comparing language program directors’ and teaching assistants’ perceptions of teacher training...
TRANSCRIPT
Florencia HenshawDirector of Advanced Spanish
Charlie WebsterDirector of the German Basic
Language Program
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Di Donato (1983)
Pre-service trainingo TA Orientation (3-5 days) should include a discussion of both
university and departmental administrative procedures, as well as videotaped microteaching
In-service trainingo Multiple class observations of each class (by more than one person
and preceded by pre-observation conferences)
Student participation in TA evaluations should be encouraged (e.g., mid-semester surveys)
Azevedo (1990) Training components:
o Pre-service orientation (overview of program and administrative tasks)
o Methods course
o Class observations by supervisors, peers and other faculty
o Videotaping classes
Education components:o “Regular meetings for discussing learning activities, syllabus content,
and problems encountered in the different sections.”
o Participating in activities outside of the Department (e.g., workshops, professional organizations)
Ervin & Muyskens (1982)
Survey of 204 TAs and 99 faculty members
What aspects of training TAs to teach foreign languages are viewed as most wanted and needed?
o High-priority: learning practical teaching techniques
o Low-priority: handling administrative matters
Brandl (2000)
Survey of 56 FL TAs within the same institution
Mean ratings (1 = little influence ; 5 = very strong influence)
o TA Orientation: 3.76
o Observations by supervisor: 3.65
o Methods course: 3.42
o Workshops: 3.06
o End-of-course student evaluations: 4.06
Do language program directors and teaching assistants differ in terms of…
o …their perceptions of how useful different training components are?
o …their expectations of the scope and procedures of TA training?
Anonymous survey administered online
Likert-scale and open-ended questions
5 sections:1. Demographic questions
2. General opinions about language teaching and teacher education
3. Rating the usefulness of different training practices
4. Expectations of training (how it should be), compared with current practices at their own institutions
5. Ranking topics for inclusion in the methods course
145 responses collectedo 74 graduate Teaching Assistants (TAs)
o 57 language program directors (LPDs)
o 14 faculty members with no course coordination experience
We will focus on the data from the 74 TAs and the 57 LPDs
TAso 55 female, 19 male
o Average age: 29 (range: 22-52)
o 72 PhD students; 13 MA students
o Average teaching experience: 3.6 years (range: 0-10)
o 65 from Research Universities; 8 from Liberal Arts Colleges; 1 from a State University
o All except for 1 had taken a language teaching methods course
o 11 had course coordination experience
LPDso 43 female, 14 male
o Average age: 47 (range: 25-73)
o Highest degree: 16 MA; 41 PhD
o Average teaching experience: 19 years (range: 1-40)
o 49 from Research Universities; 6 from Liberal Arts Colleges; 2 from State Universities
o All except for 4 had taken a language teaching methods course
• 37 of them had taught one
TAs
LPDs
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Arabic Chinese ESL ESL &Other
French German German &Dutch
Korean Latin Spanish SPAN &Other
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
13%
9%
32%
28%
41%
49%
14%
14%
TAs
LPDs
TAs get adequate training
1 = Strongly Disagree 2 = Disagree 3 = Agree 4 = Strongly Agree
5%
2%
25%
18%
44%
56%
25%
25%
TAs
LPDs
My Dept. should do more to train TAs
1 = Strongly Disagree 2 = Disagree 3 = Agree 4 = Strongly Agree
25%
26%
57%
70%
14%
4%
3%TAs
LPDs
“Good teaching” is a natural talent; it can’t be taught
1 = Strongly Disagree 2 = Disagree 3 = Agree 4 = Strongly Agree
35%
53%
51%
40%
11%
5%
3%
2%
TAs
LPDs
Teacher training has no effect on the graduate student’s competitiveness in the job market
1 = Strongly Disagree 2 = Disagree 3 = Agree 4 = Strongly Agree
TAs LPDs
6. Peer observations 6. Meetings with course supervisor
7. FL teaching workshops 7. Peer observations
8. Meetings with course supervisor 8. Reviewing videotaped classes
9. Reviewing videotaped classes 9. Course surveys
10. FL pedagogy reading groups 10. FL pedagogy reading groups
TAs LPDs
1. Class observations (by a supervisor) 1. TA Orientation
2. Methods course 2. Methods course
3. TA Orientation 3. Class observations (by a supervisor)
4. Course surveys 4. Mentoring program
5. Mentoring program 5. FL teaching workshops
14% 42%
26%
45%
74%
TAs
LPDs
Not at all Somewhat Very
How helpful is TA orientation?
