abstract: This research works from in an institutional ethnographic methodology. From this grounded approach, it describes the dialectic between the individual and the discourse of the institution. This work develops a complex picture of the multifarious ways in which institutional discourse has real effects on the working lives of graduate teaching associates (GTAs) and administrative staff and faculty in Arizona State University's Department of English. Beginning with the experiences of individuals as they described in their interviews, provided an opportunity to understand individual experiences connected by threads of institutional discourse. The line of argumentation that developed from this grounded institutional ethnographic approach proceeds thusly: 1) If ASU’s institutional discourse is understood as largely defined by ASU’s Charter as emphasizing access and academic excellence, then it is possible to 2) see how the Charter affects the departmental discourse in the Department of English. This is shown by 3) explaining the ways in which institutional discourse—in conjunction with disciplinary discourses—affects the flow of power for administrative faculty and manifests as, for example, the Writing Programs Mission and Goals. These manifestations then 4) shape the training in the department to enculturate GTAs and other Writing Programs teachers, which finally 5) affects how Writing Programs teachers structure their courses consequently affecting the undergraduate online learning experience. This line of argumentation illustrates how the flow of power in administrative faculty positions like the Department Chair and Writing Program Administrator are institution-specific, entangled with the values of the institution and the forms of institutional discourse including departmental training impact the teaching practices of GTAs. And, although individual work like that done by the WPA to maintain teacher autonomy and the GTAs to facilitate individual access in their online classrooms, the individual is ultimately lost in the larger institutional conversation of access. Finally, this research corroborates work by Sara Ahmed and Stephanie L. Kerschbaum who explain how institutions co-opt intersectional terms such as diversity and access, and that neoliberal institutions' use of these terms are disingenuous, improving not the quality of instruction or university infrastructure but rather the reputation and public appeal of the university. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation English 2019

The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the perceptions of preservice teachers toward native and nonnative English speaking (NES and NNES) graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) in English as a second language (ESL) methodology and/or ESL assessment courses at a Southwestern U.S. university. This study also investigated the perceptions of NES and NNES GTAs toward preservice teachers. This study explored the issue of whether preservice teachers are prepared to accept and validate diversity among their instructors which in turn should make them sensitive to diverse learners they will encounter in their future teaching. In the first part of the study, a total of 262 preservice teachers were surveyed. The survey data were collected in spring 2007 and fall 2008. Of the 262 preservice teachers, 20 participated in focus group discussions to provide further insight on their views of NES and NNES GTAs. In the second part of the study, four GTAs participated in a longitudinal study by writing online blog entries after any encounters (positive or negative) they had with their students inside and outside the classroom. The blogs reflected the GTAs? immediate reactions after their classes. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the GTAs. Findings of the first study revealed that preservice teacher perceived NES and NNES GTAs differently. Preservice teachers put a lot of emphasis on the intelligibility of the NNES GTAs. The preservice teachers were ?tolerant? if their NNES spoke English ?clearly?. However, there were some preservice teachers who were dissatisfied with their NNES GTAs due to their possessing a non-mainstream language. Findings of the second study revealed that NNES GTAs faced major challenges in their effort to be recognized as legitimate and competent instructors. Although the GTAs had vastly different personal backgrounds, perceptions, and identities as instructors, common themes or issues emerged from the data: (1) teaching is complex (linguistic, cultural, and racial issues are involved); (2) beliefs about teaching can change; (3) challenges are faced as an ?outsider? instructor; and (4) teaching provides experiences of joy. The study has implications for teacher education programs and training programs offered for international graduate students by universities.

