Student diversity and curriculum in the basic public speaking course: implications for creating an advanced public speaking course

Abstract

This research study employs qualitative narrative analysis in order to develop an understanding of the lived experience of Graduate Teaching Assistants teaching the basic public speaking course at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Interviews with Graduate Teaching Assistants reveal three themes. First, it is important to recognize and address each student's abilities and experience as unique. Second, based on individual students' abilities and experience, they should be allowed to select and define their own speaking situations and goals. Finally, students must have a comfortable and collaborative environment in which to experiment, practice, and respond to the choices made by their classmates. In a subsequent focus group interview, the co-researchers responded to a published course description for an advanced public speaking course. Co-researchers identified specific aspects of the advanced course description as addressing the emergent themes, providing implications for creating an advanced public speaking course at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.