IJSTEM Publication

Alyssa S. Freeman, Sarah K. Bleiler-Baxter, and Grant E. Gardner recently published a new open access article in the International Journal of STEM Education examining how STEM graduate teaching assistants experience their teaching roles. The article, titled “STEM graduate teaching assistants’ psychological needs for teaching: a scoping review of literature,” reviews 82 studies published from 1989 to 2024 and uses Self-Determination Theory to explore GTAs’ needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness. Freeman and Gardner are affiliated with MTSU’s Department of Biology, while Bleiler-Baxter is affiliated with MTSU’s Department of Mathematical Sciences.

The review highlights the important role GTAs play in undergraduate STEM education and points to the need for stronger support systems around their teaching development. The authors found that GTAs often report strong teaching competence, but their sense of autonomy and connection with faculty can vary significantly. The article also suggests that teaching professional development programs can help strengthen GTAs’ confidence, instructional decision making, and teaching relationships, which may ultimately support better learning experiences for undergraduate STEM students.

Link to full article: Click here