Standing to Preach, Moving to Teach - What TAs Learned from Teaching in 2016 CELT Vol IX

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by jay

Explores how classroom architectural layout affects Teaching Assistants’ (TAs) movement and interactions with students, comparing a flexible classroom to a less-flexible one. Two studies were conducted with four TAs from a first-year introductory course. Study 1 held lesson content constant while changing classroom settings; Study 2 followed the same students as they switched rooms mid-course. Video analyses and student and TA surveys show clear differences in movement that influence teaching and learning quality, supporting discussion on how space shapes TA teaching strategies.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Rationale for changing TA physical positioning

Active Learning Classrooms and flexible space concept

Research gap: novice TAs and confounding factors

Two-study design to isolate layout and interaction effects

Standing to Preach, Moving to Teach: What TAs Learned from Teaching in 2016 CELT Vol IX [celt. uwindsor.ca](celt. uwindsor.ca) [www.stlhe.ca](www.stlhe.ca) Flexible and Less-Flexible Spaces Victoria Chen, Andy Leger, and Annie Riel Queen’s University This paper examines the effect of the architectural layout of two classrooms (one flexible and one less-flexible) on Teaching Assistants’ (TAs) movement and interactions with students. Four TAs from a first-year undergraduate introductory course were chosen for the two studies. In study 1, the TAs taught the same lesson twice to two groups of students on the same day but in different classrooms, thereby controlling for content differences. Study 2 investigated the impacts that flexible and non-flexible spaces have on the same cohort of students, as the TAs continued to teach the same students but the students switched classrooms for the second half of the course, thereby controllingfor differences in student participants. From the video analyses, there was a clear difference in how the TAs moved in the classroom and the interactions they had with students. Both TAs and students reported in surveys that there was a difference in their movement in the respective rooms that had an impact on their teaching and learning quality. This finding starts the conversation on how space can affect TAs, in order for TAs to consider how their movement is affected by classroom configurations, and how this change in movement can affect teaching strategies and impact their students’ learning. Introduction “Mtyo stugedtents aremy stunde’tnnsgatogepdar,”tic“Iitp’satree,lly“Thhaersde students think tutorials are a waste of time,” “No one answers the questions I ask,” “I think my students areasleep,” are all things we have heard teaching assistants (TAs) say time and time again. Some TAs default to lecturing, delivering all the content students need to know for the tutorial or seminar in a simple and less painful manner of transmitting information. Other TAs, perhaps considered the brave ones, continue to try and engage their students in discussions, with some resorting to playing jeopardy games with tempting prizes such as candy to entice students to participate. Neither approach is necessarily incorrect, but both approaches place the TA as the authority figure stationed at the front of the room, driving what is important for students to know and dictating the path students should be taking to reach the objectives of the session. Yet, tutorials and seminars offer a different structure, and are meant for students to truly engage in what they learned from lectures and readings by being able to reflect on the new knowledge, discuss with peers, ask questions to the TA, and connect all the information together to form their own understanding. The teaching approaches previously mentioned do not allow for the described objectives of tutorials and seminars to occur, and perhaps some unconventional changes need to take place; for instance, changing the TA’s physical position in the classroom. What if the physical position of the TA were to change? What if the TA walked around the room or was seated in a physically equivalent position to the students in the class? There is an art to moving in the classroom which graduate students may not consider when planning their tutorials or seminars, yet doing so could help reduce many problems graduate students face during teaching that are similar to problems faculty members commonly encounter such as lack of student engagement, participation, attendance, and critical thinking. (Brooks, 2011; Cotner, Loper, Walker, & Brooks, 2013) . Students can also move around to form small and large groups, allowing the TA to more easily address students’needs. Although this is a great idea, it may be difficult or even impossible to do because of the inflexibility of furniture configuration in the classrooms. In recent years, universities and colleges across N

FAQs

How does the study compare flexible versus less-flexible classrooms?

It contrasts a “flexible space” classroom with a less-flexible classroom layout, focusing on how each setting shapes TAs’ physical movement and their interactions with students.

What was controlled in Study 1 and why?

Study 1 taught the same lesson twice to different student groups in different rooms on the same day, controlling for differences in content.

How did Study 2 address confounding related to student participants?

Study 2 used the same cohort while students switched classrooms halfway through the course, controlling for differences in who the students were.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by jay