Graduate teaching assistants play a pivotal role in HE, but little is known about their teaching experiences. To contribute to this knowledge and support GTA professional development, the study drew on the self-determination theory and adopted a construct of an integrated identity. Identity as a social self-representation plays a significant role in influencing teachers’ pedagogical choices, and an integrated identity is vital for their full-functioning and wellbeing. Identity is considered integrated if it is endorsed by the self. Self is different from identity in this study and is defined as an agentic self who experiences their behaviours as their own, that is, self-determined, rather than controlled by others. The degree to which identity is integrated into the self largely depends on the satisfaction of the need of autonomy, which is the need to have a choice and be able to self-regulate one’s behaviour. Thus, emphasising a pivotal role of autonomy in the formation of integrated identities, the study aimed to determine GTAs’ satisfaction of the autonomy need and examine its association with the formation of their integrated identities. 176 GTAs teaching at different universities in the UK completed an online questionnaire based on the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale (Chen et al., 2015). 25 GTAs also participated in a follow-up semi-structured interview and provided their reasons for their satisfaction or frustration with the autonomy need. Moderate to high levels of autonomy satisfaction were determined, but their satisfaction was predominantly externally motivated. Implications for GTA programme developers are discussed.

Authors:
Irena Kuzborska, University of York, United Kingdom
David O'Reilly, University of York, United Kingdom
Katie Smith, University of York, United Kingdom
Agata Lambrechts, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Switzerland
Annis Stenson, Newcastle University, United Kingdom

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Irena Kuzborska is an associate professor at the Department of Education, University of York, UK. Her research and teaching interests include teacher professional development, academic reading and writing, and intercultural communication.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/irena-kuzborska-39801a84/

Connect on ResearchGate
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Irena-Kuzborska

See this presentation on the full schedule – Sunday Schedule

Bookmark