An Exploratory Study of the Research Mentor Experience in a Novel Undergraduate Aerospace Engineering CourseAbstractThis study looks at the experiences of seven graduate/postdoctoral research mentors in a novelaerospace engineering course that introduced undergraduate students to research at a mid-Atlantic research University. In this course, groups of (typically) three undergraduate studentswere mentored by one graduate student. The undergraduate students worked with and were ledby these research mentors in various aerospace engineering research projects. In many cases, theundergraduate students were working on a project related to the research mentors’ theses orresearch work. Previous studies looking at the undergraduate
choices. In this study, we are concerned with GTAs‟ autonomy inteaching tasks.MethodsBecause little is known about GTAs‟ teaching experiences, this research is exploratory in nature.Moreover, qualitative research methods are most appropriate for answering our researchquestions as we seek to understand GTAs‟ experience in their own words 19. Although there area variety of quantitative instruments for studying SDT none are directly applicable in thissituation and using qualitative methods could help us develop appropriate quantitative methodsfor future use.ParticipantsParticipants were selected from graduate teaching assistants in the College of Engineering at alarge, research intensive, land-grant university in a Mid-Atlantic state. Only graduate
discussionmoderators/note-takers; including SDEI student co-chairs) and the committee’s faculty advisor.Each of the five hour-long sessions listed in Table 2 consisted of a brief lecture followed bygroup discussion to inform and uncover truths about the built environment as it contributes to orhinders social justice. This section of the paper details the process of carrying out the workshops.Advertising and Registration: The Unlearning Series was advertised to all students, faculty, staff,and administration across the college through the SDEI Instagram account [5], an emailinvitation from the CAED Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, reminder emails from facultyrepresentatives on the FSDEI committee to their home departments, and word-of-mouth.Advertisements