The Role, Responsibilities and Remunerations of Graduate Teaching Assistants

An Economics Network funded project, 2010-11

Institution: Heriot-Watt University
Project leader: Valerie Dickie

The first phase of the project, funded by the School of Management and Languages of HWU, plans to collect, collate and analyse data and information on the variety of responsibilities undertaken and the remuneration received by GTAs across the main institutions of higher education in Scotland. This phase is already under way.

The second phase of the project, funded by Economics Network, will expand the project and investigate this market in relation to institutions throughout the UK with the possibility of a European project at some time in the future. That will involve distributing a modified questionnaire to higher education institutions in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the collection and collation of data and analysis.

The work will result in a comprehensive investigative report on this unrecorded sector of the labour market across the UK and will assess the contribution made to the academic teaching profession by GTAs. This will have a significant impact on education and employment policy for all GTAs, which will improve the postgraduate learning and teaching experience.

Outputs

• Final report (.doc)
• Conference presentation at DEE 2011 (.ppt)