Graduate teaching assistants: responding to the challenges of internationalisation

Abstract

The last decade has seen intensification in moves to professionalise the practice of university teaching, including graduate teaching assistants (GTAs). It has also seen significant growth in terms of the internationalisation of the postgraduate student body and changing expectations around doctoral training. These transformations have implications for the construction, delivery, and management of educational training for this group, yet little contemporary research exists investigating the adaptability of academic development and institutions to such change. This paper reports empirical research exploring these issues using a UK-based case study. The research investigated the international doctoral students’ experience of a teaching course and subsequent academic development. GTAs reported institutional and cultural factors governing access to teaching opportunities, particularly in relation to the international cohort. We explore the possible reasons for this, and the implications for the case institution and the wider HE sector.