Resea ch Pape
Recommended ci a ion: Di Benede i, M., Ba es, J., Jacobs, M., Laza i, P., &
Plumb, S. (2025). Skills Fo Teaching Assis an s in Enginee ing Labo a o ies. In
Kangaslampi, R., Langie, G., Jä inen, H.-M., & Nagy, B. (Eds.), SEFI 53 d Annual
Con e ence. Eu opean Socie y o Enginee ing Educa ion (SEFI), Tampe e,
Finland. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17631297.
This Con e ence Pape is b ough o you o open access by he 53 d Annual Con e ence
o he Eu opean Socie y o Enginee ing Educa ion (SEFI) a Tampe e Uni e si y in
Tampe e, Finland. This wo k is licensed unde a C ea i e Commons
A ibu ion-NonComme cial-Sha e Alike 4.0 In e na ional License.
SKILLS FOR TEACHING ASSISTANTS IN ENGINEERING
LABORATORIES
M Di Benede ia,
1
, J Ba esb, M Jacobsc,
P Laza id, S Plumbe
a The Uni e si y o She ield, She ield, UK, 0000-0001-7870-1323
b The Uni e si y o She ield, She ield, UK, 0009-0003-8543-7796
c The Uni e si y o She ield, She ield, UK, 0009-0009-8072-0190
d The Uni e si y o She ield, She ield, UK, 0009-0009-7169-4218
e The Uni e si y o She ield, She ield, UK, 0009-0002-3369-7652
Con e ence Key A eas: Building he capaci y and s eng hening he educa ional
compe encies o enginee ing educa o s, Imp o ing highe enginee ing educa ion
h ough esea ching enginee ing educa ion.
Keywo ds: Teaching Assis an , Teaching Skills, T aining
ABSTRACT
G adua e Teaching Assis an s (GTAs) play a pi o al ole in suppo ing eaching
wi hin enginee ing labo a o ies, ye many begin hei oles wi hou su icien
pedagogical p epa a ion, po en ially impac ing eaching e ec i eness and s uden
lea ning ou comes. This s udy explo es key skills necessa y o GTAs wi hin
enginee ing labo a o y con ex s, examining pe cei ed le els o skills p o iciency by
bo h GTAs and academic s a using dimensions o he UK P o essional S anda ds
F amewo k (PSF). Th ough s uc u ed su eys e alua ing 29 iden i ied skills ac oss
ca ego ies, including acili a ing lea ning, echnical expe ise, s uden engagemen ,
assessmen p ac ices, and class oom managemen , signi ican di e ences be ween
GTA sel -assessmen s and academic s a e alua ions we e iden i ied. P ominen
disc epancies eme ged in a eas such as acili a ing discussions, managing di e se
s uden needs, and applying e ec i e assessmen s a egies, sugges ing c i ical
a eas o a ge ed p o essional de elopmen . The indings unde sco e he necessi y
o aligning GTA aining in e en ions wi h ecognised eaching s anda ds
amewo ks and eedback om GTAs and academic colleagues o enhance GTA
eaching e ec i eness and suppo p o essional g ow h.
1
Co esponding Au ho
M. Di Benede i
[email p o ec ed]c.uk
1 INTRODUCTION
G adua e Teaching Assis an s (GTAs) a e an essen ial pa o highe educa ion
(HE), p o iding lexible, cos -e ec i e eaching suppo o mee inc easing
ins uc ional demands (Chadha, 2012). Ye many begin eaching wi h li le o no
pedagogical aining, a ec ing bo h hei con idence and s uden lea ning ou comes
(To mey e al., 2019). Ta ge ed aining is he e o e i al o ensu e GTAs can each
e ec i ely (Di Benede i e al. 2022). Such aining is o en shaped by amewo ks
ha de ine eaching compe encies and guide p o essional de elopmen . No able
examples include he P o essional S anda ds F amewo k (PSF), widely used in he
UK and adop ed in Aus alia (Ad ance HE, 2023), as well as ins i u ional models
suppo ed by ne wo ks such as POD in he US (POD Ne wo k). While hese
amewo ks o e aluable guidance, hei b ead h can limi hei u ili y o speci ic
oles, such as GTAs in enginee ing labs, whe e dis inc pedagogical demands apply.
