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 DOI: 10.1207/s15328023top2501_4

1998 25: 11Teaching of PsychologyPatricia McKeegan

Using Undergraduate Teaching Assistants in a Research Methodology Course  

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number of publications and presentations possessed by appli- cants for academic positions. The deliberations of search committees as they compare and contrast finalists would aL.0 be a fruitful area for investigation.

References

Brem, C., Lampman, C., &Johnson, M. (1995). Preparation of applications for academic positions in psychology. American P?r- chalogist. 50, 533-537.

Gehlmann, S., Wicherski, M., & Kohout, J. (1995). Chnracteristia of graduare depamnenu of psychology: 1993-1994. Washington, DC: American Psvcholoeical Association. "

lacono, W. G. (1981). The academic jobsearch: The experiencesof a new PhD in the job market. Canadian Psychology, 22,217-22;'.

Kilburg, R (Ed.). (1991). H a v to manage your career in psychology. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Muchinsky, P. (1979). The use of reference reports in personnel selection: A review and evaluation. Journal of Occupotimd Pry- chofqy, 52,287-297.

Rheingold, H. (1994). The psychdogut's guide to an ac& career. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association

Zuckerman, M.. Hodgins, H., Zuckerman, A,, & Rosenthal, R (1993). Contemporaw issues in the analysis of data: A s u w q of 551 psychologists. Psychdogical Sckce, 4. 49-53.

Note

Correspondence concerning thisarticle, includingrequests for acopy of the survey, should be sent to Eugene P. Sheehan, Department of Psychology, University of Northern Colorado, G~ecley, CO 80639; e-mail: epsheeh@benrley.univnonhco.edu.

Using Undergraduate Teaching Assistants in a Research Methodology Course

Patricia McKeegan State University ofNew York, Old Westbuy

ln this article. I describe an undergraduate teaching assistant (TAI progmm in which TAs engage in t k compkmentary activities of course preearatim, course insmution, and I-on-1 turorial assis- tance. Questionnaires completed by studmu enrolled m the begin ningmethodology course and from undergraduates serumg as TAi indicated that both groups viewed t k program as a leamini! experience. Seventy-three percent of t k TAs rated tk i r work as an excellent Laming experience. Over 91% of t k students who worked with t k teaching assistants rated the k l p thpj received ai good to excellent.

A t the American Psychological Association (APA) Con.. vention in 1974, Benton Underwood from Northwestern University proffered the following tongue-in-cheek obsewa.. tions about the problems and satisfactions of teaching the beginning course in experimental psychology: "... the course in experimental psychology is the only one in the entire curriculum that is given insufficient time" (Undenvood, 1988, p. 101); and, "writing the first [APA style] report has certain of the characteristics of trauma" (p. 102). Instructors of many psychology courses can relate to Undenvood's statement about "insufficient time," and those of us who demand APA. style literature reviews can understand the "trauma" experi enced by many students.

In an attempt to increase instructional time and ameliorate some of the difficulties students encounter while learning the rudiments of scientific writing, I developed an undergraduate teaching assistant (TA) program specific to the beginning research n~ethodology course. The goals of the TA program are to: (a) provide a peer support system for students enrolled in the research methods course; (b) enhance these students' skills, particularly the conceptual and writing skills relevant to the course; and (c) offer an opportunity for the TAs to learn about college-level teaching.

Researchers have found undergraduate TAs to be effective discussion leaders (Boeding & Vattano, 1976; White & Kol- ber, 1978), writing tutors (Dunn, 1994; Levine, 1990; Oley, 1992), and part-time instructors (Egerton, 1976). When un- dergraduates engaged in reciprocal peer tutoring, exam scores and course satisfaction increased (Fantuzzo, Dimeff, & Fox, 1989) andstudentsshowedenhanced psychosocialadjustment (Riggio, Fantuno, Connelly, &Dimeff, 1991). Ofnote, Knapp and Karabenick (1988) and Oley found that students more readily soughtpeersthanprofessionalstaffforhelpwithcourse- work, and White and Kolber found that students perceived undergraduate TAs as more helpful than graduate TAs.

Although the literature points to the efficacy of usingpeers as part of the instructional paradigm and points to benefits

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that accrue for both peer teachers and learners (Annis, 1983), most accounts of undergraduate TAs report circumscribed activities for the TAs. Little is evident to suggest that the undergraduate T A has affected the complementary activities of course preparation, course instruction, and one-on-one tutorial assistance. Wagner (1990) suggested that for students to understand their curricula, participation in activities simi- lar to those through which faculty design and implement curricula is crucial. This active learning component is a key factor in the T A program described here.

