Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1887807
CharacteristicsofExemplaryProgramsinPreparing
GraduateAssistantstoTeachEconomics
MartinMilkman,ProfessorofEconomics
DepartmentofEconomicsandFinance
MurrayStateUniversity
Murray,KY42071
phone:270‐809‐4282
fax:270‐809‐5478
and
JamesP.McCoy,DistinguishedProfessorofEconomics
DepartmentofEconomicsandFinance
MurrayStateUniversity
Murray,KY42071
phone:270‐809‐4274
fax:270‐809‐5478
Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1887807
CharacteristicsofExemplaryProgramsinPreparing
GraduateAssistantstoTeachEconomics
Abstract
Previousresearchhasconcludedthatasawhole,AmericanEconomicsdoctoralprogramsdonotdoanadequatejoboftrainingPh.D.studentstoteacheconomics.Thispaperreportsinformationgleanedfromeighteconomicsdoctoralgrantingschoolsthathavebeenidentifiedashavingexemplaryprogramsinpreparinggraduatestudentstoteach.Wefirstreporttheirresponsestogeneralquestionsconcerningtheirformsofteachertraining/preparation.Wethenreportresponsestoquestionswhichaskedaboutparticularcharacteristicsoftheirteachertrainingprograms.Weconcludethateventhoughourrespondentsappeartobedoingwellintermsparticipationoftheirgraduatestudents,aswellascontentcoveragewithintheirprograms,twoareasmaydeservefurtherattention:coverageofalternativelearningstyles,andpossiblymoreimportant,systematicevaluationofteachertrainingprogramsindoctoraleconomicsprograms.
CharacteristicsofExemplaryProgramsinPreparing
GraduateAssistantstoTeachEconomics
Introduction
Manyeconomicsdepartmentsrelyontheirgraduatestudentstoeitherteach
independentclassesand/ortoleadrecitationclasses.However,WalstadandBecker(2010)in
arecentsurveyofPh.D.economicsprogramsfindsthatmanyschoolsdonotrequirethat
graduatestudentstakeafor‐creditclassbeforeteachingeitheranindependentclassorleading
recitationclasses.Theyalsonotetherehasbeen“littlechangeinperceptionsabout
economicsdepartmentpracticesrelatedtoteachingpreparationofeconomicsgraduate
studentsovertheinterveningsixyears”(WalstadandBecker,2010p.207).Inasurveyof
recentgraduatesofU.S.economicsPH.D.programs,whoarenowteachingatU.S.and
Canadiancollegesanduniversities,McCoyandMilkman(2010)findthat“onlyhalfofour
respondentswhotaughtastand‐alonecourseduringtheirdoctoralprogramsandonly41
percentofthosewhoconductedrecitationsectionshadanysuchtraining”(p.214)inteaching
economics.
Thispaperusessurveydatafromasmallsampleofschoolsthathavebeenidentifiedas
havingexemplaryprogramsinpreparinggraduatestudentstoteacheconomics.When
studentsarehiredtoteacheconomicseitheringraduateschoolorwhentheyenterthejob
marketitisimportanttheyarepreparedtoteach.Hopefullythispaperwillstimulatefurther
discussionofthisimportanttopicandpossiblyitcanbeusedasaresourceforgraduate
economicsprogramsastheycontinuetodevelopandimproveteachertrainingprogramsfor
theirPH.D.students.ManyofthequestionsinoursurveyarederivedfromSalemi(2003)who
outlinesamodelteachereducationprogramforeconomists.
Oftheelevenschoolsthatweresentsurveys,nineoftheschoolsreturnedcompleted
surveys.However,oneoftheschoolsindicatedthatteachertrainingofPhD.studentswasof
“secondaryconcern,”sowedecidedtoreportontheresponsesoftheothereightschools:
IndianaUniversity,PennsylvaniaStateUniversity,UniversityofMinnesota,Universityof
NebraskaLincoln,UniversityofNorthCarolinaChapelHill,UniversityofKentucky,Universityof
NewHampshire,andtheUniversityofPittsburg.
