Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of an orientation of Mathematics Graduate Teaching Assistants (MGTA's) to Polya's heuristic questioning strategies (PHQPS) and/or Flanders interaction analysis (FIA). The study was limited to 243 undergraduate students, 17-22 years in an introductory calculus for majors other than mathematics or engineering. Eight calculus sections and their MGTA's were randomly selected from 21 calculus sections. The students in each section were homogeneous. The training of MGTA's in FIA and PHQPS significantly (p < .05) affected the verbal interaction of the MGTA's with their students, the problem solving sequence of the MGTA and his students, the subject matter achievement of the MGTA's students, and the evaluative perception of the MGTA's by their students. Flanders I/D ratio was significantly increased from pre to posttreatment for the MGTA's participating in the FIA program (p < .0498) PHQPS program (p < .0001), and the combination of both programs (p < .0086). The PHQPS program and the combination of FIA and PHQPS significantly decreased both the content ratio (p < .0013, p < .039, respectively) and steady state ratio (p < .0001, p < .0091, respectively) of the MGTA's from pretreatment to posttreatment.
Tubb, Gary Wayne (1975). Heuristic questioning and problem solving strategies in mathematics graduate teaching assistants and their students. Doctoral dissertation, Texas A&M University. Texas A&M University. Libraries. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /DISSERTATIONS -181952.