A1 Journal article (refereed)
Video clubs in physics teaching assistant training : Teaching assistants’ experiences (2024)

Lehtinen, A., Lehesvuori, S., Maunuksela, J., Hämäläinen, R., & Koskinen, P. (2024). Video clubs in physics teaching assistant training : Teaching assistants’ experiences. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 20(2), Article 020101. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.20.020101

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Lehtinen, Antti; Lehesvuori, Sami; Maunuksela, Jussi; Hämäläinen, Raija; Koskinen, Pekka

Journal or series: Physical Review Physics Education Research

eISSN: 2469-9896

Publication year: 2024

Publication date: 12/07/2024

Volume: 20

Issue number: 2

Article number: 020101

Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)

Publication country: United States

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.20.020101

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Open Access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/96508

Abstract

Teaching assistants have a very important role in physics education as they interact with students and guide them in different contexts. A multitude of research has focused on how to prepare teaching assistants to implement high-quality, research-based teaching techniques. Video clubs, i.e., working with a group of teachers to watch and discuss excerpts of videos recorded from their own teaching, is a novel approach to teaching assistant training that draws from teacher education. This study reports on the experiences of five physics teaching assistants as they participated in a semester long series of video clubs as a part of the implementation of a new introductory lab course. Data were collected through interviews (𝑁=5). The interview data were analyzed through reflexive thematic analysis. Five themes for the experiences were constructed from the data. Participation in the video clubs enabled the teaching assistants to uptake teaching practices from each other and spurred a wish for more coplanning of teaching. There was tension in the experiences as some teaching assistants appreciated the positive feedback but others would have preferred more constructive feedback. As the teaching assistants’ experiences were positive, the use of video clubs in teaching assistant training warrants more research. This research could focus on, e.g., the type of feedback the teaching assistants receive in the video clubs.

Keywords: physics; higher education (teaching); educational methods; assistants (university); teachings skills; teaching situation; visual recordings; peer learning; feedback

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

VIRTA submission year: 2024

Preliminary JUFO rating: 2