Implications For Maximising Pupil Learning Education Essay

Implications For Maximising instill baby Learning Education EssayAdults bit an master(prenominal) reference in tenseing and enhancing tiddlerrens learnedness. Research has sh take in that adult involvement, from both p atomic number 18nts and instructors, is a key factor in improving youngsterrens academic attainment as well as their doings towards accomplishment (Desforges Abouchaar, 2003). The p atomic number 18nts atomic number 18 the prime educators for a churl until they reach the proterozoic years setting where instructors then begin to egress on the main(prenominal)(prenominal) portion of article of faith. It is fix from seek that both instructors and p arnts make important utilizations to play in the education of a child (Desforges Abouchaar, 2003 and Department for Children, Schools and Families, 2008).Although interrogation has sh invite that instructors and p atomic number 18nts will an impact on childrens education what is less disentang le is the impact that some opposite buildroom found staff and in particular didactics admission feeorys have on their acquirement. Since 1997 the subprogram of statement accomplices present in signifierrooms in the UK has trebled (Blatchford et al, 2012) and the number of principle suspensors has been steadily rising since the introduction of the SEN Code of Practice in 1994 which leased special entertain staff to assist with SEN children accessing mainstream checks (Blatchford et al, 2011). In 1998 the case Literacy Strategy (NLS) was introduced and a year later the National Numeracy Strategy (NNS) was launched. These drives mixed signifi kittyt input from inform benefactors and led to an increase in their responsibilities. Reports from Ofsted call for that statement appurtenants continue to play an important and in force(p) enjoyment in the daily mathematics lessons and the literacy hour (Ofsted, 2003, pg.4). This, on that pointfore, highlights their va lue and in force(p)ness in portraying instruction in schools. The introduction of the National Workforce Agreement (NWA), raising standards and tackling instructor defecateload, (Department for Education and Skills, 2003a) withal aimed to raise standards and tackle the workload of teachers by change magnitude the number of article of faith associates in schools.This rapid increase in tenet assistant numbers in schools has been a ca r surfaceine of concern and research into the impact of doctrine assistants on childrens reading has begun to become to a greater extent evident. to the highest degree recently, the findings of the Deployment and Impact of Support Staff (DISS) project has raised concerns about the deployment of doctrine assistants, their impact on childrens larn and has highlighted the engage for further research (Blatchford et al, 2009a). The main assumption was that the increase in pedagogy assistant numbers would be beneficial to maximizing savant development (Brown Harris, 2010 Blatchford et al, 2007). However, on that point is currently fine systematic evidence availcap equal to(p) to confirm whether breeding assistants have a positive impact on learner outcomes (Blatchford et al, 2011 and Alborz et al, 2009 and Rubie-Davies et al, 2010).The change magnitude and changing business office of get upion method assistants in classrooms is of importance as they have both a direct and indirect impact on childrens culture. This hear volition boil down on the theatrical role of breeding assistants and their impact on pupil education. Firstly, this essay will define and round the role of the doctrine assistant and what is meant by effective acquirement. It will then go on to critically review the current research on the impact of educational activity assistants on singles, the class as a whole and whether they ar maximising or retentivity back pupil study and progress.The fictitious character of the bree ding AssistantIt is discernible that in that respect is confusion as to what the role of the tenet assistant is and in that location is still a escape of clarity and consensus as to how they should be utilized in schools (Blatchford et al, 2012 and Butt Lance, 2009). breeding assistants have been prompted to take on often whiles teaching roles in recent years and the publication of the Excellence and use document in 2003 has encouraged the use of teaching assistants in teaching whole classes, which has added to the confusion of the role (Department for Education and Skills, 2003b). The Department for Education and employ (DfEE) guide suggests that teaching assistants have four-spot areas of work in financial backing the school, the curriculum, the teacher and the pupil (DfEE, 2000). In 2001 the Secretary of State alike suggested that the work of teaching assistants should include supervising classes, and functional with venial groups (HMI, 2002). In school X the def inition of the role of the teaching assistant was defined as cosmos to work alongside teachers in the classroom and help pupils with their acquirement on an individual or group basis (School X map of the Teaching Assistant). The role of the teaching assistant has all the way moved from playacting as a classroom helper to a direct role in admiting teaching and acquire