Training in the Teaching of Psychology: What is Done and Examining the Differences

Abstract

Psychologists have highlighted the need to prepare psychology graduate students for their current and future teaching responsibilities; however, the amount of preparation that they actually receive remains unclear. This investigation assessed teaching assistant (TA) training from the perspective of both psychology TAs and department chairs, noting points of convergence and divergence. We present national survey data that describe the nature of TA training in departments of psychology and specific training methods used. In addition to summarizing descriptive data, we explored factors associated with the amount and kinds of training offered to psychology graduate students.