Primary Initial Teacher Trainees' Perceptions of and Perspectives on the Role of the Teaching Assistant in English Primary Contexts

Autor/in	Benstead, Helen
Titel	Primary Initial Teacher Trainees' Perceptions of and Perspectives on the Role of the Teaching Assistant in English Primary Contexts
Quelle	In: Support for Learning, 36 (2021) 4, S.630-649 (20 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Benstead, Helen)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0268-2141
DOI	10.1111/1467-9604.12384
Schlagwörter	Preservice Teacher Education; Preservice Teachers; Elementary Education; Role Perception; Responsibility; Teacher Aides; Mainstreaming; Mental Health; Student Needs; Interprofessional Relationship; Foreign Countries; United Kingdom (Cambridge) + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Lehramtsstudiengang; Lehrerausbildung; Elementarunterricht; Role conception; Rollenverständnis; Verantwortungsübernahme; Zuständigkeit; Handreichung; Lehrerhilfe; Psychohygiene; Ausland
Abstract	This article focuses on exploring initial teacher trainees' experiences and perspectives on the role of the teaching assistant (TA) in mainstream primary contexts. A backdrop of shrinking school budgets coupled with a 'mainstream for all' political agenda is contributing to growing uncertainty about the role of TAs in education. This article presents the results of a small-scale empirical study, involving 75 initial teacher trainees at the University of Cambridge. Trainees' perspectives regarding the roles/responsibilities that TAs have been seen to undertake and perceptions regarding the impact of the TAs they worked with were ascertained, with the aim of exploring how well current ITT content prepares students for an effective teacher/TA working relationship. Concept modelling was used as an analysis tool, to present visual representations of these perceptions. Trainees emphasised the administrative, pedagogical and pastoral roles that TAs were perceived to undertake and specifically highlighted the perceived ability of TAs to support students displaying needs relating to social, emotional and mental health. The findings highlight that the vague nature of current ITT content in relation to the role of TAs continues to serve as a barrier to students building coherent and consistent understandings of the successful deployment of TAs in English primary contexts. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01