Some Effects of Teaching Assistants' Perceived Interest and Relevance Upon Acquisition of Lecturing Skills Modeled in a Protocol Videotape

Sharp, Gregory William

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Description

Title

Some Effects of Teaching Assistants' Perceived Interest and Relevance Upon Acquisition of Lecturing Skills Modeled in a Protocol Videotape

Author(s)

Sharp, Gregory William

Issue Date

1980

Department of Study

Education

Discipline

Education

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

Education, Teacher Training

Language

eng

Abstract

• Purpose. This study examined some effects of teaching assistants' perceived interest and relevance upon acquisition of specific lecturing skills modeled in a protocol videotape. The major research questions investigated in this study were: (1) Does viewing a highly-structured model videotape of specific lecturing skills influence the subjects' lecturing ratings as assessed by trained observers? (2) Does subjects' perceived relevance of the topic used to illustrate specific lecturing skills influence the subjects' lecturing ratings as assessed by trained observers? (3) Does perceived interest in the topic used to illustrate specific lecturing skills influence the subjects' lecturing ratings as assessed by trained observers? (4) Does perceived interest in participating in a Teaching Assistants Training Program influence the subjects' lecturing ratings as assessed by trained observers?
• Procedure. Thirty-seven TAs with less than two semesters teaching experience, participating in a TA training program were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups for the study. All TAs participated in a series of workshops prior to the beginning of the Fall 1979 semester which included: Session #1 (pretest), organizing and presenting a ten minute microteaching lecture to a small group of peers; Session #2 (treatment), attending a 1 1/2 hour "Lecture Presentation Skills" workshop. Subjects in the treatment group viewed the model videotape "Effective Lecturing" during this session, however, the treatment effect was withheld from the control group at that time. Both treatment and control groups participated in a second lecturing microteaching session. TAs completed an Interest/Relevance survey designed by the investigator to assess subjects: (1) level of interest in participating in the TA training program; (2) perceived interest in, and relevance of the lesson topic (Multiple Sclerosis) used in the model videotape.
• Videotapes of pretreatment and posttreatment microteaching lectures were rated by trained observers using an instrument designed by the investigator to assess initial lecturing skill and acquisition of subsequent modeled behaviors. A step-wise multiple regression analysis was used to test the significance of the relationship between the four independent variables (research questions 1-4) and the dependent variable of posttreatment lecturing performance. An additional predictor variable (pretest) was inserted into the analysis as a control factor to account for subjects' lecturing ability prior to receiving the treatment part of the study.
• Findings. Research Question #1. An analysis of the data indicated that viewing the model videotape of specific lecturing skills significantly influenced subjects' lecturing ratings as assessed by trained observers. Subjects in the treatment group who viewed the model videotape were rated significantly higher than control group participants. Research Question #2. The perceived relevance of the topic used to illustrate specific lecturing skills did not significantly influence the TAs lecturing performance, according to the findings of the study. Research Question #3. The data indicated that perceived relevance of the topic used to illustrate specific lecturing skills did not significantly influence the subjects' lecturing ratings as assessed by trained observers. Research Question #4. An analysis of the data indicated that perceived interest in participating in the TA Training Program significantly influenced subjects' lecturing ratings as assessed by trained observers.
• Conclusion. The results of this study suggest when designing protocol materials for use with diversified academic disciplines; using somewhat neutral topics in the lesson (i.e., topics which are not perceived as being highly interesting or relevant by the viewers, may be just as cost-effective as content specific topics.

Graduation Semester

1980

Type of Resource

text

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/65969

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