Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39998234›Full record

ArticleJournal of microbiology & biology education2025

Helping teaching assistants build confidence and community through reciprocal peer observations: a no-budget, low-barrier approach.

Cassandra Debets, Tristyn Hay, Megan K Barker

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of microbiology & biology education, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Cassandra DebetsDepartment of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-4576-4114
Tristyn HayDepartment of Biology, University of British Columbia, Okanagan, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada.
Megan K BarkerDepartment of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-9511-6273

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Teaching assistants (TAs) are incredibly important in our teaching but are often under-supported in their roles-particularly in large courses, with large teams. Depending on instructor workload and TA contract hours, it can be challenging to support the professional development of these key members of the teaching team. To help our TAs develop their teaching and engage in a community of practice, we implemented a reciprocal peer observation. By observing each others' tutorials in a structured way, we promoted a sense of community and collaborative learning among the TAs with only a small investment of time by instructors. We structured these peer visits using COPUS-TA, an observational tool that guides their tutorial visit and feedback conversations. From this process, our TAs increased their sense of confidence and community. This is a relatively simple approach to give TAs professional development and connection to their peers, embedded directly within a large-enrollment undergraduate course.

Indexed as

classroom observationcommunity of practiceCOPUSpeer observationTA professional developmentteaching assistants

Identifiers

PMID39998234
PMCPMC12020815

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.