Interactions between teaching assistants and students boost engagement in physics labs
1. Interactions between teaching
assistants and students boost
engagement in physics labs
with Ido Roll, arXiv:1306.6606 [physics.ed-ph]
Jared Stang
@StangJared, jaredstang.wordpress.com
10. The TA-student relationship
?
TA attitudes
and beliefs
TA teaching
style and
behaviors
?
Which of these actually matter?
Which TA behaviours contribute to student
engagement and learning?
Student
learning
Student
engagement
11. The TA-student relationship
?
TA attitudes
and beliefs
TA teaching
style and
behaviors
Student
learning
?
?
Which of these actually matter?
Which TA behaviours contribute to student
engagement and learning?
Student
engagement
12. Design: Observe then correlate
Skills test
?
TA attitudes
and beliefs
TA teaching
style and
behaviors
Observe
Observe all lab sections in the same week.
Student
learning
?
?
Student
engagement
Observe
13. 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
14. Participants: The TAs of Phys 100
• 6 first-year grad students with no prior teaching experience
15. 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
16. TA observation form
TA observation form
Observer: Ú6i_.^ È¿.,r-¡,
J
Date: ô". j j/¿ ¿
section: L I a
T¡,'r1s.
,
Lab progression key:
1. Before TA begins class
2. Going over homework
3. I ntrod uction
4. 1st group of clicker questions
J. J LUUeI LS WOTK|ng
6. Testing predictions
7. 2nd grcup of clicker questions
L Other
(Please mark lab end)
1.
2.
3.
4.
4'L 3
L{:rl.¿ ¿d
*'
'yr
lq.l!-;.--)
i. t 'lt-'-
1'.t
li i,-i
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oY1'---'l!ç
^!
1/'
:i
)
_
Note off-script TA behaviours
Number of TA-student interactions
Who initiates the interactions?
Length of interactions
,.
l"n-l
t,
,; . .-.,,...- , "j..t- :.¡ :."...-:
17. TA observation form
TA observation form
Observer: Ú6i_.^ È¿.,r-¡,
J
Date: ô". j j/¿ ¿
section: L I a
Lab progression key:
1. Before TA begins class
2. Going over homework
3. I ntrod uction
4. 1st group of clicker questions
J. J LUUeI LS WOTK|ng
6. Testing predictions
7. 2nd grcup of clicker questions
L Other
(Please mark lab end)
1.
2.
3.
4.
4'L 3
L{:rl.¿ ¿d
*'
'yr
lq.l!-;.--)
i. t 'lt-'-
1'.t
li i,-i
r
oY1'---'l!ç
^!
1/'
:i
1. )Off-script behaviour
T¡,'r1s.
,
_
Note off-script TA behaviours
Number of TA-student interactions
Who initiates the interactions?
Length of interactions
,.
l"n-l
t,
,; . .-.,,...- , "j..t- :.¡ :."...-:
18. TA observation form
TA observation form
Observer: Ú6i_.^ È¿.,r-¡,
J
Date: ô". j j/¿ ¿
section: L I a
:i
1. )Off-script behaviour
T¡,'r1s.
,
_
2-4. Interactions
Lab progression key:
1. Before TA begins class
2. Going over homework
3. I ntrod uction
4. 1st group of clicker questions
J. J LUUeI LS WOTK|ng
6. Testing predictions
7. 2nd grcup of clicker questions
L Other
(Please mark lab end)
1.
2.
3.
4.
4'L 3
L{:rl.¿ ¿d
*'
'yr
lq.l!-;.--)
i. t 'lt-'-
1'.t
li i,-i
r
oY1'---'l!ç
^!
1/'
Note off-script TA behaviours
Number of TA-student interactions
Who initiates the interactions?
Length of interactions
,.
l"n-l
t,
,; . .-.,,...- , "j..t- :.¡ :."...-:
19. On/off&task&observa/on&form&
Student
engagement
Observe
• At a glance, place a
check/’x’ on classroom
map if student is on/off
task
• Completed at intervals
of 10 minutes
Key:&&&;&On&task&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&;&/me:&&&&&&&&&&min&
&&&&&&&&&&;&Off&task&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&;&/me:&&&&&&&&&&min&
&&&&&&&&&z&&&;&Zoned&out&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&;&/me:&&&&&&&&&&min&
&
&;&No&student&
Observer:&
Sec/on:&
Date:&
Time:&
Front&
21. The model (again)
Skills test
?
TA attitudes
and beliefs
TA teaching
style and
behaviors
Observe
Student
learning
?
?
Student
engagement
Observe
22. Results: Correlations
Student engagement
1. Off-script TA behaviours
-0.11
2. Frequency of ints
0.52
3. TA-initiated interactions
0.49
3. Student-initiated ints
0.052
4. Ratio of short to long ints
Student learning
-0.10
Student engagement
0.28*
0.56*
* Denotes partial correlation, controlling for pre-test.
23. Results: Correlations
Student engagement
1. Off-script TA behaviours
-0.11
2. Frequency of ints
0.52
3. TA-initiated interactions
0.49
3. Student-initiated ints
0.052
4. Ratio of short to long ints
Student learning
-0.10
Student engagement
0.28*
0.56*
* Denotes partial correlation, controlling for pre-test.
25. Results
r = 0.28*
TA attitudes
and beliefs
TA teaching
style and
behaviors
r = 0.52
Student
learning
r = 0.56*
Student
engagement
Which TA behaviours contribute to student
engagement and learning?
(Frequency of interactions used for TA behaviours)
26. Discussion
• Frequency of interactions is correlated with
engagement
– Whether it’s a carrot or a stick
(Student)
• Our opinion: frequent interactions (even just
saying ‘hi’) allow and encourage student
access to the TA
– Be present in the room
27. 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.