Revealing the experiences and expectations of UK teaching assistants, now and for the future of their role – A participatory action research

Supervisors: Bee Hartwell, Rob Webster, and Beckett Markland.

Over the past 20 years, the number of teaching assistants (TAs) or classroom support staff in mainstream schools in the UK has increased signficantly (Department for Education, 2017; Hodgen et al., 2022). Yet, the ways in which TAs are deployed by schools vary considerably, and the critical contributions they make are often unrecognised and under-reported (Moss et al., 2021).

The increased demand for TAs and limited funding have prompted concerns among school leaders regarding the sustainability of current TA deployment practices and the need for urgent change (Webster & Blatchford, 2019).

This research used a Participatory Action Research framework, engaging in a collaborative exploration with mainstream teaching assistants over focus-group meetings, comprising 8 participants. Through active participation and shared perspectives, the research sought to empower TAs, granting them agency in advocating for their needs and utilising their insights to shape best practices and policies for the future

 The study involved an iterative data collection and analysis process, with participants actively contributing to identifying and constructing key themes aligned with their priorities.

By engaging and reporting the outcomes of these findings to stakeholders, the research aims to catalyse informed discussions and actions to enhance the experience and deployment of TAs within mainstream educational settings.

This collaborative research initiative serves as a stepping stone toward recognising and optimising the vital role played by teaching assistants in fostering inclusive and effective learning environments in mainstream schools.