Development & Evaluation of a Teaching Assistant Institute to Build Near-Peer Teaching Capacity in Delivering Inclusive Public Health Education

Teaching assistants (TAs) play a significant role in students’ learning environment and experience but receive limited training in the non-curricular aspects of teaching and student support. Graduate students frequently engage in near-peer teaching, with student teachers with one or more years’ experience compared to learners engaged in a structured teaching role. Academic institutions may perpetuate racism and its effects on health through institutional norms and pedagogy; training TAs to foster inclusive learning environments is therefore essential. In a complex, interdisciplinary public health Core curriculum, a required TA Training Institute was established to address the specific challenges of near-peer teaching. Content included managing sideways; effective modes of communication; boundary setting; referring students for support while taking care of one’s own needs; and maintaining an inclusive learning environment, including managing heated, offensive, and/or tense (HOT) moments. The mixed-methods evaluation among 181 participants assessed 12 learning objectives; for all outcomes assessed, confidence in performing each job function was consistently high (87-100%) and increased statistically significantly post-training (McNemar p < 0.001). Lowest confidence was reported for responding to HOT moments (87%). TAs need training to support belonging and inclusion. This evaluation of a replicable training revealed significant improvements, with additional support needed to manage HOT moments.