This study investigated the role of Graduate Student Instructors (GSIs) in higher education and focused on their self-efficacy, pedagogical training, and performance. Given the expanding employment of GSIs and the influence of their teaching efficacy on undergraduate education, this research examined the effectiveness of a structured professional development program designed to enhance GSIs’ teaching capabilities. Quantitative and qualitative methods were employed to assess GSIs’ self-efficacy through surveys, exit slips, and student evaluations to gauge the educational impact. The findings indicated a notable and significant increase in GSIs’ self-efficacy post-intervention, with positive feedback on teaching practices from undergraduate students. The findings underscore the importance of professional development programs in preparing GSIs for effective teaching roles, thereby improving the quality of higher education instruction and supporting the academic success of undergraduate students.
Tag: pedagogical training
Transforming the Transcript to Reflect the Whole Scholar: Legitimizing Pedagogical Training for Graduate Student Instructors
Although universities acknowledge that teacher training is critical for ensuring quality undergraduate education, research has repeatedly demonstrated that universities typically do an inadequate job of preparing graduate students for their instructor role. In this paper, we show that both graduate students and universities find the pedagogical development of graduate students to be a valid endeavor, and while graduate students strive to legitimize their own pedagogical development, universities must more fully and officially engage in the process. We conclude with a short list of recommendations for universities to consider toward the goal of legitimizing graduate student pedagogical development.
Learning, Course Satisfaction, and Community in the Time of COVID-19: Student Perceptions of the Switch to Emergency Remote Teaching
This multiple descriptive case study explores how university students responded to their Business Communications course’s transitioning to an emergency remote course during the spring semester of 2020. Thirty-nine students completed an end-of-semester questionnaire that recorded their impressions of learning and course satisfaction. Nine of those students also participated in semi-structured interviews about these topics. The data revealed that most students enjoyed and felt they learned more from their in-person course, they missed learning from their peers, and they missed the community that was created during the in-person class sessions that were suspended due to university-sanctioned COVID-19 protocols. This article discusses the need for instructors to integrate continuous interactive community into online courses and the need for universities to provide training for online instructors in this essential component in course preparation and execution.