Wheeler, L. B., Maeng, J. L., Chiu, J. L., & Bell, R. L. (2017). Do Teaching Assistants Matter? Investigating Relationships between Teaching Assistants and Student Outcomes in Undergraduate Science Laboratory Classes. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 54(4), 463鈥�492.
This quantitative study examined (i) the impact of inquiry-based TA professional development (PD) on TAs鈥� content knowledge, beliefs, and confidence; (ii) the use of UTAs in parallel roles to GTAs in inquiry-based laboratories; and (iii) the relationship between TAs content knowledge and student learning outcomes in an inquiry-based general chemistry laboratory context. The authors are from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, and Oregan State University, Corvallis. PD supported TAs to lead inquiry-based classes, involving a weeklong workshop and 14 weekly follow-up meetings. Participants included 5 UTAs, 14 GTAs, and their 529 students. Results demonstrate that TAs鈥� content knowledge improved following PD and teaching, and students鈥� content knowledge significantly improved across the semester. Further, TAs with higher content knowledge post-PD tended to have students with higher end-of-semester content knowledge. No differences existed between UTAs or GTAs on any TA characteristic or student outcome measure. Student demographics were significant predictors of student post-survey content scores and students鈥� perceptions of their TA differed based on gender and international TA status.