Isaac Scientific Publishing

Journal of Advances in Education Research

Work Orientation of Graduate Assistants

Download PDF (248.5 KB) PP. 27 - 33 Pub. Date: February 21, 2017

DOI: 10.22606/jaer.2017.21004

Author(s)

  • Karen Haley*
    Postsecondary, Adult, and Continuing Education, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, United States
  • Jean Henscheid
    McClure Center for Public Policy Research, University of Idaho, Boise, Idaho, United States
  • Becky Boesch
    Postsecondary, Adult, and Continuing Education, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, United States
  • Lindsey Blem
    Residence Life and Conduct, Pacific University, Forest Grove, Oregon, United States

Abstract

Completing a graduate assistantship (GA) is one key experience that can provide both work experience and socialization to a career as well as provide financial assistance in exchange for services. This qualitative study explored the motivation of GAs through an “orientation to work” lens. The findings show that GAs exhibit a high extrinsic motivation (positive or negative) toward their work, and graduate administrative assistants exhibit a higher positive intrinsic motivation to work than graduate teaching assistants or graduate research assistants.

Keywords

Graduate assistant, teaching assistant, research assistant, higher education.

References

[1] Amabile, T. M., Hill, K. G., Hennessey, B. A., & Tighe, E. M. (1994). The work preference inventory: Assessing intrinsic and extrinsic motivational orientations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 66(5), 950-967.

[2] Austin, A. E. (2002). Preparing the next generation of faculty: Graduate school as socialization to the academic career. Journal of Higher Education, 73(1), 94-122.

[3] Bernard, H. R. (2006). Research methods in anthropology: Qualitative and quantitative data. Walnut Creek, CA: Alta Mira Press.

[4] Caldwell, D. F., O'Reilly, C. A., & Morris, J. H. (1983). Response to an organizational reward: A field test of the sufficiency of justification hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 44, 506-514.

[5] Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2000). The discipline and practice of qualitative research. In N. K.

[6] Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.

[7] Ethington, C. A., & Pisani, A. (1993). The RA and TA experience: Impediments and benefits to graduate study.Research in Higher Education, 34(3), 343-354

[8] Flora, B. H. (2007). Graduate assistants: Students or staff, policy or practice? The current legal employment status of graduate assistants. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 29(3), 315-322.

[9] Gaff, J. G., Pruitt-Logan, A. S., Sims, L. B., & Denecke, D. D. (2003). Preparing future faculty in the humanities and social sciences. Washington DC: Council of Graduate Schools.

[10] Gallego, M. (2014). Professional development of graduate teaching assistants in faculty-like positions: Fostering reflective practices through reflective teaching journals. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning,14(2), 96-110.

[11] Gilmore, J., Maher, M. A., Feldon, D. F., & Timmerman, B. (2014). Exploration of factors related to the development of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics graduate teaching assistants' teaching orientations. Studies in Higher Education, 39(10), 1910-1928.

[12] Haley, K. J., Hephner LaBanc, B., & Koutas, P. (2011). New job, new school, new life: Transitions of graduate assistants in student affairs. Journal of College Orientation and Transitions, 18(2), 5-19.

[13] Marshall, C., & Rossman, G. B. (2011). Designing qualitative research (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

[14] NCES (2013). Digest of eduation statistics: 2013 [data tables]. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d13/tables/dt13_314.30.asp?referrer=report

[15] Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

[16] Pentecost, T. C., Langdon, L. S., Asirvatham, M., Robus, H., & Parson, R. (2012). Graduate teaching assistant training that fosters student-centered instruction and professional development. Journal of College Science Teaching, 41(6), 68-75.

[17] Perna, L., & Hudgins, C. (1996). The graduate assistantship: Facilitator of graduate students' professional socialization. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association for the Study of Higher Education, Memphis, TN.

[18] Salda?a, J. (2009). The coding manual for qualitative researchers. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

[19] Slaughter, S., Campbell, T., Holleman, M., & Morgan, E. (2002). The 'traffic' in graduate students: Graduate students as tokens of exchange between academe and industry. Science, Technology, and Human Values, 27(2),282-312.

[20] White, J., & Nonnamaker, J. (2011). Supervising graduate assistants. New Directions for Student Services, (136),43-54.