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Given November 1, 2013 in the Graduate Student Seminar Series in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of British Columbia.
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Interactions between teaching assistants and students boost engagement in physics labs
Jared Stang @StangJared, jaredstang.wordpress.com
with Ido Roll, arXiv:1306.6606 [physics.ed-ph]
TAs Students
Context Friends
Prof
Background
TAs Students
Context Friends
Prof
Background
What do you do as a TA that helps students learn?
1. Write down your ideas (one per piece of paper)
2. Crumple up the paper and throw it up here
The research question:
Which of these actually matter?
Our answer:
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.00.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1.0
Interactions per minute
Fractionalstudentengagement
The frequency of TA-student interactions matters!
The TA-student relationship
TAs Students
The TA-student relationship
Student learning
TA teaching style and behaviors
TA attitudes and beliefs
Student engagement
The TA-student relationship
Student learning
TA teaching style and behaviors
TA attitudes and beliefs
Student engagement
Which of these actually matter?
The TA-student relationship
Student learning
TA teaching style and behaviors
TA attitudes and beliefs
Student engagement
?
?
Which TA behaviours contribute to student engagement and learning?
Which of these actually matter?
The TA-student relationship
Student learning
TA teaching style and behaviors
TA attitudes and beliefs
Student engagement
?
?
?
Which TA behaviours contribute to student engagement and learning?
Which of these actually matter?
Design: Observe then correlate
Student learning
TA teaching style and behaviors
TA attitudes and beliefs
Student engagement
?
?
?
Observe
Observe
Skills test
Observe all lab sections in the same week.
Setting: Physics 100 lab
• Large class: ~700 students in 16 lab sections
• Weekly 1.5 hour lab with 2 TAs
• Average of 39 students per lab section
Lab progression Intro and clicker questions
Extended period of students working in pairs (Observations during this period) Outro and clicker questions
Participants: The TAs of Phys 100
• 6 first-year grad students with no prior teaching experience
TA observations
• How do TAs adhere to and deliver the lesson plan? 1. Note TA behaviours outside of the standard script
• Examples: Using the chalkboard to discuss a point, playing music from YouTube, having a back-and-forth with TA partner during a class discussion
• How do TAs interact with students during the work session? 2. Number of TA-student interactions 3. Who initiates the interactions? 4. Length of interactions
TA observation form allows one to record a timeline of TA’s behaviour during the lab
TA teaching style and behaviors
Observe
TA observation formObserver: Ú6i_.^ È¿.\,r-¡,J section: L I a Date: ô"\. j j/¿
, ¿ T¡,'r1s. :i ) _
Lab progression key:1. Before TA begins class2. Going over homework3. I ntrod uction4. 1st group of clicker questionsJ. J LUUeI LS WOTK|ng6. Testing predictions7. 2nd grcup of clicker questionsL Other(Please mark lab end)
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TA observation form
1. Note off-script TA behaviours 2. Number of TA-student interactions 3. Who initiates the interactions? 4. Length of interactions
TA observation formObserver: Ú6i_.^ È¿.\,r-¡,J section: L I a Date: ô"\. j j/¿
, ¿ T¡,'r1s. :i ) _
Lab progression key:1. Before TA begins class2. Going over homework3. I ntrod uction4. 1st group of clicker questionsJ. J LUUeI LS WOTK|ng6. Testing predictions7. 2nd grcup of clicker questionsL Other(Please mark lab end)
'yr1'.t
L{:rl.¿ ¿d
lq.l!-;.--)li i,-i
*' r 4'L 3
i. t 'lt-'-oY1'---'l!ç
^! ,. l"n-l1/'
t, ,\; . .-.,,...- , "j..t- :.¡ :."...-:
TA observation form 1. Off-script behaviour
1. Note off-script TA behaviours 2. Number of TA-student interactions 3. Who initiates the interactions? 4. Length of interactions
TA observation formObserver: Ú6i_.^ È¿.\,r-¡,J section: L I a Date: ô"\. j j/¿
, ¿ T¡,'r1s. :i ) _
Lab progression key:1. Before TA begins class2. Going over homework3. I ntrod uction4. 1st group of clicker questionsJ. J LUUeI LS WOTK|ng6. Testing predictions7. 2nd grcup of clicker questionsL Other(Please mark lab end)
'yr1'.t
L{:rl.¿ ¿d
lq.l!-;.--)li i,-i
*' r 4'L 3
i. t 'lt-'-oY1'---'l!ç
^! ,. l"n-l1/'
t, ,\; . .-.,,...- , "j..t- :.¡ :."...-:
TA observation form
2-4. Interactions
1. Off-script behaviour
1. Note off-script TA behaviours 2. Number of TA-student interactions 3. Who initiates the interactions? 4. Length of interactions
• At a glance, place a check/’x’ on classroom map if student is on/off task
• Completed at intervals of 10 minutes
On/off&task&observa/on&form&Observer:&Sec/on:&Date:&Time:&
Front&
Key:&&&;&On&task&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&;&/me:&&&&&&&&&&min&&&&&&&&&&&;&Off&task&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&;&/me:&&&&&&&&&&min&&&&&&&&&&z&&&;&Zoned&out&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&;&/me:&&&&&&&&&&min&& &;&No&student&Student
engagement
Observe
Measuring student learning
Student learning
Skills test
Test given pre and post.
The model (again)
Student learning
TA teaching style and behaviors
TA attitudes and beliefs
Student engagement
?
?
?
Observe
Observe
Skills test
Student engagement Student learning 1. Off-script TA behaviours -0.11 2. Frequency of ints 0.52 0.28* 3. TA-initiated interactions 0.49 3. Student-initiated ints 0.052 4. Ratio of short to long ints -0.10 Student engagement 0.56*
Results: Correlations
* Denotes partial correlation, controlling for pre-test.
Student engagement Student learning 1. Off-script TA behaviours -0.11 2. Frequency of ints 0.52 0.28* 3. TA-initiated interactions 0.49 3. Student-initiated ints 0.052 4. Ratio of short to long ints -0.10 Student engagement 0.56*
Results: Correlations
* Denotes partial correlation, controlling for pre-test.
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.00.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1.0
Interactions per minute
Fractionalstudentengagement
The frequency of TA-student interactions matters!
Results
Results
Student learning
TA teaching style and behaviors
TA attitudes and beliefs
Student engagement
Which TA behaviours contribute to student engagement and learning?
r = 0.56*
r = 0.52
r = 0.28*
(Frequency of interactions used for TA behaviours)
Discussion
• Frequency of interactions is correlated with engagement – Whether it’s a carrot or a stick
• Our opinion: frequent interactions (even just saying ‘hi’) allow and encourage student access to the TA – Be present in the room
(Student)
Discussion: 3 possible TA styles
As a lecture TA, I could: 1. Wait until a student puts up their hand. 2. Approach a single student, ask how they
are doing. 3. Ask an entire section of students how
they are doing.
Conclusions
1.
2. What TAs do in class matters.
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.00.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1.0
Interactions per minute
Fractionalstudentengagement
(Be present in the room.)