Structure of the TA Program

Because writing is essential to the successful completion of the methodology course, I begin the search for TAs each semester by focusing on students who have done well on required APA-style research papers the previous semester. I consider several other variables in the selection of TAs. Personality, especially evidence ofpatience and responsibility, and the ability to work productively with diverse colleagues are important considerations, as are age and ethnicity (as much as possible I want the TAs to reflect both the age range and ethnic diversity of thecampus). Inadditionbecause I need TA coverage for both day and evening classes, prospective TAs must have flexible schedules. An initial meeting with incomine TAs Drior to the semester outlines their responsi- bilities and answers their questions. I emphasize collabora- tion-that instructor, TA, and student each have something to learn through this experience and that the success of the T A program is a function of the willingness of all involved to work as a team. Those students whocomnlit to the "TA team" sign independent study contracts that serve to outline the responsibilities of both tutor and mentor. Although college policy permits up to 16 independent study credits that may be applied to degree requirements, the psychology department treaw independent study credits within the department as psychology electives and such credits do not supplant core deparmlental requirements. Ar semester's end TAs receive a letter grade predicated on timely completion ofcourse-related tasks, attendance at tutoring sessions and T A meetings, and student evaluations of T A performance. There are approxi- mately eight TAs per semester.

Responsibilities of TAs

TAs commit to a 3-hr per week tutoring schedule that fits their class schedules. In addition, they spend approximately 1 hr per week on other course-related activities and attend a once-a-week 30-min group meeting conducted by me. The syllabus for the course outlines the tutoring responsibilities as follows:

The teaching assistants are an integral part of the research methods course. They will assist you with assignments, go over class notes and reading materials, and help you master APA writing style. They will he available for one-on-one writing help. The teaching assistants will he available in the Psychology Confer- ence Room.

Day and evening tutoring hours are available for each weekday (Monday through Thursday).

Course.related responsibilities ofTAs include accompany- ing the class to the library to aid with instruction in library research skills, assisting with in-class activities (e.g., helping with data collection), locating librav materials for class (e.g., interesting recent journal articles that can replace older arti- cles used in class as examples of different research paradigms), examining existing instructor-generated assignments and worksheets to suggest modifications, typing up the tutoring attendance sheet, helping the instructor to grade an assign. ment, and consulting with other instructors of the course. In addition, TAs are required to prepare a minilecture for pres. entarion in class. For example, during regular class time a TA may present a brief lecture on operational definitions or take responsibility for teaching the basic rudiments of writing an APA-style reference list. TA course-related activities change from week to week and are typically different for each T A in a given week.

At the beginning of the semester the TAs introduce them- selves to class members of all course sections and emphasize the importance of their functions with respect to the success. ful con~pletion of the course. The TAs distribute the tutoring schedule at this time.

The Role of the Mentor

At the inception of the T A program in 1991, the program served only the two sections of research methodology that I taught. Currently, there are four sections of the course, and the TAs serve the other sections as well. Therefore, my role relative to the TAs may best be described as coordinator, trainer, and trouble-shooter. Startup during the 1st week or 2 of the semester requires a couple of hours of my time; after that the 30-min weekly meeting is sufficient to accomplish the tasks necessary for the operation of the program. Early in the semester, the meetings with TAs focus on what constitutes good practice in tutoring sessions, and TAs pose questions and make suggestions. Informal student feedback and student surveys from past semesters serve as the fundamental building blocks for these training sessions. Later in the semester, we discuss particular problems that may arise. For example, a T A may give incorrect information during a h~toring session. This problem is handled a priori by telling students fron~ the outset that the TAs are nor perfect but that they do a good job and hy assuring TAs that it is acceptable to respond to a student's queiy with "1 don't know" or "I'm not sure, let me check." Post hoc it is handled by reviewing each case on an individual basis and making a grade adjustment when necessary (the most usual situation is a .5-point increase on a 10-point assign. ment). Such a conlplaint generally occurs once or twice a semester.

