GTAs' Problems of Practice for Teaching Introductory Statistic Courses

Oregon Convention Center 

Statistics graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) play key roles in undergraduate statistics education, especially at the introductory level. In large university settings, introductory statistics courses and recitation sessions are often taught by GTAs. Supporting GTAs in implementing instructional recommendations (e.g., GAISE College Report) is an important issue. One of the initial steps toward this effort is identifying key areas of support for GTAs. To do so, we conducted a study on problems of practice perceived by statistics GTAs during professional development that was embedded in GTAs' instructor and mentoring meetings. The professional development included modules with the goal of teaching equitably with authentic data. Based on the data gathered from interviews and recordings from the professional development meetings in two GTA communities, we discuss thematic categories of problems of practice experienced by GTAs. These categories could inform the field in guiding what efforts are needed to better support GTAs to teach equitably with authentic data.