Impactful Experiences and Their Effect on Learning Assistant Epistemological Development

Autor/inn/en	Lutz, Ben; Ríos, Laura
Titel	Impactful Experiences and Their Effect on Learning Assistant Epistemological Development
Quelle	In: Physical Review Physics Education Research, 18 (2022) 2, Artikel 020133 (18 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Lutz, Ben)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Schlagwörter	Physics; Science Instruction; Peer Teaching; Concept Formation; Scientific Concepts; STEM Education; Teaching Methods; Educational Experience; Professional Development; Epistemology; State Universities; Undergraduate Students; Student Attitudes; Listening Skills; Language Role; Difficulty Level; Instructional Effectiveness; Educational Benefits + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Physik; Teaching of science; Science education; Natural sciences Lessons; Naturwissenschaftlicher Unterricht; Peer group teaching; Peer Group Teaching; Concept learning; Begriffsbildung; STEM; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Bildungserfahrung; Erkenntnistheorie; Staatliche Universität; Schülerverhalten; Schwierigkeitsgrad; Unterrichtserfolg; Bildungsertrag
Abstract	Learning assistants (LAs) are peer educators who work alongside faculty to facilitate active learning activities and help students develop conceptual understanding. LAs and LA training programs are becoming increasingly prevalent in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) gateway courses in the United States, and research continues to document the positive impacts on students and LAs in LA-facilitated classrooms. While evidence accumulates regarding positive student impact, relatively less work has investigated the ways LAs themselves might also be impacted by their participation in these programs. To improve LA training and student learning in STEM, it is vital that educators better understand the ways the experiences of LAs can promote personal and professional growth as members of the STEM community. To address this gap, we explored the epistemological development of LAs who participated in an LA program (i.e., pedagogy training and classroom practice) at a large, public, teaching-focused university. LAs participated in semi-structured interviews at the beginning and end of the academic term and completed bi-weekly reflections where they described impactful events and challenges. Using qualitative coding, we operationalized Baxter Magolda's epistemological reflection model to identify the impactful experiences that provoke epistemological development or reorientation. Our findings highlight three impactful experiences that help promote epistemological development for LAs: (i) recognizing the importance of language and listening; (ii) observing more knowledgeable others struggle with content; and (iii) providing students with the "wrong" answer to a question. We argue that these experiences can promote epistemological development in ways that help LAs become more effective in facilitating student learning and, ultimately, more thoughtful members of STEM disciplines. By working to create spaces for LAs to have these impactful experiences in training and preparation, educators can promote epistemological growth in ways that benefit both LAs and the students they serve. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	American Physical Society. One Physics Ellipse 4th Floor, College Park, MD 20740-3844. Tel: 301-209-3200; Fax: 301-209-0865; e-mail: assocpub@aps.org; Web site: https://journals.aps.org/prper/
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01