Speaker
Description
This study explores how International Graduate Teaching Assistants (IGTAs) adjust to teaching roles in the U.S., focusing on how their cultural backgrounds influence their experiences and classroom interactions. Using Hofstede’s cultural dimensions as a framework (Hofstede, G. 2011), we examine how power distance, individualism versus collectivism, and motivation towards achievement in their prior cultural experiences affect IGTAs' integration into the teaching culture of their GTA position. This research includes one-on-one semi-structured interviews with twelve IGTAs from various countries. The preliminary results show that, beyond common barriers like language and accents, differences in educational systems, classroom hierarchies, and student engagement play a big part in how IGTAs adapt to their teaching roles. This research aims to understand how IGTAs navigate these cultural shifts and how their backgrounds shape their interactions with students. By understanding these dynamics, this study provides ideas for creating more culturally sensitive teaching environments and better support for IGTAs, helping to build more effective cross-cultural classrooms in higher education.