Thefirstpartofthesurveyaskedgeneralquestionsconcerningtheformsofteacher
training/preparationfordoctoraleconomicsstudents,specifically,whataretheydoingandhow
aretheydoingit?Respondentswerepromptedaboutwhethertheirtrainingtooktheformof
informalorformalclasses,whetherstudentsreceivecreditornoncredittraining,andwhether
thetrainingincludesamentoringsystem.Theresponsestothispartofthesurveyare
addressedinthefirstsectionofthepaperbysummarizingeachoftheeightschools’answers.
Thesecondsetofquestionsaskedwhethercertaintopicsareaddressedduringthetraining,
whetherthereisdirectsupervisionand/orevaluationofdoctoralstudentteaching,and
whetherthereisanevaluationoftheeffectivenessoftheirteachertrainingprograms.Section
IIsummarizestheresponsestothesequeries.Wethenofferabriefconclusion.
I.SummaryofRespondents’ApproachestoTeacherTraining
Webeginwithadescriptionofthegeneralformsofteachertraininginwhichoureight
respondentsareengaged.AtIndianaUniversity,allgraduatestudentswhointendtoholdan
associateinstructorpositionarerequiredtoattendacourseonteachinginthespringsemester
oftheirfirstyear.Thecontentofthecoursehasvariedastheinstructoroftheclasshas
changed.Itisathreehourgraduateclasswhichrequiresregularattendanceandout‐of‐class
assignments.Theclassincludesadiscussionofpedagogy,policyissues,andinclasstrainingon
teachingtechniques.
IndianaUniversity,Bloomington(IU)teachesaclassduringthespringsemesterofthe
firstyearforallgraduatestudentswhointendtoholdanassociateinstructorposition.Students
receivethreecreditsandtheclassrequiresattendance,out‐of‐classassignments,discussionof
bothpedagogyandpolicyissuesandin‐classtrainingonteachingtechniques.Studentsreceive
informationregardinguniversitypoliciesandregulationsregardingteaching.TheIUstudents
havemicroteachingandlearnvariouslecturingstrategiesandotherstrategies,instructionson
testingandotherassessments,andtheuseoflearningobjectivesincoursedesign.
AtPennState,onlysummerclassesareassignedtobetaughtbygraduatestudents.
Duringthefallandspringtheyserveonlyasteachingassistants.Graduatestudentswhointend
toteachtheirownsummerclassmustattendatrainingsessiontaughtbyseniorlecturers.
Studentsinthetrainingsessionmustpreparetheirsyllabusandfirstlecture.
Firstyearteachingassistantsdonotteachtheirownclasses,butallteachingassistants
arerequiredtoparticipateinaone‐weekcourseattheUniversityofKentuckypriortotheir
secondyearintheprogram.Studentsreceiveonecredithourforthisclass.Theinstructorsof
theweeklongclassteachthebasicsofputtingtheirclasstogetherandusinggoodtechnique.
Studentsintheclassalsoreceiveemailsthatcontainsyllabusstructureandgradingpolicy.
Teachingassistantsareprovidedmaterialsandinstructiononskeletonnotes,writing
assignments,discussiontechniques,teamlearning,demonstrations;participatoryexamples,
grouppresentations,clickers,incorporationofthearts,andexperiments.Duringthesemester
eachteachingassistantisauditedonceortwiceduringthesemesterfollowedbyaone‐on‐one
conference.
TheUniversityofMinnesota‐TwinCitieshasafour‐dayorientationworkshopfornew
teachingassistantsbeforethestartofthefallsemester.Theworkshopintroducesdepartmental
teachingpoliciesandtechniques.ResourcespeakersincludetheChair,theDirectorof
GraduateStudies,theDirectorofUndergraduateStudies,theAssociateAdministrator,faculty
andadvancedgraduateteachingassistants.Inaddition,eachsemesterateachingworkshopis
offeredfocusinguponteachingeffectivenessandimprovement.Allteachingassistantsmust
attendtheseworkshops.Ahandbookthatcontainsinformationaboutundergraduateteaching
anddepartmentpoliciesisalsogiventoallgraduateteachingassistants.Allinternational
studentsmustalsofirstpassa“SPEAKTest”inordertoteach.
