Why universities should provide less support for postgraduates who teach

1. Why universities should provide less support for postgraduates who teach Sean Brocklebank, PhD student, Economics University of Edinburgh

2. Preliminaries • I’m a 4th year PhD student in Edinburgh’s School of Economics • Acting this year as “head tutor” (no one knows what that means) and leading reforms of the 1st year undergraduate curriculum • Caveat emptor: these slides based largely on impressions and anecdotes (there is only a sprinkling of actual social science)

3. The point • I will argue: • Most postgraduates don’t need much support; it’s better to think about empowerment • Those that do need support should mainly get it from other postgrads, and/or they should be given less demanding jobs

4. The problem as some see it

5. The problem as I see it • Postgraduates who teach are not all the same • They differ significantly in: • Motivation • Personality • Language ability • Teaching skills • Background knowledge • … • One-size-fits-all support policies aren’t appropriate (especially if they are targeted at the weakest postgrads) • The best teachers will be most encumbered

6. The solution • On existing support structures: • I have never heard of a postgrad expressing thanks for teaching support from outside their department • But I have heard of thanks for support inside of departments • Only ‘locals’ know have the level of knowledge necessary to be useful (content knowledge, marking norms, curriculum, etc.) • This suggests (non-scientifically) that the support which exists should be provided by other postgrads

7. How would it work? • Most departments already know which of their postgrads are better teachers • Put them “in charge” of a big course, and have them “apprentice” new postgrads • New postgrads must attend the first few of the senior tutor’s tutorials • Senior tutor provides advice, guidance, etc. • Most departments also know who the weaker teachers are (often for language reasons) • If they must work (e.g. for scholarship) then have them mark essays and have the other postgrads tutor more

8. Benefits of empowerment • There are benefits to learning to let go • Postgrads are aware of weaknesses of the course which lecturers may not notice • Research suggests that workers who feel empowered have better morale and are more productive, innovative, creative and committed • Takeaway: think less in terms of supporting postgraduates and more in terms of empowering them Source: Carter, 2009, Am J of Ec and Bus Admin, Managers Empowering Employees