As such, hey a e mos e ec i e when combined wi h con ex -sensi i e ools o
in o m ailo ed aining.
Aligning GTA de elopmen wi h amewo ks like he PSF equi es mapping ele an
desc ip o s o he ac ual pedagogical skills used in p ac ice, suppo ed by eedback
om bo h s a and GTAs. This app oach enables a ge ed aining ha add esses
cu en s eng hs and de elopmen needs in discipline-speci ic con ex s.
1.1 Teaching Expec a ions and he PSF as a F aming Tool
GTAs o en pu sue Associa e Fellowship o Ad ance HE (AFHEA), a ecogni ion
aligned wi h he scope o hei eaching esponsibili ies. To achie e his, hey mus
demons a e espec o indi idual lea ne s (V1), p omo e equali y o oppo uni y
(V2), and d aw on esea ch o schola ship o in o m hei p ac ice (V3). They a e also
expec ed o show knowledge o how s uden s lea n (K1), how o each e ec i ely
(K2), and how o e lec c i ically on hei p ac ice (K3). Addi ionally, hey mus
e idence engagemen in a leas wo a eas o ac i i y: designing and planning
lea ning (A1), acili a ing lea ning (A2), assessing and gi ing eedback (A3),
suppo ing lea ne s (A4), o engaging in p o essional de elopmen (A5) (Ad ance
HE, 2023).
These desc ip o s o m pa o he UK P o essional S anda ds F amewo k (PSF),
which is widely used o benchma k eaching p ac ices in highe educa ion. Howe e ,
demons a ing compe ence in hese a eas goes beyond awa eness—i equi es
GTAs o de elop p o iciency in applying pedagogical knowledge in p ac ice. The
PSF highligh s pu pose ul p ac ice, c i ical e lec ion, con ex ual awa eness, and
demons able impac as indica o s o p o essional g ow h. These dimensions
unde pin his s udy’s amewo k o assessing and de eloping GTA eaching skills.
1.2 The Dis inc Na u e o Lab-Based Teaching
While exis ing amewo ks p o ide b oad guidance, hey do no always add ess he
unique demands o discipline-speci ic eaching oles. Fo example, DeChenne e al.
(2017) examined GTA sel -e icacy ac oss 15 eaching skills, including mo i a ing
s uden s and acili a ing discussions, bu elied exclusi ely on sel - epo ed da a om
GTAs ac oss Science and Enginee ing. Wi hou ex e nal alida ion o con ex ual
speci ici y, hei indings o e limi ed insigh in o he ac ual pedagogical capabili ies
equi ed in enginee ing labo a o ies.
Lab-based eaching p esen s dis inc pedagogical challenges ha go beyond hose
ound in adi ional lec u e o ma s. GTAs in enginee ing labs a e o en he p ima y
acili a o s o his en i onmen , suppo ing p ac ical eaching and skill de elopmen
h ough di ec in e ac ion wi h s uden s (Deacon e al., 2017; Smallwood e al.,
2022). In-lab eaching p omo es expe ien ial lea ning, whe e s uden s engage
hands-on wi h equipmen , ma e ials, and eal-wo ld phenomena o ein o ce
heo e ical concep s (He ing on & Nakhleh, 2003; Deacon e al., 2017). The
immedia e eedback om expe imen al e o s o unexpec ed esul s os e s deep
lea ning h ough i e a ion and e lec ion, skills s ongly aligned wi h p o essional
enginee ing p ac ice (Ad ance HE, 2023; Smallwood e al., 2022). These se ings
also de elop communica ion and eamwo k compe encies, as s uden s o en
collabo a e in small g oups and engage in pee - o-pee eaching (Deacon e al.,
2017; He ing on & Nakhleh, 2003).
This s udy esponds o hose challenges by iden i ying and e ining a se o 29
discipline-speci ic eaching skills ailo ed o GTA oles in enginee ing labo a o ies.
These skills we e mapped o ele an PSF dimensions and in o med he design o a
s uc u ed su ey ins umen dis ibu ed o bo h GTAs and academic s a .
