PERC 2009 Abstract Detail Page
Previous Page | New Search | Browse All
| Abstract Title: | A Study of Undergraduate and Graduate Student Conceptions of Teaching |
|---|---|
| Abstract: | We examine the impact of teaching environment and preparation on the conceptions of teaching and learning expressed by our graduate Teaching Assistants (TAs) and undergraduate Learning Assistants (LAs). Since these instructors spend the most time directly interacting with introductory physics students, their beliefs regarding the nature of instruction may play a critical role in the success of reformed teaching methods. In this study, we examine our instructors' beliefs through post-semester interviews in which they describe their self-perceived role in the classroom and comment on two different videos of TAs interacting with students. Comparisons are then made between TAs and LAs, and across teaching environments. As part of this study, we also seek to understand where changes in pedagogical conceptions and attitudes originate, in order to improve our overall method of preparing physics instructors. |
| Abstract Type: | Contributed Poster |
Author/Organizer Information | |
| Primary Contact: |
Benjamin T. Spike University of Colorado at Boulder CU-Boulder Physics Department 390 UCB Boulder, CO 80309 Phone: 303-406-3667 |
| Co-Author(s) and Co-Presenter(s) |
Noah D. Finkelstein University of Colorado at Boulder |
