Challenges and Optimization Pathways in Teaching Assistant Management for English-Medium Courses in Sino-Foreign Cooperative Education: A Case Study of the Big Data Management and Application (Cooperative Education) Program

Abstract

English-medium courses are the core vehicle for cultivating international talents in Sino-foreign cooperative education programs in Chinese universities. Teaching assistants (TAs) serve as a critical link between foreign instructors, Chinese students, and teaching administration departments, and the management of the TA team directly affects the quality of course teaching. Currently, the management of TAs for English-medium courses in Sino-foreign cooperative education in Chinese universities generally faces problems such as rigid application procedures, difficulties in recruitment, mismatches between workload and remuneration, and ambiguous duty boundaries. Taking five English-medium courses in the Big Data Management and Application (Cooperative Education) Program at Harbin Institute of Technology in the fall semester of 2025 as a practical case, this paper addresses prominent issues including pending confirmation of French instructors, high requirements for TA competence, and insufficient incentives. Through practical measures such as optimizing application procedures, establishing a precise recruitment mechanism, refining job responsibilities, and improving incentive safeguards, it achieved 100% high-quality staffing of TAs for all five courses, ensuring smooth teaching operations. This paper reviews the practical measures, outcomes, and existing problems, proposes long-term improvement directions, and provides a replicable reference for TA management in similar courses at other universities, contributing to the enhancement of talent cultivation quality in Sino-foreign cooperative education.