ERIC Number: EJ1259024
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1306-3030
EISSN: N/A
Effectively Utilising Teaching Assistants to Support Mathematics Learning: Some Insights from the Getting Ready in Numeracy (G.R.I.N.) Program
Kalogeropoulos, Penelope; Russo, James; Russo, Toby; Sullivan, Peter
International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education, v15 n3 Article em0595 2020
Teaching assistants are not always utilised effectively in mathematics classrooms. Moreover, there is limited research examining instructional models that might more meaningfully incorporate teaching assistants into the teaching and learning of mathematics. To address this gap in the literature, the current study explored three distinct teacher-tutor dyads involved in a particular intervention program, Getting Ready in Numeracy (G.R.I.N.), from a single Australian primary school. All three tutors currently operated as teaching assistants in the classrooms of their G.R.I.N. teacher counterparts. The professional working relationships between G.R.I.N. teachers and their respective tutors were investigated through interviews. We outline common themes between the different dyads' approaches to G.R.I.N., and argue that all three dyads' practices are consistent with principles outlined in the literature around the effective utilisation of teaching assistants. We conclude by synthesising our findings, and presenting an embedded tutor model for the G.R.I.N. program. This model is presented as a prototype of good practice in a context where G.R.I.N. has been implemented successfully, whilst also serving as a more general model for how teaching assistants can be meaningfully incorporated into mathematics intervention programs.
Descriptors: Numeracy, Program Effectiveness, Tutors, Intervention, Teacher Aides, Interprofessional Relationship, Learner Engagement, Elementary School Students, Children, Underachievement, Teacher Attitudes, Mathematics Teachers, Foreign Countries, Urban Schools, Professional Development, Classroom Techniques, Models, Inclusion
International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education. Suite 124, Challenge House 616 Mitcham Road, CR0 3AA, Croydon, London, UK. Tel: +44-208-936-7681; e-mail: iejme@iejme.com; Web site: https://www.iejme.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A