A Professional Development Activity to Better Support International Graduate Teaching Assistants in Evaluating Scientific Writing

Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) who are English language learners at American institutions often endure xenophobia, pressures to conform to American culture, and visa restrictions on working. Quantitative data we collected from the Introduction to Biology Laboratory course taught at a large R1 u...

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Main Authors: Lisa L. Walsh, Zhigang Jia, Julianne Vernon
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Society for Microbiology 2020-01-01
Series:Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education
Online Access:https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jmbe.v21i1.1959
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author Lisa L. Walsh
Zhigang Jia
Julianne Vernon
author_facet Lisa L. Walsh
Zhigang Jia
Julianne Vernon
author_sort Lisa L. Walsh
collection DOAJ
description Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) who are English language learners at American institutions often endure xenophobia, pressures to conform to American culture, and visa restrictions on working. Quantitative data we collected from the Introduction to Biology Laboratory course taught at a large R1 university indicate paper grading discrepancies between international and domestic GTAs. Qualitative data highlight international GTAs’ concerns regarding grading load and language barriers. To alleviate the burden on international GTAs, we provide a professional development activity for professors to use in course planning meetings based on feedback from GTAs. Group reflection, discussion, and modification of a rubric are recommended in order to train GTAs in assessing scientific writing to collaboratively build expectations as a teaching team.
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spelling doaj.art-ccf3de2cba1044fdbd84de0cc77f52a32022-12-21T21:21:06ZengAmerican Society for MicrobiologyJournal of Microbiology & Biology Education1935-78771935-78852020-01-0121110.1128/jmbe.v21i1.1959A Professional Development Activity to Better Support International Graduate Teaching Assistants in Evaluating Scientific WritingLisa L. Walsh0Zhigang Jia1Julianne Vernon2University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN 37132Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) who are English language learners at American institutions often endure xenophobia, pressures to conform to American culture, and visa restrictions on working. Quantitative data we collected from the Introduction to Biology Laboratory course taught at a large R1 university indicate paper grading discrepancies between international and domestic GTAs. Qualitative data highlight international GTAs’ concerns regarding grading load and language barriers. To alleviate the burden on international GTAs, we provide a professional development activity for professors to use in course planning meetings based on feedback from GTAs. Group reflection, discussion, and modification of a rubric are recommended in order to train GTAs in assessing scientific writing to collaboratively build expectations as a teaching team.https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jmbe.v21i1.1959
spellingShingle Lisa L. Walsh
Zhigang Jia
Julianne Vernon
A Professional Development Activity to Better Support International Graduate Teaching Assistants in Evaluating Scientific Writing
Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education
title A Professional Development Activity to Better Support International Graduate Teaching Assistants in Evaluating Scientific Writing
title_full A Professional Development Activity to Better Support International Graduate Teaching Assistants in Evaluating Scientific Writing
title_fullStr A Professional Development Activity to Better Support International Graduate Teaching Assistants in Evaluating Scientific Writing
title_full_unstemmed A Professional Development Activity to Better Support International Graduate Teaching Assistants in Evaluating Scientific Writing
title_short A Professional Development Activity to Better Support International Graduate Teaching Assistants in Evaluating Scientific Writing
title_sort professional development activity to better support international graduate teaching assistants in evaluating scientific writing
url https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jmbe.v21i1.1959
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