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In our post-9/11 globalized society, the bifurcated governance structure that has traditionally dominated foreign language (FL) departments is no longer desirable. According to the 2007 Modern Language Association (MLA) report entitled "Foreign Languages and Higher Education: New Structures for a Changed World," these departments need to strive to create "educated speakers who have deep translingual and transcultural competence" (p. 3). Whereas the report outlined in detail the implications this goal would have on undergraduate education, it made only two references to FL graduate students: programs should "provide substantive training in language teaching and in the use of new technologies" (p. 7) and should "enhance and reward graduate student training" (p. 8). This relative lack of attention is indicative of an undervaluation of graduate student teaching and professional development, despite the substantial percentage of university-level instruction provided by FL Teaching Assistants (TAs) (Laurence, 2001) now and in the foreseeable future. The goal of this dissertation is to better understand the current state of TA professional development, by exploring the perspectives of the TAs themselves. Previous studies (e.g., Brandl, 2000; Gonglewski & Penningroth, 1998) have surveyed and interviewed TAs about their professional development experiences. The present study updates and expands upon these studies, both in the scope of the questions asked and the range of participants. The first article explores the place and role of technology in the professional development of TAs by using data from the syllabi of teaching methodology courses (N = 31). The second article uses data from online questionnaires (N = 94) and Skype interviews (N = 16) to understand what TAs think they need to be successful in their current and future teaching positions, what professional development opportunities they participate in, and which factors limit their participation in some of them. The last article presents data from the same questionnaires and interviews about which professional development opportunities TAs consider to be helpful, what they find helpful about each activity, and what recommendations they have for improved professional development. All three studies address implications for graduate student education.

This dissertation follows an oral language assessment tool from initial design and implementation to validity analysis. The specialized variables of this study are the population: international teaching assistants and the purpose: spoken assessment as a hiring prerequisite. However, the process can easily be applied to other populations and assessment goals.While evaluating the TBEST (Task-Based English Speaking Test) and TAST (TOEFL Academic Speaking Test), I search for a preponderance of evidence for assessment validity that indicate the most appropriate tool for evaluating potential ITAs. The specific evidences of assessment validity that are examined are:1. Evidence of Domain (Content) Validity: Which test, the TBEST or the TAST most closely measures the actual skills needed to be an ITA?2. Evidence of Predictive Criterion Validity: Which test, the TBEST or the TAST, is more valid in predicting ITA teaching success based on end of semester student evaluation (TCEs)?Following the analyses of these points of evidence, the results of a follow-up survey of ITA impressions about the ITA training and evaluating process are reviewed. Reviewing the results of this survey places the language assessment and hiring process recommendations within its larger context, directing attention toward suggestions for improvement of ITA training and evaluating procedures.Over the course of 18 months, 335 ITAs were assessed using the TBEST. 193 ITAs took the TAST prior to taking the TBEST, and those scores are used for correlation analysis. 119 ITAs participated in a follow up survey about their ITA experience.Analysis of domain validity shows that the TBEST is better suited for assessing ITAs than the TAST due to specialized assessment content not present on the more generic TAST. The TBEST is marginally better at predicting teaching success, though the results were statistically insignificant and recommendations are made for a follow-up study. Post-hoc analysis of the discriminative utility of both tests show that the TBEST results show more useful shades of distinction between candidates while the TAST results place the majority of students in a `fair' category which requires secondary interviews to assess teaching ability.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Carolina Wilmington, 2008. / Title from PDF title page (viewed September 22, 2008) Includes bibliographical references (p. 50-52)

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 1999. / Title from title page screen, viewed July 28, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Douglas Hesse (chair), Janice Neuleib, Kenneth Lindblom. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 237-245) and abstract. Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 1999. / Title from title page screen, viewed July 31, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Janice Neuleib (chair), Douglas Hesse, Kenneth Lindblom. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 202-209) and abstract. Also available in print.