Student Feedback

At the end of the Spring 1993 semester a brief survey completed by the research methodology students indicated that 60.7% of them had worked one-on-one with the TAs during the semester. Furthcr, more than 81% of then1 rated

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the help they received ss good to excellent. Having TAs on the "front line" proved an invaluable assessnlent tool for me. They often got a sense of where students were experiencing difficulties more quickly than I could. In addition, they made several suggestions that Iincorporated into thecourse require- ments. For example, I added a second research paper, afforcl- ing students additional corrective feedback before completing their final papers. TAs suggested dropping one particular assignment and substituting the writing of the first literature review inits place. Indeed, the TAprogram was maturing into the truly collaborative effort I had envisioned.

At present the T A program has been operating for 5 year;. In addition to the course changes that have taken place, the population of students enrolled in the research methodology course has changed. Previously, allstudents had beenpsychol- ogy majors. Now, withchanges emanating from the New York State Education Department, teacher education majors choose a concentration area to earn the baccalaureate in education. Many of them opt for the psychology concentra- tion and. therefore, need to complete the basic methodology course. In addition to "new faces," the influx of education majors has increased the average class size from 20 to 28. Now, anywhere from 40% to 50% of the research methodology students are education majors; TAs are now either psychology majors or education majors. To evaluate the effectiveness of the T A program in light of these changes, both TAs and research methodology students completed surveys, and the results are summarized here.

Teaching Assistants

Fifteen students who sewed as TAs between Spring 1995 and Spring 1996 completed a questionnaire. Asked to rate their independent study as a learning experience on a 4-poin t scale ranging from 1 (poor) to 4 (rxcellmt). 73% rated the experience as excellent; 27% rated the experience as goocl. TAs rated several components ofthe work involved in theT/\ position as learning experiences. All of the respondents said that "Helping students with research papers" and "Informal contact with the class instructor" (which included help wit, the minilecture) qualified as learning experiences. Ninety- three percent chose "Reviewing course content material wit, students," 87% checked "Helping students with particular assignments." and 73"h selected "Informal talking with the other TAs" as important learning experiences.

One opemended question asked TAs to identify other learning experiences they had as TAs. Several responses focused on what they learned about teaching. Some examples included: "Really getting a feel for what it feels like to be a teacher and figuring out the 'best' ways to teach things"; "Observing individual learning styles ... which I could then apply to my own learning situation"; "Explaining somethin: three or four ways until it's understood-want to learn some- thing, teach ir l" Others cited examples of the improvement cf their own skills: "Going to the library with the student ... enabled me to Improve my own skills in research; " k i n g ablr to practice APA style and grammar continuously kept me on my roes"; "I especially found that reviewing the material with students and working on their assignments helped to expand niy knowledge on the topics. As a result, I improved my own papers." Several made comments about what they had learned

about themselves: "Discovering limitations and personality aspects of myselfdidn' t think I could get up in front of the class to teach, but 1 didl"; "Learning about students ofdiffer- ent cultures and learning to communicate better with those different than myself "; "Accepting criticism." And, in re- sponse to a question asking for ways to improve the T A program, TAs made several suggestions ranging from running a review session for students hefore the final exam to having TAs available in the library on a regular basis.

Research Methodology Students

Forty-seven of the 49 students enrolled in the research methodology course during the Spring 1996 semester com- pleted a survey asking about their individual experiences with the TAs. When asked if they had sought to rial assistance during the semester. 94% of those responding indicated that they had. Asked to rate the assistance they received on a 4-point scale ranging from 1 boor) to 4 (excellent), 57% said it was good, 34% rated the help they received as excellent, and 9% indicated it was fair. In response to a question about the type ol'help they sought, 84% ofstudents said "Proofread- ing my paper," 77% responded "Help with an assignment," 52% said "To ask a question about something that wasn't clear to me," and 11% replied "Going over class notes and/or a textbook chapter."

Responses to open-ended questions provided additional information about students' views of their consultations with the TAs. Some examples were: "I thought they would make me wi te the paper over, but that was not how it ~ r n e d out"; "Many of the TAs gave me positive feedback while being honest"; "Felt more certain about concepts in the text, and learned a few writing tips." A majority of the students (67%) suggested that TAs be available for all courses in the research sequence and 33% indicated TAs should be available for all psychology courses.

Conclusions

Many students approach the research methodology courses (including experimental psycho lo^ and statistics) with ap- prehension. Despite what we, as instructors, may view as sound pedagogy in our classrwms, students struggle to under- stand important concepts. Successfully learning the scientific method requires rigorous thinking and critical analysis. What nlay appear obvious to instructors (e.g., inductive and deduc- tive reasoning, independent and dependent variables, opera- tional definitions) are oftentimes not obvious to our students. Peers, because of their unique status in having recently ac- quired such information, use a different explanatory language when working with their colleagues. As such, they serve an important adjunctive role in the learning process; one which. indeed, complements the role of instructor.

