Learning assistants as student partners in introductory physics

Despite the growing presence of students as partners (SAP) in education research and the overlap of goals with learning assistant (LA) programs, there is little research done on pedagogy- and curriculum-focused student partnerships that involve LAs. LAs have expertise as both teachers and learners, so why not leverage this expertise to improve the underlying structure and teaching philosophy of future offerings of a course? We intend to investigate this idea in the case of a flipped, introductory physics course at Michigan State University by conceptualizing its LA program as a model for enacting SAP using the communities of practice (COP) framework. Using an interpretivist case study approach, we found in this environment that (i) the LAs experienced a learning trajectory within P-Cubed that resembled attainment of central membership in a COP, (ii) the development of a specific practice among LAs resembled the evolution of practice in a community of practice, and (3) LAs have a strong level of influence over decision making on curriculum and pedagogy in P-Cubed in a way that is indicative of authentic student partnership. This input is particularly important for a specific type of partnership: curriculum design and pedagogic consultancy, which requires significant participation and say so from LAs. Reconceiving LA programs as student partnerships opens a path to incorporate students into and reinforce sustainable curriculum change.

Automated summary

The study suggests that learning assistants in the educational environment follow a learning trajectory and practice development that resembles the evolution of a community, with a strong influence over curriculum and pedagogy decisions, indicative of a genuine student partnership.