1.3 Pe cep ion Gaps and he Case o Compa ison
Unde s anding how GTA eaching p o iciency is pe cei ed by GTAs hemsel es, by
academic supe iso s, and by s uden s p o ides essen ial insigh in o de elopmen
needs. P io esea ch shows ha GTAs equen ly o e es ima e hei eaching
abili ies ela i e o ex e nal e alua ions (Sohoni e al., 2013; Deacon e al., 2017).
These pe cep ion gaps aise impo an ques ions abou he eliabili y o sel -
assessmen and he ole o eedback in de eloping ealis ic p o essional sel -
awa eness.
Mo eo e , s uden s end o alue in e pe sonal ai s, such as being app oachable,
suppo i e, and inclusi e, as much as con en knowledge (Sohoni, 2017; Goodwin e
al., 2023). I GTAs misjudge hei abili y o c ea e such en i onmen s, i could
highligh o e looked skill a eas. Con e sely, unde es ima ion o GTA capabili ies by
s a o s uden s migh e lec unclea ole de ini ions o limi ed obse a ion.
Compa ing pe cep ions ac oss g oups allows us o pinpoin which skills a e o e - o
unde - alued, and which equi e clea e aining p io i ies o ole cla i ica ion.
1.4 Resea ch Ques ions
Building on hese ounda ions, his s udy add esses he ollowing esea ch
ques ions:
● Wha key skills a e equi ed o GTAs in an enginee ing eaching labo a o y?
● How p o icien do GTAs pe cei e hemsel es o be in hese skills, and how does
his compa e wi h academic s a pe cep ions?
By explo ing hese ques ions, he s udy aims o iden i y discipline-speci ic skill
equi emen s and p o iciency gaps ha in o m a ge ed, s anda ds-aligned aining.
In doing so, i con ibu es o he de elopmen o e idence-based p o essional
de elopmen models ha be e suppo GTAs in lab-based eaching oles.
2 METHODOLOGY
2.1 Da a collec ion
This s udy was conduc ed wi hin he Depa men o Mul idisciplina y Enginee ing
Educa ion (MEE) a he Uni e si y o She ield, which deli e s p ac ical ins uc ion o
he whole Facul y. Da a we e collec ed om h ee dis inc eaching labo a o ies—
S uc u es, Ma e ials, and Elec onics—each employing i s own eam o GTAs o
suppo hands-on s uden lea ning. These labs a y in echnical ocus and
pedagogical demands, o e ing a aluable con ex o examining sha ed and
discipline-speci ic GTA eaching compe encies.
The s udy in es iga es he key skills equi ed o GTAs wo king in hese
en i onmen s by examining hei pe cei ed impo ance and p o iciency. A s uc u ed
su ey was de eloped, comp ising wo co e ques ions ollowed by 29 skill-based
i ems a ed on a i e-poin Like scale. The i s ques ion asked: “To wha ex en is
each o he ollowing compe encies impo an o wo k as a GTA in a lab?” The
second asked GTAs o sel -assess hei p o iciency, while s a a ed he p o iciency
hey obse ed in GTAs.
The 29 i ems we e g ouped in o i e hema ic a eas, in o med by exis ing
amewo ks. I ems 1–7 ocused on acili a ing lea ning, including p esen ing ma e ial,
managing g oup discussions, and suppo ing di e se lea ne s, d awing on Deacon
(2017), He ing on & Nakhleh (2003), and DeChenne (2015). I ems 8–14 add essed
echnical and con en expe ise, such as subjec knowledge, equipmen use, and
sa e y awa eness (Cho e al., 2010). I ems 15–19 co e ed guiding s uden
engagemen , including demons a ions and inqui y-based ques ioning (Deacon,
2017). I ems 20–24 examined assessmen p ac ices, such as o ma i e eedback
and p og ess moni o ing (DeChenne, 2015). Finally, i ems 25–29 explo ed managing
challenging eaching si ua ions, including s uden mo i a ion, dis ess, and
ha assmen (DeChenne, 2015).
Two e sions o he su ey we e dis ibu ed: one o GTAs wo king in eaching labs
(12 esponden s) and one o academic s a o e seeing hem (6 esponden s).
