Fostering Explanatory Rigor in Undergraduate Biology Discussions: An Exploratory Study of Teaching Assistant Learning

• In Event: 66.080 - Science Teaching and Learning SIG Paper Session: Undergraduate Focus

Abstract

Productive participation in the explanatory discourses of science is at the heart of current visions for undergraduate biology. The quality of classroom talk shapes the nature of learning experiences as simple activities become sense-making opportunities through classroom talk that is responsive to students’ ideas. Yet, fostering explanatory rigor is challenging, especially for novice teaching assistants (TAs). This research explored how five novice TAs learned to foster explanatory rigor during whole-class discussions over one semester. TAs who engaged with instructional supports and reflected on student thinking increased the rigor of discussion over time and TAs who did not engage with the instructional supports and focused on classroom management decreased rigor over time. Implications for TA professional development are discussed.

Authors

• Anna Strimaitis Grinath, Idaho State University

• Sherry A. Southerland, Florida State University