STEMskiller: Skill Set Map for Mentors of Early Career Researchers

LEARNING, TEACHING, AND SUPERVISING: Basics for early career researchers

[Teaching and learning theories, styles, and methods]

Teaching skills: concepts, examples, definitions

Definition:

The term “teaching skills” incorporates many aspects of the teaching and learning theory and practice. Some institutions provide basic “teaching skills” classes to their graduate assistants (GAs), graduate teaching assistants (GTAs), and graduate research assistants (GRAs) staff, sometimes in a mandatory fashion. The goal: to improve the quality of classroom or online teaching for the institution and to prepare young scholars for their future teaching and learning interactions. “Teaching skills” deemed necessary by institutions or societies may change over time in response to societal trends.

Useful resources on Course development:

The Chronicle of Higher Education’s “Teaching” section and weekly newsletter. Sample: McMurthrie, B. (2020, June 18). Sample post: ‘We can’t ignore this issue’: How to talk with students about racism. The Chronicle of Higher Education. https://www.chronicle.com/article/We-Can-t-Ignore-This/249001?cid=wcontentlist_hp_latest

The Chronicle of Higher Education is considered one of the main sources of academic affairs information in the United States. Its open content is often timely and provides advice for societal topics which institutions may be slow to react to (often, in relation to sensitive/”political” topics). The Chronicle also provide a comprehensive list of academic jobs in the United States.

Diamond, R. M. & Wilbur, F. P. (1990). Developing teaching skills in graduate education. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1192&context=podimproveacad

Though older, this article provides background information and rationales for strengthening graduate teaching programs, together with examples. The article concludes with a helpful statement for mentors wishing to implement such programs on their campuses:

Quality teaching does not happen by chance. It requires the commitment of dedicated and talented faculty who have in their careers had the opportunity to learn about teaching and evaluation. The ideal time to reach the majority of this group is early in their careers when they are first serving as teaching assistants. In addition, it is essential, if we are to improve the quality of teaching at colleges and universities, that every graduate student who plans to teach be provided with the opportunity of being a teaching assistant and in participating in such a program. For new faculty without this backing, formal and required orientations and workshops on teaching should be mandatory. A one-time program, however, is not enough. Teaching will never reach the level of quality that our students deserve until support programs are year-long and institutionalized and the faculty research system actively supports quality instruction (pp. 215-216).

University of South Florida Academy for Teaching and Learning Excellence. (2020). Preparing for college teaching, https://www.usf.edu/atle/events/pct-course.aspx.

Lists sample topics included in an introductory “teaching skills” class. Can be used by other institutions in developing their own such classes.

Tags: IPS IA; IPS CritT; IPS CreaT; IPS WC; IPS OC; IPS R; IPS QL; IPS IL; IPS T; IPS PS; PSR CE; PSR IKC; PSR ER; PSR LL; PSR GL; IAL IntL; CompQ

Peer Review: None

Table of contents:

2.1.1.1. Teaching skills: concepts, examples, definitions

 

Author: Stephanie Krueger

Peer Reviewer(s): None

Last Updated: October 28, 2021

 

Editor: Stephanie Krueger Last modified: 28.10. 2021 12:10