Reflections on a Co-Teaching Model Involving Undergraduate and Graduate Teaching Assistants in Chemistry

This article reports on a co-teaching model implemented in general chemistry laboratories and in general and organic chemistry discussion sessions. In the laboratory context, undergraduate teaching assistants (UTAs) were paired with graduate teaching assistants (GTAs). Their dialogues during laboratory sessions were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed to characterize the nature of their interactions. The results indicate that UTA–GTA exchanges were limited, largely due to the laboratory structure, which prioritized responding to student questions. Nevertheless, the transcripts revealed that both instructors felt comfortable posing questions to one another and suggesting strategies to improve laboratory instruction. In the discussion sessions, UTAs were paired either with other UTAs or with GTAs, and one anonymous written reflection was collected at the end of the semester to evaluate the model’s efficacy. Taken together, the findings highlight the strengths and potential of co-teaching partnerships while also identifying challenges that should be considered when adopting similar models.

Duke Scholars

Author Charlie T. Cox Chemistry