Exploring Classroom Communication Stress and Coping among International Graduate-Student Course Instructors

• In Event: AERA Research in Progress Roundtable Session Three
  In Invited Roundtable: Research-in-Progress RT043 (Friday)

Abstract

Classroom communication has been described as a major teaching-related challenge in American higher education, particularly for international teaching assistants who have different cultural backgrounds than their students (Kim, 2009). The perceived challenge mainly depends upon the ability to communicate effectively in the intercultural context (Adebayo & Allen, 2020). Most prior research has been conducted by deficit-based framing, which can offer limited perspectives on how teaching assistants handle stress. This in-progress study adopts a comprehensive lens of stress appraisal. It also accounts for role-specific concerns, by specifically focusing on teaching assistants who are lead instructors for courses. Prior research has often aggregated this subpopulation with teaching assistants who carry less instructional—and therefore classroom communication—responsibility (e.g., only grading students’ work).

Authors

• Kexin Jiang, Washington State University

• Chad M. Gotch, Washington State University