Globalizing TA Training: International Graduate TAs in the Composition Practicum

Research regarding graduate teaching assistant (TA) training in the composition practicum is a popular topic in composition scholarship, covering topics about TA resistance, theory and practice, and reflective practices; but research about international TAs (ITAs) has not been frequently discussed. Research about ITAs exists in the university at large; however, it does not specifically address the needs of ITAs in a composition practicum, where training is typically longer and is specific to writing pedagogy. To meet this need, this dissertation employed a qualitative interview study with semi-structured interviews and surveys to discover how TA mentors who teach ITAs and ITAs themselves view the composition practicum and how it can be improved for ITAs. Through participants’ stories and experiences, this dissertation highlights ways writing programs might rethink their composition practicum for ITAs and offers a starting point for researching ITAs in composition TA training. Ultimately, this project uses ITAs’ and TA mentors’ voices to offer programmatic suggestions that benefit ITAs in the composition practicum.