5%
2%
43%
23%
51%
75%
TAs
LPDs
How helpful is the methods course?
8% 49%
30%
60%
70%
TAs
LPDs
How helpful are class observations (by a supervisor)?
5%
38%
35%
14%
8%
1 day
2-3 days
1 week
2 weeks
other
11%
47%
30%
5%
7%
How long should TA orientation be?
TAs LPDs
49%
36%
15%
Yes, not videotaped
Yes, videotaped
No
47%
39%
14%
Should TA orientation include microteaching?
TAs LPDs
7%
57%
29%
7%
part of semester
1 semester/quarter
2 semesters/quarters
other
4%
56%
40%
How long should the methods course be?
TAs LPDs
55%
20%
11%
14%
each department
cross-listed
more common & LCTLsseparate
depends on factors
42%
21%
18%
19%
Should each Department have their own methods course?
TAs LPDs
86%
12%
2%
76%
23%
1%
yes, required
required, but dependson experience
recommended, notrequired
Should the methods course be mandatory for all TAs?
TAs LPDs
38%
54%
8%
semester/quarter prior toteaching
concurrent with 1stteaching semester
other
47%
46%
7%
When should TAs take the methods course?
TAs LPDs
9%
81%
10%15%
78%
7%
traditional gradseminar
grad seminar /practicum
blended
What format should the methods course have?
TAs LPDs
26%
48%
26%
Once per academicyear
Once persemester/quarter
More than once persemester/quarter
44%
56%
LPDs
How often should TAs be observed?
TAs
16%
34%27%
23%no, if TAs can accessform before
only if TA requests
yes, e-mail - not inperson
yes, always
18%
10%
28%
44%
LPDs
Should there be pre-observation meetings?
TAs
Who should conduct class observations?
TAs LPDs
1. Course coordinator (79%) 1. Course coordinator (81%)
2. LPD (72%) 2. LPD (77%)
3. TA mentor / head TA (51%) 3. TA mentor / head TA (39%)
4. Other faculty members (39%) 4. Other faculty members (19%)
5. Other peers (5%) 5. Other peers (4%)
LPDs’ and TAs’ perceptions differed with respect to:o The value of FL teacher training
o The helpfulness of TA Orientation, methods courses, and class observations
o The helpfulness of course surveys/student evaluations
o The length of TA Orientation
o The frequency of class observations
o The need for a pre-observation meeting
Taken together with Brandl’s (2000) results, the pattern that emerges is that TAs seem more concerned with their individual needs, specific to their backgrounds and courses, whereas LPDs tend to think more globally and collectively.o This would partially explain why TAs value course surveys or
student evaluations much more than LPDs.
TAs want training that is hand-on, course-specific, and tailored to their experience and commitment level.
Discuss expectations and rationale for specific training components
Spread training over a longer period of time, rather than “cramming” content into a three-day orientation or a one-semester methods course
Move from practical, immediate concerns in the first year to more global professional development later on.
Instead of dismissing student feedback, incorporate it into TA Training
Assess the usefulness of required training components on a regular basis and tailor them to your TAs’ needs
Differentiate training from evaluation
Comparing American TAs and international TAs
Follow-up interviews with both LPDs and TAs on the value of mid-semester and end-of-course surveys