ThegraduateschooloftheUniversityofNewHampshireoffersa12creditprogram
throughthegraduateschool.Itiscompletelyvoluntaryandsomestudentsonlyparticipateina
partoftheprogram.Theclassisdividedinto3classescomprising12creditstotal.Thereisa
coreclassofferedbytheUniversity’sCollegeTeachingfacultyfor4credits.Thereisanother4
creditclassonfieldanddisciplinarystudiesofferedbythedoctoralcandidate’sspecific
disciplinaryfaculty(e.g.economics),andanadditionalfourcreditsforacollegeteachingpraxis
consistingoftwoseparateteachingexperiences.
TheUniversityofNebraska(Lincoln)requiresallteachingassistantstoattendathree
credithourclassdevotedtoteachingeconomics.Theclassistaughtbyeconomicsfaculty.
Someofthisclassislive,whilesomeison‐line.Inadditionallinternationalstudentsforwhom
Englishisnotthenativelanguagearerequiredtoattendatwoweektrainingcoursesponsored
bytheGraduateCollege.
TheUniversityofNorthCarolinaatChapelHillrequiresparticipationofallgraduate
teachingassistantswhoserveaseitherteachingassistantsorteachanindependentcoursein
theirTeacherTrainingProgram(TTP).Therearetwomodulesintheteacherpreparation
programwhichisdesignedandteamtaughtbythreefacultymemberswithinthedepartment.
Thefirstmoduleistaughtinthefallandisdesignedforgraduatestudentswhowillserveas
assistants,whilethesecondmoduleistaughtinthespringandisdesignedforgraduate
studentswhowillteachindependentclasses.Studentswhocompletebothmodulesreceive
threehoursofgraduatecredit.Participantsareexpectedtoattendeverysession.Eachsession
(fiveinthefallmodule,fourinthespring)requiresaboutthreehoursofhomework.
TheUniversityofPittsburghhasaonecreditcoursethatistaughtbyfacultywithinthe
department.Sincenoneofthefirstyeareconomicsgraduatestudentsdoanyteaching,the
graduateteachingassistantsareenrolledintheteachertrainingclassatthebeginningoftheir
secondyear.Theclassmeetsfor2hourseverytwoorthreeweeksoverthefallsemester.One
sessioninvolvesseniorgraduatestudentswhileinanothersessionapanelofundergraduate
studentsofferstipsonthingsthattheylikeintheclassroomaswellasinrecitationsections.In
addition,eachstudentisvideotapedteachingandthenshe/hemeetswithpersonnelfromthe
InstructionalSupportOfficetoreviewher/histape.Facultymembersinchargeofeachcourse
makeatleastoneclassroomvisittoobservehoweachstudentisdoing.
II.TeacherTrainingProgramContent
Thissectionsummarizesresponsestospecificquestionsaboutourrespondents’teacher
trainingprograms.Alleightofourrespondentsincludedescriptionsofvariouslecturing
strategiesandtechniquesaswellasalternativeteachingstrategiesinadditiontolecturing(such
asactivelearning).Sevenofeightofourrespondentsassurethatteachertrainingparticipants
receiveinformationregardinguniversitypoliciesandregulationsregardingteachingattheir
specificuniversityand/orwithintheirparticulardepartment.Similarly,sevenoftheeight(with
onesimplyfailingtorespond)indicatedthattheyprovideinstructionontestingandother
assessment.Again,sevenofeightincludeadescriptionoftheuseoflearningobjectiveswhen
developingacourse’sstructure.Sevenoftheeightalsorequirepracticeteaching/teaching
warmups/microteachingbeforeallowingstudentstoteach“forreal.”However,onlyfourof
ourrespondentscoveralternativelearningtheoriesduringtheirteachertrainingprograms.