Esta dissertação analisa os discursos sobre as práticas dos repetidores de classe em documentos do acervo do Instituto Nacional de Educação de Surdos (INES) no período de 1855 a 1910 que incidem atualmente na atuação dos tradutores-intérpretes de língua de sinais (TILS) no Brasil. Para isso, inspiro-me na noção de discurso de Michel Foucault (1984, 2006, 2008, 2012). Os discursos produzem práticas e constituem modos de ser e de atuar no mundo. Para tratar sobre o TILS, apresento estudos das pesquisadoras Quadros (2004), Rosa (2005) e Santos (2006, 2013), as quais abordam, entre outros temas, algumas histórias que possibilitaram a emergência dessa profissão. Esses estudos são abordados ao longo do trabalho, além de outras leituras com as quais dialogo nesta dissertação, como Rocha (2008, 2009) e Lobo (2008), e as produções realizadas pela Série Histórica do Instituto Nacional de Educação de Surdos publicadas em 2011. Para refletir sobre o contexto da educação, utilizo Faria-Filho (2000), Schueler e Magaldi (2008), Mazzota (2003) e Jannuzzi (2006). Também reflito com as pesquisas de Martins (2008; 2013) e Nantes (2012), que desenvolveram estudos sobre os TILS no campo dos Estudos Foucaultianos. Além do comentador Veiga-Neto (2003, 2006, 2009 e 2012), inspiro-me nos textos de Fischer (2001, 2012) e Castro (2009) para a construção das unidades discursivas. Para as análises, foram extraídos excertos dos documentos, os quais foram agrupados pelas recorrências discursivas em três conjuntos temáticos que tratam sobre a atuação dos repetidores. Esses agrupamentos constituem as unidades de análise, que nomeei como: 1) Discursos morais: sujeitos de boa índole e de bons costumes – nessa unidade, apresento excertos que abordam a questão da exigência de profissionais moralmente aptos para assumir a função de repetidor; 2) Discursos profissionais: a formação pela convivência – unidade formada por excertos que traçam perfis, formações específicas e processos seletivos para o desempenho da função; e 3) Discursos jurídicos: a condução das condutas pelas leis – excertos que se referem a documentos legais que visavam à regulação, ao controle e à condução da atuação dos repetidores. Também faço uma contextualização das condições históricas, políticas e educacionais do Brasil no período que compreende Império e início da República, a fim de apresentar os discursos sobre as práticas dos repetidores de classe. Moralidade, idoneidade e convivência estão entre as principais exigências e hoje são verdades que atravessaram os tempos e incidem diretamente na atuação dos TILS em nosso país. / This dissertation considers the notion of discourse as proposed by Michel Foucault (1984, 2006, 2008, 2012) and analyzes discourses about teaching assistants’ practices found in documents from the files of the National Institute of Deaf Education (INES) from 1855 to 1910 that currently affect the work performed by sign language translators and interpreters (SLTIs) in Brazil. Discourses produce practices and constitute ways of being and acting in the world. In order to address SLTIs, I have used studies carried out by Quadros (2004), Rosa (2005) and Santos (2006, 2013), who have approached, among other topics, some stories that have enabled the emergence of that occupation. Those studies have been addressed along this dissertation, besides other authors that I have considered, such as Rocha (2008, 2009) and Lobo (2008), and productions of the Historical Series of the National Institute of Deaf Education published in 2011. In order to reflect on the education context, I have used works by Faria-Filho (2000), Schueler & Magaldi (2008), Mazzota (2003) and Jannuzzi (2006). I have also reflected with the help from Martins (2008; 2013) and Nantes (2012), who developed studies on SLTIs in the field of Foucauldian Studies. Besides the commentator Veiga-Neto (2003, 2006, 2009, 2012), I have been inspired by texts written by Fischer (2001, 2012) and Castro (2009) for the construction of discursive units. For the analyses, excerpts were taken from documents, which were grouped according to discursive recurrences in three thematic sets dealing with the performance of teaching assistants. The groups constitute the analysis units, which I have named as: 1) Moral discourses: good-natured, moral subjects - in this unit, I have presented excerpts approaching the requirement of morally suited professionals to take on the function of teaching assistants; 2) Professional discourses: education through living together - unit formed by excerpts that trace profiles, specific education and selective processes for the performance of the function; and 3) Juridical discourses: the conduction of conducts by laws - excerpts related to legal documents that aimed at regulating, controlling and guiding the teaching assistants’ action. I have also contextualized the historical, political and educational conditions of Brazil in the period ranging from the Empire to the beginning of the Republic, in order to evidence the discourses about the teaching assistants’ practices. Morality, integrity and living together are some of the major requirements that today are truths that have crossed time and directly incide on SLTI’s action in this country.