ERIC Number: EJ866015
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009-Oct
Pages: 26
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0141-1926
EISSN: N/A
The Effect of Support Staff on Pupil Engagement and Individual Attention
Blatchford, Peter; Bassett, Paul; Brown, Penelope; Webster, Rob
British Educational Research Journal, v35 n5 p661-686 Oct 2009
Despite an unprecedented increase in classroom-based support staff, there are confusing messages about their appropriate deployment and a lack of systematic evidence on their impact. This article addresses the deployment and impact on pupil engagement and individual attention of support staff, commonly known as teaching assistants (TAs), in terms of: (1) a comparison between TAs and teachers; (2) differences between pupils with and without special educational needs (SEN); and (3) differences between primary and secondary schools. Systematic observations of pupil behaviour in 49 primary and secondary schools showed that support staff presence resulted in increased individualisation of attention and overall teaching, easier classroom control, and that pupils showed more engagement and a more active role in interaction with adults. This supports teachers' positive view of support staff, but their presence also meant pupils' contact with teachers declined and at secondary level there was less individual and active interactions between teachers and pupils. (Contains 17 tables.)
Descriptors: Secondary Schools, Educational Needs, Inclusive Schools, Teaching Assistants, Learner Engagement, Special Needs Students, Elementary Schools, Teacher Student Relationship, Student Behavior, Foreign Countries, Program Effectiveness, Teacher Aides, Individual Instruction, Teaching Methods, Educational Strategies, Educational Practices, Classroom Techniques, Comparative Analysis, Instructional Effectiveness, Educational Policy
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A