in the classroom (Vincett et al, 2005 Groom, 2006). The lack of coordination and training for teaching assistants was transformed in the DfES (2004) document which announced plans for vocational qualifications and introduced training for the high level teaching assistant (HLTA)(Vincett et al, 2005). The HLTA responsibilities in school X were to plan and deliver education activities under the direction of a teacher and assess, record and report on pupils progress (School X Role of the Higher Level Teaching Assistant). The range of responsibilities and the lack of clarity of what is concern in these several(pr edicate) roles can create confusion. Teaching assistants work in a variety of roles in the classroom working directly with small groups, individuals and in some cases winning interpolation programmes. The role of the teaching assistant and how they impact on the pupil ranges from school to school and although much of the research accessible suggests that teaching assistants are in fact hindering pupil progress at that place is some evidence that they are assisting and maximising pupil learning (Brown Harris, 2010). This essay will focus solely on the role of the teaching assistant and whether their figurehead maximises pupil learning.There are a variety of disparate terms employ to appoint staff that are in paid employment and assist in tide overing the teacher these include learning victuals assistant, paraprofessional, teaching assistant, and classroom support assistant. The DfEE states that teaching assistant is the favorite(a) generic term (DfEE, 2000, p.3) and this essay will use the term teaching assistant to refer to all staff that support the class teacher.Effective LearningLearning is a complex and ever-changing term as there are a number of different learning styles and theories about how we learn (Arthur Cremin, 2010). Learning is individual to every individual and the consensus seems to be that it occurs when we assimilate knowledge through our experiences in life (Arthur Cremin, 2010 and Pritchard, 2009). The learning process does non inevitably take place in the classroom environment and it is a continuous process throughout our lives (Pritchard, 2009). Research suggests that every whiz has a preferred learning style and this is the way in which we are subject to learn to the highest degree effectively (Pritchard, 2009). Therefore, for learning to be effective it need to be presented in a number of different learning styles so that each individual has the opportunity to learn using their own preferred learning style.Provisi on to a fault inevitably to be make for the manduction of ideas and concepts by the use of tittle-tattle which is vital if effective learning is to take place (Arthur Cremin, 2010).In terms of learning, the three main things which were found to twist pupil progress were teaching skills, professional characteristics and the classroom climate (Haymcber, 2000). For learning to be effective in the classroom children need the opportunity in all of these areas to learn using their preferred learning style so teachers must be aware of the children in their class and use a range of strategies to promote effective learning. Essentially, effective learning can be defined in the context of this essay as being the most efficient way of concepts and knowledge being assimilated by the child.Reducing instructor WorkloadsThe primary expectation of the NWA was that the increase in teaching assistant numbers would release teachers from their clerical tasks so that they could focus on teaching a nd increasing standards (Blatchford et al, 2012). Butt Lance (2009) found that teachers agreed that their workloads had been reduced by 79% in 2009 due to the increase of teaching assistants who took over many of the clerical day to day tasks. Teachers were also found to consistently describe teaching assistants as having a positive effect on their job happiness (Webster et al, 2010). In school X the class teacher in course of study 5 routinely commented on the benefits of having a teaching assistant in the classroom. She also described the teaching assistant as being value her weight in gold. This was due to the amount of clerical work that the teaching assistant took away from the teachers role allowing her to do much teaching. This indicates that teachers are, accordingly, able to support much(prenominal) succession on effective teaching and planning for different learning styles which in turn maximises pupil learning. However, opposite research has non found this to be the case (HMI, 2002). HMI (2002) found that teachers workloads had rattling change magnitude as a result of having the responsibility for planning for the teaching assistant and managing them. In school X the teaching assistant in Year 6 was responsible for noning evidence of childrens emit for assessing pupil progress (APP) during the lesson. Although this allowed the teacher to a greater extent freedom to focus his energies on teaching and planning for the lesson he also had to plan in supernumerary term to meet with the teaching assistant so that they could discuss the progress and next steps for specific children. In this instance although the teaching assistant was meant to be freeing up time for the