Teaching Assistants from China and US Undergraduates

The book summarizes the results of a series of focus group interviews with Chinese teaching assistants and US undergraduates on their perceptions about teaching and teachers in their own and US cultures. Focus group interviews were held with Chinese math- based science teaching assistants (CTAs) who were at three different stages of their teacher preparation process. Similarly, American undergraduates' perceptions were elicited through focus group interviews and questionnaires. CTAs viewed American instructors as exciting, but unclear in their organization and presentation. Undergraduates thought ideal US professors should spend more time with their students and have interpersonal skills in teaching. They did not value the professor's knowledge of the subject matter as much as CTAs did. This book offers interesting results and implications for future TA development programs as well as clarification of misunderstandings on the TA phenomenon in US universities.