GTAs a ed bo h impo ance (1 = ‘no impo an ’ o 5 = ‘ex emely impo an ’) and
sel -pe cei ed p o iciency. S a a ed impo ance (1 = ‘no con idence’ o 5 =
‘comple e con idence’) and assessed GTA p o iciency (1 = ‘no ice’ o 5 =
‘p o icien ’). Bo h g oups a ed he same 29 skills o enable pai ed analysis.
2.2 Da a analysis
A sys ema ic analy ical app oach was employed o iden i y key pedagogical skills o
GTAs and o compa e pe cep ions o p o iciency be ween GTAs and academic s a .
Fo each o he 29 skills, median alues we e calcula ed o summa ise Like -scale
a ings, and pe cen age ag eemen was compu ed o sco es a ed as impo an (≥4)
o p o icien (≥4). Low p o iciency was also iden i ied using he complemen a y
h eshold (≤3). Skills we e hen isualised using g ouped ba cha s (Fig. 1, Fig. 2,
and Fig. 3) and quad an plo s (Fig. 4) o highligh a eas o high impo ance and low
p o iciency. The ba cha s we e ini ially so ed om highes o lowes based on GTA
esponses and subsequen ly by s a esponses, displaying he mos ele an skills
on he le -hand side. All analyses we e desc ip i e and non-pa ame ic, due o he
o dinal na u e o he da a and he small sample size in he s a g oup.
Table 1. The 29 skills used in he su ey and hei ele an PSF dimensions
Skill
Rele an PSF
dimension
Pa 1: Facili a ing lea ning
1
P esen ing ma e ial o a la ge g oup o s uden s
A2, K2
2
P esen ing ma e ial o a small g oup o s uden s (2-6 s uden s)
A2, K2
3
Facili a ing lab g oup discussions
A2, K2
4
In e ac ing p o essionally one-on-one wi h s uden s
A2
5
Teaching di e se g oups o s uden s
A4, V1
6
Unde s anding when o p o ide suppo o s uden s
A4, K3
7
Unde s anding how o p o ide suppo o s uden s
A4, K3
Pa 2: Demons a ing echnical expe ise
8
Le el o expe ise on he subjec ( echnical knowledge/
academic knowledge
K1
9
Ope a ing equipmen
A2
10
Familia i y wi h Heal h and Sa e y and S anda d Ope a ing
P ocedu es
A5, K5, V3
11
Signpos ing s uden s o ele an eaching esou ces
A4, V2
12
Knowledge o how ac i i ies a e being deli e ed
A1
13
Knowledge o Blackboa d VLE
A4, K4
14
Familia i y wi h eaching subjec s/ma e ials
A5, K1, V3
Pa 3: Guiding s uden engagemen
15
Gi ing a lab demons a ion
A2, K2
16
Responding o s uden s’ ques ions du ing labs
A2, K2
17
Responding o s uden s’ answe s du ing labs (building on
s uden s’ answe s)
A2, V2
18
Asking app op ia e ques ions o encou age lea ning
A2, K2
19
Encou aging s uden s o make links o o he lea ning
A2, V2
Pa 4: Assessmen p ac ices
20
Asking ques ions aimed a gauging s uden s’ p og ess
A2, K3
21
De eloping assessmen s
A1, A3, K2
22
Ma king using a p ede ined ma king scheme
A3, K2
23
Encou aging s uden s o ask ques ions du ing lab sessions
A2, K3
24
P o iding cons uc i e eedback
A3, V2
Pa 5: Managing challenging eaching si ua ions
25
Mo i a ing s uden s o p o iding suppo /encou agemen o
s uden s who a e ha ing di icul y lea ning
A4, K3
26
Assis ing dis essed s uden s
A4, V1
27
Teaching s uden s wi h di e en skill/knowledge le els
A4, K3, V2
28
Managing dis up i e s uden s
A4, V1
29
Dealing wi h ha assmen
A4, V1
3 RESULTS
To de e mine which skills a e conside ed mos impo an o GTAs in enginee ing
labs, we i s examined he pe cen age o esponden s a ing each o he 29 skills as
impo an (sco e ≥4). As shown in Fig.1, a s ong consensus eme ged a ound a co e
se o p io i ies. Skills 2 (p esen ing ma e ial o small g oups), 4 (in e ac ing
p o essionally), 5 ( eaching di e se g oups o s uden s), 7 (how o p o ide suppo ),
16 ( esponding o s uden s’ ques ions du ing labs), and 27 ( eaching s uden s wi h
di e en knowledge le els) we e a ed impo an by a leas 75% o bo h GTAs and
s a . GTA-only p io i ies ocused mo e on in e pe sonal and mo i a ional
dimensions. These included Skills 6 (when o p o ide suppo ), 10 ( amilia i y wi h
heal h and sa e y), 12 (how ac i i ies a e being deli e ed), 18 (asking ques ions o
p omo e lea ning), and 20 (asking ques ions o gauge p og ess). In con as , s a
placed g ea e emphasis on echnical and e alua i e compe encies such as Skills 9
(equipmen ope a ion) and 24 (p o iding eedback).
