaching Assistants
title_fullStr Upcoming: Undergraduate Student Perspective on Teaching Assistants
title_full_unstemmed Upcoming: Undergraduate Student Perspective on Teaching Assistants
title_short Upcoming: Undergraduate Student Perspective on Teaching Assistants
title_sort upcoming undergraduate student perspective on teaching assistants
topic teaching assistant
undergraduate
student perspective
url https://scholarworks.iu.edu/journals/index.php/josotl/article/view/36843
work_keys_str_mv AT jadeecarriero upcomingundergraduatestudentperspectiveonteachingassistants
AT bernardpgee upcomingundergraduatestudentperspectiveonteachingassistants