Transnational policy discourses shape teacher professionalism through discursive patterns in policy initiatives from the global policy actor, OECD. The policy idea of 'the teacher assistant' has emerged through discourses on teacher professionalism, spurring ambiguities regarding what the policy idea is and ought to be in Sweden. The aim of this…

Self-determination Theory (SDT) presents critical constructs and processes for understanding and improving human learning and development. Though actively utilized as a theoretical framework for K-12 and adult training research, it has been virtually ignored in TA professional development design and research. Self-determination and the process of…

Recent years have seen the health and social care and education sectors subject to a range of policy initiatives which have been characterised by a concern for "modernisation" and restructuring of the workforce which has resulted in a reappraisal and so-called "professionalisation" of many existing previously lowskill roles.…

Invisible knowledge or the hidden curriculum, the informal education some students get from faculty mentors, is a privilege not afforded to all students. Many universities have instituted psychology careers courses to assist undergraduate psychology students with academic and career advisement. Designed to share this invisible curriculum with all…

The graduate experience is a critical time for development of academic faculty, but often there is little preparation for teaching during the graduate career. Teaching self-efficacy, an instructor's belief in his or her ability to teach students in a specific context, can help to predict teaching behavior and student achievement, and can be used…

This paper examines the role of technology in the professional development of teaching assistants, and specifically, it addresses how applications of technology to teaching can provide continuity for the L2 curriculum beyond the basic levels. After a discussion about the importance of grounding instructional practice in research and theory, the…

Graduate teaching assistants are often left out of the science teacher education reform agenda, but these science educators are responsible for significant amounts of undergraduate instruction especially at large research universities. Within science departments specifically, a number of courses and laboratories are taught by graduate teaching…

The purpose of the study was to explore a conceptual structure of graduate teaching assistant (GTA) teaching concerns. Results indicated that GTAs experience five distinct, inter-related types of concerns: class control, external evaluation, task, impact and role/time/communication. These "teaching concerns" were further analysed by…

This report describes the origin and development of CESAME (The Center for Science and Mathematics Education) at Stony Brook University. The analysis identifies key ingredients in areas of personnel, funding, organizational structures, educational priorities, collaboration, and institutionalization. After a discussion of relevant issues in…

Rapid change in higher education (HE) has lead to a reappraisal and debate about the role and "mission" of the university and the university teacher. In the diversification of the HE sector, it is possible to see a shift away from the "advancement of knowledge" as the primary purpose of the HE sector as a whole. This article…

Recent years have seen a dramatic change in the composition of the workforce of schools in England and Wales. Policy initiatives associated with inclusion, tackling teacher workloads and the reformation of children and young people's services have resulted in a proliferation and diversification of roles in schools with the creation of new…

This article examines the transition process of 14 international teaching assistants (TAs), who teach mathematics courses in U.S. college contexts. In particular, this study documents several major aspects of changes in their teaching, including their curriculum choice and instructional practices over time. This study reveals how the institutional…

This article explores whether using reflective dialogue in action learning sets on a foundation degree (FD) in educational support can develop the capacity for reflective practice of the students. Developing a reflective stance in relation to professional practice is a central theme of the programme, which is reinforced by the work-based learning…

An Academic Practice Unit needs to work strategically and interact with other departments to place research-based teaching on the institutional agenda and support staff adequately for their roles.

As part of the Department for Education and Skill's remodeling of the workforce agenda of 2003, the then Teacher Training Agency created a new "super teaching assistant" role that headteachers could integrate into their school organizations. This mirrored other government public service professional reforms, where there has been a…