Navigating the Landscape of Pedagogical Training - The Journeys of Three Mathematics Graduate Students

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by kopisore

A study examines teaching assistantships (TAships) and pedagogical training within the Mathematics Department of a large public research university. It presents visualized, program-level data covering all TAships held by graduate instructors, then analyzes three recent graduates’ teaching journeys using an autoethnographical methodology based on written reflection. The work identifies surprising themes, pinpoints key moments in each reflection, and offers three proposals to capture and extend the benefits of structured TA development across broader contexts.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time33 min

AccessFree to download

Teaching assistantships and pedagogical training

Focus of the study and institutional context

UBC graduate TA training program

The landscape of TAships: a bird’s-eye view

TA program scale and typology

Visualization of the TAship landscape

Navigating the Landscape of Pedagogical Training: The Journeys of Three Mathematics Graduate Students Matt Coles, Fok-Shuen Leung, Vanessa Radzimski, Pam Sargent University of British Columbia, University of the Fraser Valley, Yale University This article describes the landscape of teaching assistantships (TAships) in the Mathematics Department of a large, public research institution. First, we present visualized data describing the terrain for all mathematics graduate students. Second, we focus on three specific journeys through that terrain. We employ an autoethnographical research methodology to analyze the pedagogical paths of three recent graduates through written reflection. We highlight some surprising themes that emerge, identify key moments in each reflection, and make three proposals, applicable in broader contexts, in order to capture and confer their benefits. Dans notre article, nous traçons le portrait de l’assistanatd’enseignement dans le département de Mathématique d’un grand établissementpublic de recherche. Tout d’abord, nous présentons des données sous forme visuelle de manière à décrire la réalité sur le terrain des étudiants en mathématique des cycles supérieurs. Ensuite, nous portons notre attention sur trois parcours particuliers. Au moyen de réflexions menées par écrit, nous utilisons une méthodologie de recherche autoethnographique afin d’analyser leparcourspédagogique de trois nouveaux diplômés. Nous soulignons certains thèmes surprenants, nous dégageons les moments clés de chaque réflexion, puis nous énonçons trois propositions – lesquellespeuvent être utilisées dans un contexte plus large – et nous en présentons les avantages. Research and teaching are the foci of any academic career. While the research journey of a junior scholar may vary, it is generally marked by key features—qualification and candidacy exams, regular guidance by a senior scholar, an oral defense, and soon. On the other hand, the landscape of teaching assistantships (TAships) and pedagogical training is more ad hoc and can vary dramatically between institutions (Boyle & Boice, 1998; Silverman, 2003) . Although there is a wealth of literature on the pedagogical preparation of K-12 teachers, there is limited research on the development of junior researchers as teachers (Speer, Gutman, & Murphy, 2005). The need for this research, however, is evident (Musgrave & Carlson, 2017) . This study focuses on the landscape of TAships and three specific TA journeys of recent graduate students at the University of British Columbia (UBC) . All three TAs are now in faculty or postdoctoral positions that combine teaching and mathematics education research. UBC is a large, public research institution. It has two campuses; this study took place at the larger, Vancouver campus, which has around 45,000 undergraduate students and 10,000 graduate students. The Mathematics Department has around 70 faculty members and 100 graduate students. Firstyear Mathematics courses have a combined enrolment of over 6,000 students each year. The Department plays a large “service teaching” role; that is, most students taking Mathematics courses are not Mathematics majors. The Mathematics Department at UBC has an extensive graduate TA training program. In her study of instructor training programs for mathematics TAs, Ellis (2014) lists the following features of successful programs: 1. Successful programs have in-service as well as pre-service components. 2. Successful programs are situated in the particular context of mathematics instruction. 3. Successful programs include “approximations of practice” and feedback. 4. Successful programs are supported by the department and institution. 5. Successful programs support innovative instructional practices. Pedagogical training at UBC comprises all five features (Bruni & Leung, 2020) . All TAs undergo a two-day pre-service orientation session. TAs who wish to teach are required to take a te

FAQs

What is the main focus of the study?

The study focuses on the landscape of TAships and three specific TA journeys of recent graduate students, linking program-level training with individual teaching experiences.

How does the study investigate the three TA journeys?

It uses an autoethnographical research methodology based on written reflections to analyze the pedagogical paths of three recent graduates.

What training components does UBC provide for mathematics TAs?

Training includes a two-day pre-service orientation, a term-long credit-bearing course for those who wish to teach, an Instructor Support Group for reflection and innovation, and three-day custom-made Instructional Skills Workshops.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by kopisore