P o iciency a ings e ealed lowe ag eemen o e all (Fig.2). Only Skills 2 and 4
we e a ed as p o icien (sco e ≥4) by a leas 75% o bo h g oups. GTAs gene ally
a ed hemsel es mo e a ou ably han s a did, pa icula ly on Skills 6, 10, 17
( esponding o s uden s’ answe s), and 20. S a , howe e , iden i ied consis en gaps
in a eas such as Skills 24, 25 (suppo ing s uggling s uden s), and 26 (assis ing
dis essed s uden s), poin ing o b oade conce ns a ound in e pe sonal and pas o al
esponsibili ies. Low p o iciency a ings (sco e ≤3) (Fig.3) u he illus a e his
di e gence. GTA sel -assessmen s iden i ied weaknesses in Skills 21 (de eloping
assessmen s), 25, 28 (managing dis up i e s uden s), and 29 (dealing wi h
ha assmen ). S a again exp essed conce n o e a wide ange o compe encies,
including Skills 5, 6, 7, 17, 18, 23 (encou aging s uden s o ask ques ions), and 24.
Fig.1 Pe cen age o GTAs and s a a ing each skill as impo an (sco e ≥4).
Fig.2 Pe cen age o GTAs and s a a ing each skill as p o icien (sco e ≥4).
Fig.3 Pe cen age o GTAs and s a a ing each skill as low p o iciency (sco e ≤3).
Fig. 4 syn hesises his in o ma ion by mapping pe cei ed impo ance (≥4) agains low
p o iciency (≤3). Se e al GTA- a ed p io i ies appea in he uppe - igh quad an ,
no ably Skills 11 (signpos ing s uden s o esou ces), 19 (encou aging links o o he
lea ning), and 25, indica ing key a eas o de elopmen . S a iden i ied o e lapping
conce ns a ound Skill 25, as well as Skills 3 ( acili a ing g oup discussions), e, 6 and
24. In con as , Skills 26 and 29 we e a ed as low p o iciency bu also low
impo ance, sugges ing ambigui y in GTA ole bounda ies o s uden s' wellbeing-
ela ed asks.
Toge he , hese indings e eal a well-aligned co e o essen ial skills and se e al
di e gen pe cep ions ha may wa an clea e ole de ini ion and a ge ed suppo .
Fig.4 Combined plo showing skills wi h high impo ance and low p o iciency
4 DISCUSSION
The esul s e eal clea disc epancies be ween GTAs’ sel -pe cei ed p o iciency and
academic s a e alua ions, pa icula ly in skills ela ed o communica ion, eedback,
and class oom dynamics. While GTAs equen ly ecognised hei limi a ions in a eas
such as s uden mo i a ion, suppo ing s uggling s uden s, and e ec i e
ques ioning, academic s a iden i ied b oade conce ns, especially a ound
in e pe sonal skills, eedback p o ision, and class oom managemen . These
misma ches ha e di ec implica ions o aining, highligh ing he need o clea e ole
de ini ion and s uc u ed de elopmen oppo uni ies. Add essing hese gaps equi es
a ge ed, e idence-in o med aining aligned wi h es ablished amewo ks such as
he PSF. Doing so will no only s eng hen GTA eaching p ac ice bu also enhance
s uden lea ning ou comes in he labo a o y en i onmen .
