School-based Learning: Constraints and limitations in learning from school experience for teaching assistants

Mapping the changes: a critical exploration into the career trajectories of teaching assistants who undertake a foundation degree

“…Teaching assistants appear to value learning from each other, suggesting that there continues to be a lack of opportunity (and training) for teachers and teaching assistants in developing ways of sharing practice and working with each other (Edmund 2003). It can be argued that the historical professional tension between teachers and teaching assistants still exists, but the 'them and us' distinction may slowly be eroding (Murray 2003).…”

‘New Partnerships for Learning’: teachers and teaching assistants working together in schools – the way forward

“…Government vision of 'the relationship between teachers and support staff … as one of leadership and management' was more frequently found than those which focused on the partnership aspects of adults working together in the learning environment (Howes 2003, 148). Clarification of role boundaries by management and employees was seen by Wall (2001) in Edmond (2003) as an essential component in enabling school effectiveness. Additionally, the pay differential between teachers and teaching assistants was seen as being so unequal as to be an uneasy basis for any partnership and likely to lead to demarcation according to qualification (Parker and Townsend 2005).…”

New Partnerships for Learning: teachers’ perspectives on their developing professional relationships with teaching assistants in England

“…interpreting from government what the new role might be for teaching assistants (Quicke, 2003;Watkinson, 2004) and there was equal confusion about the responsibilities and remuneration of HLTA status (Parker & Townsend, 2005); • teachers were fearful that the changing relationship might be a threat to their professional integrity: either because it might be perceived that teaching was so easy that anyone could do it with some practice, or government was implying that teachers were no longer capable of fulfilling a teaching role unaided (Muijs, 2003); • the identification that employees including teachers find it difficult to abdicate responsibility even if a substitute is well qualified, because it may be perceived as a weakness (Watkinson, 2004); • there were no exemplars of what a successful partnership looks like (Watkinson, 2004); • there was a lack of training to develop teacher skills in working with other adults in a learning situation (Edmond, 2003;Hammersley-Fletcher & Lowe, 2005;Bubb & Earley, 2006); • CPD opportunities for teaching assistants were very varied and centred in the main on developing subject knowledge (Bubb & Earley, 2006); • there was insufficient non-contact time provided for teachers and teaching assistants to plan together and consider strategies (Dixon, 2003); • career intentions of teaching assistants are many and varied and a teacher needs to be clear about their aspirations (Quicke, 2003); and • the pay differential between teachers and teaching assistants is so unequal it is an uneasy term for any partnership (Quicke, 2003). Howes (2003), in his review of the National Agreement, claims that the documents 'are clear about the relationship between teachers and support staff: it is characterised as one of leadership and management ' (2003, p. 148).…”