1 consider the T A program described in this article to be a work in progress. I consistently seek feedback from both TAs and methodologysrudents to improve the program. From the vantage point of instructor, it is immensely satisfying to note the overall improvement in the quality of research papers since the T A program began. In addition, the e~ithusiastic presence of the TAs helps the course retain vitality and

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appears to be an important component in quelling student anxiety. An unanticipated but welcome finding h a been that students who apply to graduate programs find that their TA experience is rated favorably and in some cases has resulted in their being offered T A positions in graduate school.

References

Annis. L. F. (1983). The Drocesses and effects of peer tutoring. HA ~ ~ L i n g , 2 , 3 9 4 .

Boeding, C. H., &Vattano, F. J. (1976). Undergraduatesas teaching assistants: A comparison of twc discussion methods. Teaching of Psvcholopv. 3.55-59.

~ u n i , D. (1994). Lessonslearned fromaninterdisciplinavwriting course: lm~lications for student writiw in ~svcholopv. Teachinaof - . . .. . . ~r~cho lo~~;21 , 223-227.

Eeerton. 1. (1976). Teachinpl learning while learning to teach. -change;8, 5841.

. . .

Fantwzo. 1. W.. Dimeff, L. A,. &Fox, S. L. (1989). Reciprocal peer tutoring: A multimodal assessment of effectiveness with college students. Teaching of P q c h o k , 16, 133-135.

Knapp, J. R., & Karabenick, S. A. (1988). Incidence of formal and informal help-seeking in higher education. journal of College Stu- dent Dwelopment, 29, 22L227.

Levine. J. R. (1990). Using a peer tutor to improve writing in a psychology class: One instructor's experience. Teaching of Psyhol- ogy, 17,57-58.

Oley, N. (1992). Extra credit and peer tutoring: Impact on the qualityofwriting in intmductorypsychology in anopen admissions college. Teaching of Psychology, 19, 78-41.

Riggio, RE., Fantuzzo,]. W., Connelly, S., & Dimeff, L. A. (1991). Reciprocal peer tutoring: A classroom strategy for promoting academicand socialintegrationinundergraduatestudents.Joumal ofSocial Behnvior mul Penmolity, 6,387-396.

Underwood, B. J. (1988). The first course in experimental psychol. ogy: Goals and methods. In M. E. Ware & C. L. Btewer (Eds.), Handbookfor teaching statistics mul researchmethods (pp. 100-102). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

Wagner. J. (1990). Beyond curricula: Helping students construct knowledge through teaching and research. New Diredions for Student Services, 50,43-53.

White, K. M., &Kolber, R G . (1978). Undergraduateand graduate students as discussion leaders. Teaching of Psychology, 5.6-9.

Notes

1. I thank Joseph Yankura of the Institute for Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, New York, for his comments on an earlier draft of this article.

2. Correspondence concerning this article should be sent to Patricia McKeegan. Department of Psychology, State University of New York. College at Old Westbury. Old Westbuv, New York 115684210, e-mail: docadhd@aol.com.

Coordinating the Psychology Human Research Participant Pool

Beverly Roskos-Ewoldsen Philip Burton Jacqueline Bichsel Sandra Willis Jean Spruill University of Alabama

h this article, we discuss procedures for coordi~ting t k psychol- ogy human participant poolfor research purposes. We describe our research requirement and the mechanics of how we recruit partici- panu and report credit fm research participation. We also provide an eualuation of the procedures from tk viewpoints of experiment- ers, instructors, and students. Although we identify someprobkmr, the procedures have worked well for i*r. We discuss areas needing improwement.

Universities and colleges a t many levels strongly encourage professors to conduct and publish research. In many cases,

published research is an important component of the tenure and promotion evaluation. A brief glance a t advertisements for academic positions suggests that even schools that have historically emphasized undergraduate teaching now require that prospective faculty have an active program of research.

With the increasing emphasis on research comes an in- creasing need for a stable research participant pool. At many universities and colleges, researchers studying humans recruit students who are taking an introductory psychology coursc. Compared to the 1970s, there are far more psychology depart- ments in the United States and Canada that require their

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