Where next for research on teaching assistants:The case for an international response

In this paper, the guest editors consider the direction of research on teaching assistants (TAs), and how academics can elevate the field within the spheres of education and the social sciences. We begin by unpicking, and endorsing, Giangreco’s idea of applying the ‘Maslow’s Hammer test’ (expressed in this special issue) to manuscripts about studies of TAs and inclusion to journal editorship and peer review processes. The purpose of the test is to address the disproportionate attention paid by researchers to a set of narrow and recurring interests, and to open up new lines of inquiry and discussions about the innovative methodological approaches required to operationalise them. Secondly, we describe a persistent and urgent research gap: the shortage of international data on TAs. Given the pre-eminence of TA deployment as a means to facilitate access to and participation in mainstream education for pupils with special educational needs, we argue that the continued lack of large-scale data on TAs’ characteristics, experiences, practices and impact poses a risk to advancing the global inclusion agenda. Finally, we make a call for expressions of interest in establishing an international research network to help expand, empower and raise the esteem the field of scholarship on TAs

Students’ voices about the extra educational support they receive in regular education

There has been an increased focus on listening to students’ voices in inclusive education in the last decade. To ensure the right of students to be heard and educational needs can be met in the Dutch education system, we set up a qualitative study to gain more insight into: 1) the problems that students experience at school, 2) how and from whom they can receive support for their problems, 3) how students evaluate the received extra educational support and 4) how they evaluate its impact. We interviewed 72 students who were assessed for learning problems or social-emotional and/or behavioural problems in secondary education (n = 33) or vocational education (n = 39). The interviews focused on both learning problems and social participation problems. The results show that students do not only experience learning problems or social-emotional and/or behavioural problems, but other problems too, such as concentration and motivation problems. A considerable number of students also experience social participation problems. Students mainly receive individual or group support, which is given outside the classroom. In general, students are positive about the received support, due to the extra time, attention and opportunity to discuss problems that this gives them

Strategies of teachers in the regular classroom

It is known that regular schoolteachers have difficulties in educating students with social, emotional and behavioral difficulties (SEBD), mainly because of their disruptive behavior. In order to manage the disruptive behavior of students with SEBD many advices and strategies are provided in educational literature. However, very little is known about teachers′ strategies in daily practice to enhance the social participation of these students. The current study aims at revealing what teachers do to improve the social participation of students with SEBD in regular class via expert panel meetings. The data from the expert panels were half-open coded with two codebooks. The results indicate that teachers use many different strategies. However, not all strategies were directly aimed at improving the social participation. Teachers also aimed at preconditions like parental contact