TY - JOUR
T1 - The professional development of graduate mathematics teaching assistants
AU - Harris, Gary
AU - Froman, Jason
AU - Surles, James
N1 - Funding Information:
In response to the increasing need for a technically literate workforce, the US has commissioned several studies addressing the pressing need to recruit and retain larger numbers of students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) related fields [1–3]. These studies have concluded that to have students who have the interest and the necessary educational backgrounds to pursue STEM areas, we must ‘insure that students are taught by well-prepared and highly effective teachers’ [2, p. 20]. Following the recommendations of these studies, the US has initiated several major programmes to recruit and retain primary and secondary teachers in STEM areas, primarily science and mathematics. One such initiative is the Math Science Partnership (MSP) programme initiated in 2002 and funded through the National Science Foundation (NSF). Projects in the current MSP portfolio (2002–2007) are expected to impact more than 141,500 science and mathematics teachers and 4.2 million students in more than 550 local school districts. Since its inception, MSP has funded 89 projects [4]. These projects are devoted primarily to the professional development of pre-service and in-service primary and secondary school teachers in mathematics and science. In 2006 alone, the US Department of Education (DOE) and NSF spent over $480m on STEM education projects [3].
PY - 2009/1
Y1 - 2009/1
N2 - There is significant interest around the world in all issues involving the recruitment and retention of students in mathematics and sciences at all levels. Because of this there is great need for programmes that focus on providing well-prepared and effective teachers of mathematics and science at all levels. In this article, we present sample programmes in the US that focus on the professional preparation of mathematics graduate student teaching assistants. We give a detailed description of one such programme along with an assessment of its effects on the graduate students' teaching practice and philosophy.
AB - There is significant interest around the world in all issues involving the recruitment and retention of students in mathematics and sciences at all levels. Because of this there is great need for programmes that focus on providing well-prepared and effective teachers of mathematics and science at all levels. In this article, we present sample programmes in the US that focus on the professional preparation of mathematics graduate student teaching assistants. We give a detailed description of one such programme along with an assessment of its effects on the graduate students' teaching practice and philosophy.
KW - Graduate teaching assistants
KW - Mathematics
KW - Professional development
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=60849099064&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/00207390802514493
DO - 10.1080/00207390802514493
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:60849099064
SN - 0020-739X
VL - 40
SP - 157
EP - 172
JO - International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology
JF - International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology
IS - 1
ER -