Abstract:To cite this article: John Trent (2014) 'I'm teaching, but I'm not really a teacher'. Teaching assistants and the construction of professional identities in Hong Kong schools, Educational Research, 56:1, 28-47, Background: In the past decade, educational settings worldwide have experienced a significant increase in the number of school-based teaching assistants (TAs). The deployment of these TAs has been accompanied by reports of confusion and uncertainty about their roles and responsibilities within schools. … Show more
“…This may be due to the atypical nature of the response which is not generalisable to the wider TA population. Conversely, it may be that published research has not focused on the experiences of TAs, who remain ‘voiceless’, despite repeated calls to address this (Gilbert et al ., ; Roffey‐Barentsen and Watt, ; Trent, ; Lehane, ).…”
Section: Resultsmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Ofsted () raised the first note of caution about TAs’ increasingly direct pedagogical role and suggested that it required investigation. Nevertheless it continued to increase, outweighing any other aspect of their deployment (Blatchford et al ., ; Trent, ). Rose and O’Neill () proposed that;It is evident from the data that many [TAs] now perceive themselves to be part of a teaching partnership engaged in collaboration with teachers on a range of pedagogical activities.…”
This article revisits a previous publication which questioned howTeaching Assistants (TAs) manage behaviour in mainstream English primary schools (Clarke and Visser, 2016). That paper highlighted the lack of specific research in the area and noted, that despite increases in research on TAs work, there remained a lack of understanding in relation to how TAs supported children's non-academic or 'soft skills'. Following on from that, this article details the findings of a doctoral research project that investigated factors that constrained and supported TAs' management of behaviour. Using the findings from that research, this article offers answers to the to the question I outlined in the previous publication 'Teaching Assistants managing behaviour -who knows how they do it?' (Clarke and Visser, 2016). Concepts including TAs' understanding of their 'place', the impact of agency and how consistency in a range of areas influenced the agency TAs experienced in managing behaviour will be discussed.This reflected Mansaray's (2006) assertion that TAs' 'surveillance function is implicitly assumed' -by both TAs and teachers. It can be argued that the range of roles TAs fulfil, even when not unequivocally associated with managing behaviour, often encompass aspects of it. This makes understanding how TAs engage with the role and how they can be facilitated in managing behaviour an important consideration.
“…This may be due to the atypical nature of the response which is not generalisable to the wider TA population. Conversely, it may be that published research has not focused on the experiences of TAs, who remain ‘voiceless’, despite repeated calls to address this (Gilbert et al ., ; Roffey‐Barentsen and Watt, ; Trent, ; Lehane, ).…”
Section: Resultsmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Ofsted () raised the first note of caution about TAs’ increasingly direct pedagogical role and suggested that it required investigation. Nevertheless it continued to increase, outweighing any other aspect of their deployment (Blatchford et al ., ; Trent, ). Rose and O’Neill () proposed that;It is evident from the data that many [TAs] now perceive themselves to be part of a teaching partnership engaged in collaboration with teachers on a range of pedagogical activities.…”
This article revisits a previous publication which questioned howTeaching Assistants (TAs) manage behaviour in mainstream English primary schools (Clarke and Visser, 2016). That paper highlighted the lack of specific research in the area and noted, that despite increases in research on TAs work, there remained a lack of understanding in relation to how TAs supported children's non-academic or 'soft skills'. Following on from that, this article details the findings of a doctoral research project that investigated factors that constrained and supported TAs' management of behaviour. Using the findings from that research, this article offers answers to the to the question I outlined in the previous publication 'Teaching Assistants managing behaviour -who knows how they do it?' (Clarke and Visser, 2016). Concepts including TAs' understanding of their 'place', the impact of agency and how consistency in a range of areas influenced the agency TAs experienced in managing behaviour will be discussed.This reflected Mansaray's (2006) assertion that TAs' 'surveillance function is implicitly assumed' -by both TAs and teachers. It can be argued that the range of roles TAs fulfil, even when not unequivocally associated with managing behaviour, often encompass aspects of it. This makes understanding how TAs engage with the role and how they can be facilitated in managing behaviour an important consideration.
“…Nevertheless, ‘exercising agency to contest their positionings within schools is often insufficient to place [LSAs] on a trajectory towards becoming a teacher’ (Trent, , p. 28). Rather, as reflected in this research, change comes through happenstance, talent spotting and peer or management encouragement.…”
Routes into teacher training have expanded in recent years, accompanied by a growing interest in schools ‘growing their own’ teachers from amongst support staff. However, little attention has been paid to their transition to the role of teacher. This article investigates influences on identity development and the extent to which personal values are reconciled with professional demands and socially constructed facets of educational practice. Participants were nine staff in one secondary school for pupils with moderate learning difficulties who had undertaken the transition from LSA (learning support assistant) to teacher. Qualitative data were obtained through an online survey and focus group discussion. Findings show that extensive opportunities to experiment with provisional and possible selves, immersion in educational discourse, classroom agency and staff collaboration engender a ‘teacher’ self‐concept and positive motivations for LSA career development, and that self‐esteem and self‐efficacy are strengthened by how an individual’s values align with those of the setting in which they work. Findings may inform school leaders as to the value of training teachers ‘in‐house’ and support career development decisions of LSAs, a pathway of potential significance given the current pressures on teacher recruitment and retention.
“…They are viewed as "not quite teachers" (Edmond & Hayler, 2013, p. 216) leading to an ambiguous and conflicted identity. Role confusion is a factor because of the increase in numbers of assistants performing more complex duties in the classroom (Trent, 2014). This increase in teaching assistant roles is considered one of the most "profound educational changes" (Trent, 2014, p. 29) in recent years.…”
Section: Ericksonmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…This is not an uncommon experience for paraprofessionals in other disciplines, notably, teacher assistants. Studies of teacher assistants also indicate identity confusion because of insecurities between teachers and teacher assistants-the historically superior and subordinate positions lead the way for role ambiguity and role conflict (Edmond & Hayler, 2013;Trent, 2014).…”
Work identity is defined as ones’ sense of purpose, value and belonging in the workplace (Saayman & Crafford, 2011). It is a useful construct in which to investigate how identities are influenced and developed through personal characteristics, relationships, and work activities. This study sought to understand the ways in which school library paraprofessionals’ work identities are formed. Seven library paraprofessionals in Alberta, Canada were interviewed as to their experiences working in a school library. It was discovered that, despite experiencing some misconceptions about their ability, sometimes feeling disconnected with others in the school and lacking a voice to direct their own work, these paraprofessionals experienced a sense of purpose, value and belonging at work. This study demonstrates that even if library paraprofessionals are not qualified Teacher-Librarians, they still are deeply committed to making a difference in the lives of young students.
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