Sevenofoureightrespondentsrequiredirectsupervision/observation/evaluationof
doctoratestudentsteachinginrecitationsectionsorstandalonecourses.Thisdirect
observationistypicallyperformedbyTAcoordinators,seniorlecturers,ormentoringfaculty
members.
Whenaskedtodescribehowtheeffectivenessoftheirteachingtrainingprogramsis
evaluated,onlyfivetheeightrespondedthattheirprogramwasindeedevaluatedinsomeway.
Forthemostpart,ourrespondentsseemtorelyuponevaluatingtheeffectivenessofthe
teachingoftheirdoctoralstudentsasameasureoftheeffectivenessoftheirteachingtraining
program.Thisevaluationoftheteachingoftheirdoctoralstudentsisdonebythetraditional
methodsofanonymousstudentevaluationsanddirectclassobservation.Oneofour
respondentsadministersafinalexamwithsomecommonquestionsacrossallprinciples
sectionstaughtbydifferentinstructors,includingtheirdoctoralstudents,andthenuses
studentperformanceonthesecommonquestionsasonemeasureofinstructional
effectiveness.Onlythreerespondentsappeartoattempttoevaluatetheirteachertraining
programs“directly.”Twoofthemsurveyprogramparticipantsabouttheirexperienceinthe
programatitsconclusionwhiletheotherconductsinterviewswithparticipantsandasksthem
directlyabouttheirexperienceintheprogram.
Thefinalquestiononoursurveyaskedrespondentstosharewithusanyother
commentstheyhaveregardingtheirteachertrainingprogramswhichcolleaguesmightfind
interestingorhelpful.Onerespondentindicatedthattheyinitiallyrequiredtheirteacher
trainingbeforetheirdoctoralstudentstaught,butthisdidn’tworksowellbecausedoctoral
studentshadlittleinterestinteachertrainingwhentheywerenotactuallyteaching.Theynow
runtheirteachertrainingcourseconcurrentwiththeirdoctoralstudents’firstteaching
assignmentandthisseemstoworkbetter.
III.Conclusion
First,weacknowledgetheneedforexpansionofourresearchbeforereachingtoomany
firmconclusions.Weusedtheresponsesofonlyeightschools,andweunderstandthat
surveyingmoreschoolsknownforteacherpreparationoftheirdoctoraleconomicsstudents
maybehelpful.However,somepreliminaryobservationsarepossible.
Asageneralrule,andnotsurprisinglysincewehadalreadyidentifiedtheseschoolsas
havinghighqualityteachertrainingprograms,ourrespondentsappeartobedoingwellin
termsofparticipationoftheirgraduatestudentsaswellascontentwithintheirprograms.
However,possiblytwoareasmayneedfurtherthoughtandattention.First,theremaybea
voidinthecoverageofalternativelearningstylesinsomeprograms.Second,andpossiblymore
important,itappearsthatevenmanyofourexemplaryprogramshavenotspecifically
addressedtheissueofevaluatingtheirteachertrainingprograms.Dotheseprogramsactually
producebetterteachersvs.havingnoteacherpreparationatall?Arethegoodhabitsof
graduatestudentteachersdirectlytraceabletotheteacherpreparationtheyhavecompleted?
Aregraduatesofteachertrainingprogramsmorelikelytosecurepositionsrequiringsignificant
teachingand/orbesuccessfulinthosepositionsoncesecured?Thesearequestionsthatwe
haveonlyjustbeguntoanswer,atonlyafewoftheleadingedgeprograms,butthesewould
appeartobequestionswewouldliketoanswerasweinvestfurtherinteacherpreparationin
doctoraleconomicsprograms.
References
McCoy,J.P.,andM.I.Milkman.2010.DorecentPh.D.economistsfeelpreparedtoteacheconomics?JournalofEconomicEducation41:211‐215.
Salemi,M.K.2003.Amodelteachertrainingprogramforeconomics.AmericanEconomicReview9:455‐59.
Walstad,W.B.,andW.E.Becker.2010.Preparinggraduatestudentsineconomicsforteaching:surveyfindingsandrecommendations.JournalofEconomicEducation41:202‐10.
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