Paint pot washers or pedagogues? Is gender an issue for teaching assistants?

Abstract

After teaching in mainstream primary schools for almost 18 years, Emma Clarke now teaches on a primary PGCE course. Her interests include research methodologies, approaches to managing behaviour, and challenging behaviour in primary schools. Her PhD thesis considered the tensions experienced by teaching assistants in mainstream primary schools when managing behaviour. She has presented her research nationally and internationally, as well as publishing both in books and peer-reviewed journals. This paper considers the evolution of the teaching assistant (TA) role in English primary schools, from the once pejorative description of them as paint pot washers to current conceptualisations of them as pedagogues. How the TA role has evolved and the issues associated with the changes to their deployment in mainstream primary schools will be discussed. Questions will be raised in relation to the type of research undertaken on TAs and whether the overwhelmingly female population of English TAs has influenced the studies conducted. The paper will conclude by sharing the methodology and findings from a recently conducted feminist research project investigating TAs' perceptions of their role.

Clarity of the Educational Assistant Role: A Look toward Policy and Practices

“…My ontological view explored authenticity in role value and equity in policy positioning for EAs. A membership made up of a large majority of women with lower income status is situated in a role that grows exponentially without the added compensation and valued voice to match evolving work realities [9]. Using ontological layering through a constructivist approach enabled me to take work knowledge and build meaning making, both subjective and objective [10].…”

“…While EAs provide frontline work with limited training, accountability is a deep concern. Families turn to policies as guides for children with a disability only to view a teacher educator as the primary voice, even though data finds that EAs make up one-third of the educational workforce [9]. There is growing evidence of exceptional student needs moving further away from classroom teacher support and learning toward work under an EA [27].…”

“…EAs reported feeling undervalued, leading to perceived and unfavorable relationships with teachers [22]. Instead, EAs have training and expertise as system-level educators with increased inclusive responsibility but maintained a marginalized voice in education [9]. Special education educators experience role inequalities and increased expectations of low pay levels, which stem from neoliberalism and marginalize this educational sector [8].…”

“…One aspect I have often considered is my pay scale for the growing direct support work I have undergone. I reflect now that I am one of many women in lower economic class roles who continue to maintain a policy that practices under a power imbalance [9]. Power imbalances have not only been observed from vast pay scale to work disparity but also through the absence of my system-level voice in IEP and IPRC areas specific to direct student work under the Ontario R.R.…”

Teaching assistants managing behaviour – who knows how they do it? Agency is the answer

“…Under a pragmatic research umbrella it is possible to combine several different approaches and methodologies (Caelli, Ray and Mill, ) and this pluralist perspective was able to limit some of the issues concomitant with discrete methodologies (Onwuegbuzie and Leech, ). In this research, pragmatism was used to connect the constructivist and feminist epistemological perspective with data collection techniques that enabled a focus on hearing and maintaining the participants’ voice, and their understanding of the tensions they experienced (for a more detailed consideration see: Clarke and Visser, ; Clarke, ).…”