2025/10/08 by Elliott, Manuela Irarrázabal, Marie, Jenny
#learning and teaching #liminality #power #situated knowledge #vulnerability
paper · doi:10.82191/pp.5
In this paper we argue that Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) are in a liminal position between taught students and fully fledged academic staff. This unique position provides the context for their knowledge about learning and teaching, which is situated in the particularity of their perspective. This singular perspective can be broadened through the kind of scholarly activity involved in student-staff partnership to better reflect the multiplicity of student experiences. GTAs’ unique position allows them to better bridge the perspectives of staff and students, such that they can play an important role mediating between the two and providing invaluable insight to teaching and learning enhancement. Furthermore, GTAs have much to gain from working in partnership, in particular gaining a sense of being valued in a role that often feels dismissed. Nevertheless, there are particular dangers of the relationship falling into a familiar apprenticeship pattern and not fulfilling GTAs’ expectations if staff fail to buy-into the ethos of partnership.