Students in classrooms utilizing learning assistants (LAs) exhibit comprehensive benefits; however, psychological science has not fully measured the advantages experienced by the LAs themselves.
Objective
This study aimed to explore the potential benefits developed by LAs during their participation in the program, especially in terms of teaching and communication skills, and to identify specific LA activities that may contribute to these benefits.
Method
A sample of 40 LAs from psychology and other STEM disciplines completed multiple measures to assess indicators of personal and professional development related to various LA activities and responsibilities.
Results
Correlational and regression analyses indicated positive, moderate relationships between four specific LA activities and various indicators of teaching behaviors, communication skills, and social competencies.
Conclusion
The findings suggest that factors related to the nature of LA activities, which necessitate significant engagement with fellow students, course material, and faculty, may impact skill development outcomes.
Teaching Implications
Structuring and implementing LA programs focused on both LA and student improvement may yield comprehensive benefits for all classroom participants, including increased student interaction, enhanced engagement with student learning, and an overall more efficient and successful learning environment.
AltmanW. S.BeersM. J.HammerE. Y.HardinE. E.TroisiJ. D. (2021). Reimagining how we teach introductory psychology: Support for instructors adopting the recommendations of the APA introductory psychology initiative. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, 7(3), 181–191. https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000289
2.
AmaralK. E.ValaM. (2009). What teaching teaches: Mentoring and the performance gains of mentors. Journal of Chemical Education, 86(5), 630. https://doi.org/10.1021/ed086p630
3.
AndersonA. S. (2021). One small step in the lecture hall, one big step for student motivation: Short bursts of in-class small group work. Pedagogy in Health Promotion, 7(2), 135–143. https://doi.org/10.1177/2373379920963706
4.
BabinE. A.PalazzoloK. E.RiveraK. D. (2012). Communication skills, social support, and burnout among advocates in a domestic violence agency. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 40(2), 147–166. https://doi.org/10.1080/00909882.2012.670257
5.
BarrassoA. P.SpiliosK. E. (2021). A scoping review of literature assessing the impact of the learning assistant model. International Journal of STEM Education, 8(1), 12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-020-00267-8
6.
BeersM. J.AltmanW. S.HammerE. Y.TroisiJ. D. (2022). Changing the paradigm: Support and development for teachers of introductory psychology. In R. A. R. Gurung & G. Neufeld (Eds.), Transforming introductory psychology: Expert advice on teacher training, course design, and student success (pp. 171–202). American Psychological Association.
7.
BeltmanS.SchaebenM. (2012). Institution-wide peer mentoring: Benefits for mentors. The International Journal of the First Year in Higher Education, 3(2). https://doi.org/10.5204/intjfyhe.v3i2.124
8.
Booth-ButterfieldS.GouldM. (1986). The Communication Anxiety Inventory: Validation of state-and context-communication apprehension. Communication Quarterly, 34(2), 194–205. https://doi.org/10.1080/01463378609369633
9.
BrelandH.ClarkC. M.ShakedS.Paquette-SmithM. (2023). The benefits of participating in a learning assistant program on the metacognitive awareness and motivation of learning assistants. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 22(3), 30. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.22-08-0156
10.
BrooksB. J.KoretskyM. D. (2011). The influence of group discussion on students’ responses and confidence during peer instruction. Journal of Chemical Education, 88(11), 1477–1484. https://doi.org/10.1021/ed101066x
11.
CavazosJ. T.BaskinH. M.DrakeA. R. (2024). It is never too early: Benefits of becoming an undergraduate teaching assistant. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000408
12.
CavazosJ. T.RiggenbachM. R.BrewerK. (2021). Making large classes feel small: An examination of student interactions with undergraduate teaching assistants. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, 7(4), 263–277. https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000290
13.
ChewS. L.NaufelK. Z.BoysenG. A.WickesK.RudmannJ. (2022). Why introductory psychology? In R. A. R. Gurung & G. Neufeld (Eds.), Transforming introductory psychology: Expert advice on teacher training, course design, and student success (pp. 9–26). American Psychological Association.
14.
ClementsT. P.FriedmanK. L.JohnsonH.MeierC. J.WatkinsJ.BrockmanA. J.BrameC. J. (2022). “It made me feel like a bigger part of the STEM community”: Incorporation of learning assistants enhances students’ sense of belonging in a large introductory biology course. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 21(2), 26. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.21-09-0287
15.
CloseE. W.ConnJ.CloseH. G. (2016). Becoming physics people: Development of integrated physics identity through the learning assistant experience. Physical Review, 12(1), 010109. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevphyseducres.12.010109
16.
ConnollyS. (2017). The impact of peer mentoring on the mentors. Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, 9(2), 255–266. https://doi.org/10.1108/JARHE-10-2015-0078
17.
CroucherS. M.KellyS.NguyenT.RockerK.YotesT.CullinaneJ. (2024). A longitudinal analysis of communication traits: Communication apprehension, willingness to communicate, and self-perceived communication competence. Communication Quarterly, 72(1), 99–119. https://doi.org/10.1080/01463373.2023.2292216
18.
DriverP.CaldwellT. L.GrunertL. (2022). Exploring UTA effectiveness: Leveraging undergraduate teaching assistants for student learning and help-seeking. Teaching of Psychology, 50(1), 57–68. https://doi.org/10.1177/00986283221110518
19.
Gilles *C.WilsonJ. (2004). Receiving as well as giving: mentors' perceptions of their professional development in one teacher induction program. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 12(1), 87–106. https://doi.org/10.1080/1361126042000183020
20.
