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Strategies and approaches for delivering sustainable training and professional development of graduate teaching assistants, teaching assistants, and tutors: a scoping review

Emma Sadera (The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand)
Elina E.K. Suonio (The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand)
Joseph Chih-Chien Chen (The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand)
Rowan Herbert (The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand)
Dennis Hsu (The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand)
Branka Bogdan (The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand)
Bridget Kool (The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand)

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education

ISSN: 2050-7003

Article publication date: 13 February 2024

Issue publication date: 27 November 2024

157

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this scoping review was to identify key characteristics related to strategies and approaches for delivering sustainable training and professional development (PD) of graduate teaching assistants (GTAs), teaching assistants (TAs), and tutors. While the continuous, coherent and responsive programmes for such training and PD may address needs that are congruent with the needs of other sessional teachers, the literature has not focussed on GTA training and PD that support the longer-term retention of GTAs as sessional teachers.

Design/methodology/approach

In this scoping review, we devised a search strategy to identify literature relating to the key characteristics of strategies and approaches for delivering sustainable GTA training and professional development in higher education settings. We were guided by the frameworks for such reviews developed by Arksey and O’Malley (2005), Levac et al. (2010) and Westphaln et al. (2021). We used PRISMA guidelines to guide our reporting processes, and used thematic analysis practice (Braun and Clarke, 2022) as our analytical approach in order to identify and discuss the key themes.

Findings

We identified that strategies and approaches for delivering sustainable GTA training and PD frame GTAs as future academics and leaders in teaching; provide institutional support and investment in teaching; deliver departmental training; facilitate peer support; provide pedagogical training; implement training strategies; and support the teacher identity of GTAs.

Originality/value

These findings add to the body of research that explores how strategies and approaches for delivering sustainable GTA training and PD address and meet the needs common to all sessional teachers constrained by the precarity of the part-time faculty/academia. While our findings indicate such training and PD enhance the quality of teaching available to university students, this effect is dependent on institutional support and facilitation of peer and faculty networks.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the contribution to the early stages of this project by Dr Rhiannon Lloyd.

Citation

Sadera, E., Suonio, E.E.K., Chen, J.C.-C., Herbert, R., Hsu, D., Bogdan, B. and Kool, B. (2024), "Strategies and approaches for delivering sustainable training and professional development of graduate teaching assistants, teaching assistants, and tutors: a scoping review", Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, Vol. 16 No. 5, pp. 2199-2215. https://doi.org/10.1108/JARHE-08-2023-0323

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited

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