‘They call me wonder woman’: the job jurisdictions and work‐related learning of higher level teaching assistants

Hancock, Roger; Hall, Thelma; Cable, Carrie; Eyres, Ian

doi:10.1080/0305764x.2010.481382

Cited by 16 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…On the other hand, the increase served the purpose of restructuring the way teachers work through the remodelling and modernisation of the school workforce. This remodelling agenda redefined job jurisdiction between teachers and their assistants by creating professional overlap between similar roles, such as taking full classes and planning for lessons (Hancock et al 2010).…”

Section: Classroom Support and Inclusion In Englandmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In England, for example, the deployment of TAs and higher level teaching assistants (HLTAs), the latter having gained a status enabling them to plan lessons and take whole classes, is complicated by the still unresolved debate on the limits and appropriateness of how to identify SEN (Florian et al 2006;Department for Education [DfE] 2011;Ofsted 2010Ofsted , 2011; the fairness with which financial, material, intellectual and human resources are made available and distributed (Wiebe-Berry 2008); the limitations and/or purpose of deploying additional adults (Blatchford et al 2009a;Farrell et al 2010;Webster et al 2010); and the fairness of their deployment, employment and training opportunities (Cajkler et al 2007;Devecchi and Rouse 2010;Farrell, Balshaw, and Polat 1999;Hancock, Cable, and Eyres 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

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Inclusive classrooms in Italy and England: the role of support teachers and teaching assistants

Devecchi

Dettori

Doveston

et al. 2012

European Journal of Special Needs Education

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Various models of providing for the inclusion of children with disabilities and special needs exist in different European countries. Central to all these models is the notion that support for children and teachers is pivotal in ensuring effective inclusion. This article draws from three qualitative studies on the role, employment and deployment of support teachers in Italy and teaching assistants in England to examine similarities and differences between the two models of provision. The analysis of questionnaires and interviews show that, despite differences in relation to professional qualifications and responsibilities, both support teachers and TAs carry out similar supportive roles, but also share similar feelings of marginalisation, isolation and professional dissatisfaction. The paper raises questions about the effectiveness of providing support from additional adults when such adults are not fully included in the life of the school.

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Section: Classroom Support and Inclusion In Englandmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Inclusive classrooms in Italy and England: the role of support teachers and teaching assistants

Devecchi

Dettori

Doveston

et al. 2012

European Journal of Special Needs Education

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In its document, ‘Working with teaching assistants: a good practice guide’, which is intended to inform school professionals, the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) define TAs' role as fourfold, involving ‘supporting pupils, teachers, the school and the curriculum’ (DfES, 2003b, p. 8). However, many researchers have found that the tasks required to be undertaken by TAs in meeting the four components of their role are too numerous to be completed within the constraints of the school day (Devecchi and Rouse, ; Gerschel, ; Hancock, Hall and Cable et al., ). The recent Deployment and Impact of Support Staff (DISS) project (Blatchford et al., ) identified six categories of TA tasks in schools: Support for teachers and/or the curriculum Direct learning support for pupils Direct pastoral support for pupils Indirect support for pupils Support for the school (administrative/communicative) Support for the school (physical environment) (p. 76). …”

Section: Tas – a Complex And Shifting Rolementioning

confidence: 99%

“…As Black‐Hawkins () explains: ‘the inclusion of a child in a school has little meaning unless s/he also experiences achievement, and that child is unlikely to achieve unless s/he are included.’ (p. 27). If TAs' impact on pupils' learning is to be fully understood, TAs' influence on the process of social inclusion requires investigation (Hancock et al., ).…”

Section: The Influence Of Tas On Pupils' Learningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Researching the influence of teaching assistants on the learning of pupils identified with special educational needs in mainstream primary schools: exploring social inclusion

Saddler

2013

Research in Spec Educ Needs

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As a result of their high contact time with children, particularly children identified with special educational needs, it is widely acknowledged that teaching assistants (TAs) have great influence on pupils' education (Balshaw). However, recent research into the impact of TAs on pupils' learning has questioned TAs' usefulness in improving pupils' learning (Blatchford, Bassett and Brown; Higgins). This paper argues that TAs' influence on pupils' education has not yet been researched effectively. Previous research has primarily focused on determining TAs' influence on pupils' achievement in terms of academic outcomes and has neglected to explore social outcomes. Two interconnected literature bases are reviewed in this paper; the current research exploring TAs' role and influence on pupils' learning is first explored, followed by a critical discussion of the literature regarding the process of social inclusion in mainstream primary schools. This paper concludes that for TAs' influence on pupils' learning to be effectively researched, TAs' influence on the process of social inclusion must be researched within mainstream primary schools.

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“…Nevertheless, findings confirm a potential for messiness of identity construction through ‘fuzzy occupational boundaries’ (Hancock et al . , p. 108). However, at Knightcote this does not appear to dilute any degree of professionalism.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

From LSA to teacher: the value of classroom experience in shaping a ‘teacher’ identity

Martin¹

2020

Support for Learning

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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.

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‘They call me wonder woman’: the job jurisdictions and work‐related learning of higher level teaching assistants

Cited by 16 publications

References 16 publications

Inclusive classrooms in Italy and England: the role of support teachers and teaching assistants

Inclusive classrooms in Italy and England: the role of support teachers and teaching assistants

Researching the influence of teaching assistants on the learning of pupils identified with special educational needs in mainstream primary schools: exploring social inclusion

From LSA to teacher: the value of classroom experience in shaping a ‘teacher’ identity

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