GoslingS. D.RentfrowP. J.SwannW. B. (2003). A very brief measure of the big-five personality domains. Journal of Research in Personality, 37(6), 504–528. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0092-6566(03)00046-1
GunnF.LeeS. H.SteedM. (2017). Student perceptions of benefits and challenges of peer mentoring programs: Divergent perspectives from mentors and mentees. Marketing Education Review, 27(1), 15–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/10528008.2016.1255560
23.
GurungRegan A. RHackathornJanaEnnsCarolynFrantzSusanCacioppoJohn T.LoopTrudyFreemanJames E. (2016). Strengthening introductory psychology: A new model for teaching the introductory course. American Psychologist, 71(2), 112–124. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0040012
24.
HardB. M.DunnD. S.MusselmanR.HudsonD. L.RichmondA. S. (2022). Designing the introductory psychology course: An evidence-informed framework. In R. A. R. Gurung & G. Neufeld (Eds.), Transforming introductory psychology: Expert advice on teacher training, course design, and student success (pp. 27–56). American Psychological Association.
25.
JúniorV. C. G.HenklainM. H. O.CarmoJ. dos S.KeeleyJ. W. (2023). Utility of the Teacher Behavior Checklist beyond psychology majors: Replication with Brazilian physical education students. Acta Colombiana de Psicología, 26(1), 214–225. https://doi.org/10.14718/ACP.2023.26.1.14
26.
KeeleyJ.SmithD.BuskistW. (2006). The Teacher Behaviors Checklist: Factor analysis of its utility for evaluating teaching. Teaching of Psychology, 33(2), 84–91. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15328023top3302_1
27.
KieferC. (2025, September 15). Peer Power: A Study of Learning Assistant Skill Development. Retrieved from osf.io/n8wbj
LeFebvreL.LeFebvreL. E.AllenM.BucknerM. M.GriffinD. (2020). Metamorphosis of public speaking anxiety: Student fear transformation throughout the introductory communication course. Communication Studies, 71(1), 98–111. https://doi.org/10.1080/10510974.2019.1661867
30.
MarshallM.Dobbs-OatesJ.KunbergerT.GreeneJ. (2021). The peer mentor experience: Benefits and challenges in undergraduate programs. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 29(1), 89–109. https://doi.org/10.1080/13611267.2021.1899587
31.
McCroskeyJ. C. (1992). Reliability and validity of the willingness to communicate scale. Communication Quarterly, 40(1), 16–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/01463379209369817
32.
MillerP. M.CarverJ. S.ShindeA.RatcliffB. B.MurphyA. (2013). Initial replication results of learning assistants in university physics. AIP Conference Proceedings. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4789644
33.
MullenC. A.KlimaitisC. C. (2021). Defining mentoring: A literature review of issues, types, and applications. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1483(1), 19–35. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.v1483.1
34.
NaufelK. Z.ApplebyD. C.YoungJ.Van KirkJ. F.SpencerS. M.RudmannJ.CarducciB. J.HettichP.RichmondA. S. (2018). The skillful psychology student: Prepared for success in the 21st-century workplace. Retrieved from: https://www.apa.org/careers/resources/guides/transferable-skills.pdf.
35.
NaufelK. Z.SpencerS. M.Van KirkJ. F.RichmondA. S. (2025). Method matters: The importance of understanding the creation of the skillful psychology student. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, 11(2), 332–341. https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000357
36.
OteroV. K. (2015). Nationally scaled model for leveraging course transformation with physics teacher preparation. Recruiting, and Educating Future Physics Teachers: Case Studies, and Effective Practices, 107–127.
37.
OteroV. K.PollockS. J.FinkelsteinN. D. (2010). A physics department’s role in preparing physics teachers: The Colorado learning assistant model. American Journal of Physics, 78(11), 1218–1224. https://doi.org/10.1119/1.3471291
38.
PavlacicJ. M.BuchananE. M. (2017). Using undergraduate learning assistants to aid in course redesign. Modern Psychological Studies, 23(2), 1–18. https://scholar.utc.edu/mps/vol23/iss2/2
39.
RichmondA. S.BoysenG. A.GurungR. A. R.NaufelK. Z. (2025). A national study of student and instructor perceptions of introductory psychology. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, 11(2), 200–213. https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000345
40.
RichmondA. S.BoysenG. A.HudsonD. L.GurungR. A. R.NaufelK. Z.NeufeldG.LandrumR. E.DunnD. S.BeersM. (2021). The introductory psychology census: A national study. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, 7(3), 163–180. https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000277
41.
ScholzA.GehresV.SchrimpfA.BleckwennM.DeutschT.GeierA. K. (2023). Long-term mentoring relationships in undergraduate longitudinal general practice tracks – a qualitative study on the perspective of students and general practitioners. Medical Education Online, 28(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/10872981.2022.2149252
TopL. M.SchoonraadS. A.OteroV. K. (2018). Development of pedagogical knowledge among learning assistants. International Journal of STEM Education, 5(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-017-0097-9
44.
TroisiJ. D. (2014). Making the grade and staying engaged: The influence of student management teams on student classroom outcomes. Teaching of Psychology, 41(2), 99–103. https://doi.org/10.1177/0098628314530337
45.
WeidertJ. M.WendorfA. R.GurungR. A. R.FilzT. (2012). A survey of graduate and undergraduate teaching assistants. College Teaching, 60(3), 95–103. https://doi.org/10.1080/87567555.2011.637250
46.
WentzelK. R.BattleA.RussellS. L.LooneyL. B. (2010). Social supports from teachers and peers as predictors of academic and social motivation. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 35(3), 193–202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2010.03.002
47.
WhiteJ. S.Van DusenB.RoualdesE. A. (2016). The impacts of learning assistants on student learning of physics. 2016 Physics Education Research Conference, Sacramento, California, United States of America. https://doi.org/10.1119/perc.2016.pr.0
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
