IN-PERSON MADRID FOCUS ON PEDAGOGY. SECTION B

Abstract

The Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTA) Academy is an innovative initiative that originated in the Department of Sociology at the University of Surrey to provide discipline-specific training and sustained support for doctoral students involved in teaching. Now in its fourth year, the programme has expanded to include the School of Social Sciences and additional areas within the Faculty of Arts, Business and Social Sciences. Previous research has highlighted the challenges part-time GTAs face and the importance of discipline-specific training and mentoring in supporting their development as University teachers and future academics. Adopting an interpretivist sociological perspective, this study explores the intersubjective learning and teaching experiences of Doctoral students who teach during their PhD studies. Attention is given to the challenges they encounter in their teaching roles and the elements of discipline-specific training they perceive as most valuable. By integrating sociological and pedagogical perspectives, the study offers a comprehensive analysis of how GTAs interpret and share their experiences of teaching in higher education, whilst engaging with targeted training initiatives. A central theme emerging from the research is the ongoing negotiation of participants’ dual identities as doctoral researchers and educators, alongside their aspirations for future academic careers. The paper presents findings from an evaluation of the GTA Academy based on data collected through five focus groups and an online survey capturing the experiences of more than 100 GTAs at the University of Surrey. The analysis provides recommendations for the development of similar training initiatives to support doctoral teachers across the higher education sector.