4.1 Linking indings o he PSF
The iden i ied p o iciency gaps align closely wi h key dimensions o he PSF,
pa icula ly:
● A2 (Teach and suppo lea ning h ough app op ia e app oaches and
en i onmen s) – GTAs' sel -iden i ied challenges in managing s uden ques ions
and employing e ec i e ques ioning echniques unde line he necessi y o aining
in e en ions ocused explici ly on s uden engagemen .
● A3 (Assess and p o ide eedback o lea ning) – S a - a ed gaps in GTAs’ abili y
o p o ide cons uc i e eedback and de elop assessmen s poin o a need o
p o iciency de elopmen in e alua ion and s uden eedback s a egies.
● V1 (Respec indi idual lea ne s and di e se g oups o s uden s) – The challenges
GTAs ace in eaching s uden s wi h a ying skill le els and assis ing dis essed
s uden s sugges a need o aining in os e ing inclusi e and suppo i e lea ning
en i onmen s.
By explici ly mapping aining in e en ions o hese PSF dimensions, GTA
p o essional de elopmen can be mo e s a egically aligned wi h ins i u ional and
sec o -wide expec a ions o e ec i e eaching p ac ice.
4.2 P o iciency de elopmen and he PSF
While he su ey e ealed clea pe cep ion pa e ns, i s eliance on sel -assessed
and obse e - a ed Like scales p esen s in e p e i e limi a ions. P o iciency, as
amed by he PSF, is no jus abou awa eness o con idence—i in ol es
pu pose ul p ac ice, c i ical e lec ion, con ex ual awa eness, and demons able
impac . Ye Like da a p o ide no di ec e idence o hese elemen s. Fo example,
wo GTAs may bo h a e hemsel es a “4” in eedback p o ision, bu one may gi e
ague p aise while he o he o e s ac ionable, s uden - esponsi e commen s. The
nex s ep is he e o e o iangula e hese pe cep ion-based insigh s wi h mo e
objec i e da a, such as s uc u ed obse a ions, pee eedback, o e lec i e eaching
po olios. These app oaches would allow ins i u ions o e alua e no only whe he
GTAs know a skill, bu also whe he hey apply i e ec i ely and adap i ely in
p ac ice.
4.3 Implica ions o GTA aining
To add ess hese gaps, GTA de elopmen p og ammes should mo e beyond
gene ic induc ion and ocus on building p o iciency in a ge ed a eas. Th ee
s a egies a e ecommended.
● Ta ge ed wo kshops on s uden engagemen and assessmen – Add essing
ques ioning echniques, eedback p o ision, and assessmen design will help
b idge gaps iden i ied in s a e alua ions.
● S uc u ed men o ing and pee obse a ion p og ams – P o iding GTAs wi h
ongoing eedback om expe ienced educa o s can enhance he de elopmen o
e lec i e eaching p ac ices.
● Clea p o iciency-based - p og ession pa hways – Using he PSF as a guiding
amewo k, aining p og ams should be designed o suppo GTAs in imp o ing
hei long- e m eaching e icacy.
Toge he , hese s a egies—when unde pinned by he PSF—suppo GTA
de elopmen while also helping ins i u ions ensu e ha lab-based eaching aligns
wi h sec o -wide expec a ions o quali y and e ec i eness.
5 CONCLUSIONS
This s udy iden i ied signi ican gaps be ween GTAs’ sel -pe cei ed p o iciency and
academic e alua ions o essen ial eaching skills in enginee ing labo a o ies. Key
a eas o de elopmen include s uden mo i a ion, suppo ing di e se lea ne s, and
p o iding e ec i e eedback. Aligning GTA p o essional de elopmen wi h ele an
dimensions o he P o essional S anda ds F amewo k (PSF) can suppo
p og ession om basic awa eness o applied, e lec i e p ac ice. Fu u e wo k should
e alua e how s uc u ed, skill-speci ic aining in luences GTA eaching e ec i eness
o e ime, p o iding e idence o enhance p o essional de elopmen ac oss
enginee ing educa ion con ex s.