teacher by taking away some of the clerical tasks the teacher was, in fact, having to create extra time to review and reflect with the teaching assistant. Therefore, this seems to go against the NWAs aim to reduce teachers workloads.The Presence of Teaching Assistants in t he classroomThere is also research available that indicates that the presence of a teaching assistant in the classroom has a positive impact on pupil learning as they become much focused and there is a general reduction in the amount of teacher talk dealing with negative demeanor (Brown Harris, 2010 and Blatchford et al, 2009a and Bassett et al, 2011 and Webster et al, 2010). Blatchford et al (2007) found that much(prenominal) upkeep was paid to the teacher when a teaching assistant was present in the classroom. This in turn led to more individualised attention from the teacher when the teaching assistant was present and more on task behaviour. Although non directly related to maximising pupil learning it does suggest that when a teaching assistant is present in the classroom there is more on task behaviour which in turn leads to a go against learning environment (Blatchford et al, 2007). In school X the class teacher felt that the role of the teaching assistant was primari ly to deal with the behaviour of the most challenging pupils so that she could teach the rest of the class. In this scenario the teaching assistant was maximising learning for the rest of the class by allowing the teacher to continue teaching without any disruptions to the lesson. However, this is plainly 1 example of how teaching assistants are utilised in class and not all schools would necessarily use their teaching assistant in this way. Brown Harris (2010) also support the idea that teaching assistants increase attainment levels as they found a positive correlation mingled with the increase in teaching assistants in schools and rising attainment levels. However, the study primarily looked at the relationship in the midst of expenditure on staff and changes in attainment without considering other orthogonal factors which may have influenced the results (Brown Harris, 2010). In contrast, Finn et al (2000) and Reynolds Muijs (2003) both reported that there was no effect on pupil learning when a teaching assistant was present in the classroom. It could be argued that although the presence of the teaching financial aid has an impact on the learning environment how they are deployed and utilised in the lesson is what really impacts on maximising pupil learning.The Individual ChildAlthough not always the case, teaching assistants are generally allocated to a particular individual on a one and only(a) to one basis if they have SEN or behavioural issues (Webster et al, 2010). An overview of the literature by Farrell et al, (2010) suggests that teaching assistants can have a positive impact in raising academic givement of groups of pupils with learning ambitiousies pull up stakesd that they are deployed and trained effectively. Alborz et al, (2009) and Blatchford et al, (2009a) both support the suggestion that teaching assistants are essential for the integration of SEN pupils within mainstream schools. Alborz et al, (2009) found that out of the 14 st udies four showed that teaching assistants have a positive impact on SEN in maintaining their admitment and supporting them with communicating with peers. This links into Maslows hierarchy of of necessity as the teaching assistant may be providing the child with the emotional support such as raising the childs confidence and self esteem. The teaching assistant wherefore plays a vital role in the childs development as the child can only move onto the next stage of higher order learning once the other stages have been met (Maslow, 1943). In addition, Woolfson Truswell (2005) assessed the changes in attitudes of pupils rather than solely looking at attainment levels in a small scale sample and found that the teaching assistants enhanced the caliber of learning experiences and had a positive impact on the personal and fond development of the children. This can be explained partly by Maslows hierarchy of needs as the child is receiving the emotional support that they require to move on to higher order levels. Some children may find working in larger groups or speaking out in front of others rugged and the teaching assistant can help to support and encourage them to assume in the lesson. This, therefore, allows the child to access the lessons and in turn encourage their learning by becoming more confident in their own ideas. Teaching assistants also provide increased attention and promote a more active role in the fundamental interaction of questioning by the teacher. The teaching assistant can also increase whole class designation during lessons and maximise the learning outcome of the lesson. In this way the teaching assistant is assisting in the scaffolding of the learning by providing a more intentional other that the child can interact with (Bruner, 1986). This extended interaction between an adult and the pupil also provides an enhanced opportunity for learning. As Vygotsky says, what the child is able to do in collaboration today he will be able to do independently tomorrow (Vygotsky, 1978, p.211). This supports