From a repeating machine to a Jellycat: exploring international teaching assistants’ learning in liberal arts colleges.

• In Event: Poster Group 4
  In Poster Session: From a repeating machine to a Jellycat: exploring international teaching assistants’ learning in liberal arts colleges.

Proposal

International Teaching Assistants (ITAs) system has been applied widely in various fields at different universities in the U.S. for decades. Existing research has focused on the challenges and opportunities of using graduate ITAs because they are more knowledgeable in specific courses, which can benefit learners. For example, scholars explored the selection, preparation, training, supervising, and mentoring of graduate TAs (e.g., Park, 2011). Many studies examined challenges, such as communication and cultural conflict, graduate ITAs encountered (e.g., Gorsuch, 2016; Ashavskaya, 2015). However, little research has mentioned undergraduate ITAs’ learning and growth at liberal art colleges. For example, as native speakers with no linguistics knowledge, what do Chinese TAs learn when assisting in Chinese language and culture classes? To address this gap, the current study employed collaborative self-study as the research method to explore skills and knowledge Chinese ITAs developed when facilitating Chinese courses at a liberal arts college. 

Using collaborative self-study (Pinnegar & Hamilton, 2009), we, three Chinese ITAs, put ourselves at the core of this reflective inquiry. We employed three methods to document our reflections and changes for one year:
1.Wrote reflection journals after conducting focused practices weekly with students in a small-class setting and offering office hours weekly
2.Read and comment on each other’s journals and conduct individual and group discussions with our supervisor.
3.Wrote thematic reflection at the end of our service terms.

Through a recursive process of experiencing, writing, reading, and sensemaking, the findings of our study revealed that as undergraduate ITAs at a Liberal Arts College, we grew mainly in three different fields:1. Regarding our learning, as native speakers, we developed metalinguistic skills because we became consciously aware of grammar and character patterns in order to answer students' questions better. 2. As international students, we improved intercultural communication skills and confidence when hosting small group oral practices and office hours as we were given direct opportunities to fit in the new cultural environment. 3. As undergraduates, we also enhanced our instructional skills because we had to use concise language to explain concepts to students.

Overall, this study proves that undergraduate ITAs in Liberal Arts Colleges in the young growth stage have developed in various fields through purposefully mentoring and collaboration. While there are still limitations due to self-reporting, this study sheds light on undergraduate ITAs and calls on universities to provide them with opportunities to facilitate personal development.

Authors

• Weishan Deng, Emory University

• Wenye Song

• Xinyue Yan, Emory University

• Zheng Gu, Emory University