The shifting role of the special needs assistant in Irish classrooms: a time for change?

Abstract

The education of pupils with special educational needs in Ireland has generally been influenced by national and international inclusion policy and legislation so that the majority of these children now take their place alongside peers in mainstream classrooms. In Ireland, a support network comprising the teacher and additional classroom assistance now characterises much inclusive school provision. Such support is often provided via learning support teachers, resource teachers and special needs assistants (SNAs), the latter group being the focus of this article. Whilst the professional credentials of this post have evolved in other jurisdictions, the position of the SNA in Ireland has remained largely unchanged, with a job specification that continues to emphasise its caring, nonteaching nature. This article will consider the juxtaposition of the statutory functions of SNAs with their reported role(s) in Irish classrooms. Using quantitative and qualitative data, it will explore the professional profile of the SNA, identify current perceptions on the nature of this post and consider its collaborative potential within an inclusive education system.

Teaching Assistants in Inclusive Classrooms: A Systematic Analysis of the International Research

“…The results of research also suggest that the TAs are performing significant pedagogical, assessment, socialization and behavioural roles (Carter et al, 2008;Groom & Rose, 2006;Healy, 2011;Howard & Ford, 2007;Keating & O'Connor, 2012;Liston et al, 2009;Wasburn-Moses et al, 2013;, and making important decisions about the educational programs of students with disabilities (Cameron, 2014;Liston et al, 2009). For instance, Giangreco and Broer (2005) found that the majority of TAs surveyed reported that they make teaching and curricular decisions without consulting teachers.…”

“…Brown and Stanton-Chapman (2014) found that the roles of TAs vary based on the setting, motivation of the TAs, and the receptivity of the teachers. The roles performed by TAs also appear to be affected by teachers and TAs having differing views of the roles of TAs in inclusive classrooms (Keating & O'Connor, 2012), with TAs viewing their primary roles as providing academic support to students with disabilities and teachers identifying the primary roles of TAs as aiding teachers in delivering instruction and managing student behaviour (Butt & Lowe, 2012). Appl (2006) concluded that age as well as experiential and philosophical differences are factors that impact the relationships between beginning teachers and TAs.…”

“…Teaching assistants (TAs), also referred to as paraprofessionals, teacher aides, and paraeducators are increasingly being employed to support the inclusion of students with disabilities into general education classrooms in many developed countries throughout the world (Butt, 2016;Douglas, Chapin, & Nolan, 2016;Egilson & Traustadottir, 2009;Keating & O'Connor, 2012;Radford, Bosanquet, Webster, & Blatchford, 2015). With the goal of providing teachers with more opportunities to interact with students with disabilities and to collaborate with other professionals (Giangreco, 2013), TAs perform a range of non-instructional roles (Harris & Aprile, 2015) and appropriately trained and supervised TAs may deliver complementary instructional services designed to supplement rather than replace the instruction provided by teachers (Giangreco, 2013;Salend, 2016).…”

Teacher Assistant in the Inclusive School Environment

“…Teachers and assistants have mentioned difficulties at the beginning of cooperation associated with a lack of teachers' experience in the environment of secondary schools and insufficient communication between teachers and assistants (Bartoňová & Pipeková, 2008;Giangreco & Doyle, 2007;Keating & O'Connor, 2012;Kratochvílová, 2013;Němec & Štěpařová, 2008;Webster et al, 2010).…”

“…Keating and O'Connor (2012) found that almost 50% of the assistants and cooperating teachers in Ireland did not have any dedicated time for simultaneous lesson planning in their timetable and that more than 60% of assistants are not invited to teacher meetings or similar teachers' meeting.…”