the notion that by being supported by the teaching assistant and having the extended interaction they will be able to develop their learning so that last they will be able to carry out the task unaided.In contrast to this, Alborz et al, (2009) suggest that in some cases there was too much reliance on the teaching assistant and this undermined the opportunity for self determination. frequently of the research available indicates a negative trend for those children that receive extra support compared to similar children who had less support (Blatchford et al, 2011 Giangreco Broer 2007 Giangreco et al, 2005). In this case it is difficult to determine what similar means especially as research has shown that everyone has a different learning style. Therefore, the research may have been comparing children who actually had different learning styles which may explain the trend. In other studies children who had one to one s upport were found to be over reliant on their teaching assistant for support and assist with their work (Giangreco Broer, 2007 Giangreco et al, 2005). Vincett et al, (2005) went on to describe the relationship between the teaching assistant and the child as secure syndrome (Vincett et al, 2005, pg.5). The presence of the teaching assistant on a one to one basis may, lead to less effective learning as the presence of the teaching assistant reinforces to the child that they are different and are in need of additional support. Instead of maximising pupil learning it appears that working on a one to one basis reinforces to the child that they are only able to work at this one level. The lack of pupil progress can be explained by Bruners theory of scaffolding which is based on Vygotskys premise that learning is socially constructed (Vygotsky, 1978). The scaffolding process refers to the assistance of support that enables a child to complete a task which they are unable to manage by t hemselves (Bruner, 1986). It is important that the teaching assistant who is assisting the child in carrying out the task removes the support so that the child can function independently. It could be argued that although teaching assistants are providing the necessary scaffolding for the child to complete the work they are unlikely to remove the support and allow the child to become independent as they are more concern with the quantity of work that is produced rather than the process of learning. In some cases and especially in school X the teaching assistants were more focused on the quantity of work that was correct rather than the learning and thinking skills that were taking place. During a maths lesson on mental subtraction strategies the teaching assistant advised a group of children to use the written method so that they could get through the work quick. In this case the teaching assistant, although arduous to be helpful, undermined the learning that the teacher was tryi ng to promote. In this example the teaching assistant did not effectively maximise pupil learning simply instead created a barrier to their learning by providing them with a quicker solution rather than scaffolding their learning.When children are working on a one to one basis with the teaching assistant there is also less contact time between the teacher and the child. The child working on a one to one basis is therefore lacking(p) out on important interactions with the teacher. Blatchford et al, (2009b) found that the amount of contact time with the teacher declined when teaching assistants were present. This may hinder academic progress as they are not getting the teacher talk which is very important in learning. However, those children that are assigned a teaching assistant are generally more in need of assistance than those who are not assigned one and this may explain why even with support they are not progressing as well. In addition, Fraser Meadows (2008) found that child ren view the role of a teaching assistant as useful and important to their learning because they help them with their work and are able to explain things more clearly to them. Fraser Meadows (2008) also found that those children who did not work directly with the teaching assistant found that the teaching assistant improved the teaching in the classroom as it freed up the teacher to do more teaching with other groups. In a sense teaching assistants are maximising the learning for the other children in the class by allowing the teacher to focus more attention on the rest of the class.Webster et al, (2011) put forward the wider pedagogical role model to interpret results of teaching assistants and their impact on pupil progress. Teaching assistants can by chance separate the pupil from the teacher and although they receive interactions from the teaching assistant they are not always of the same quality as that of the teacher (Webster et al, 2011). In the study by Webster et al, (2011 ) teachers were found to open up talking situations and to provide an environment which allowed questioning whereas teaching assistants more commonly closed down talk. This is of great concern as Wilkinson Silliman (2000) point out To a great extent the language used by teachers and pupils in the classrooms determines what is learned and how learning takes place. (Wilkinson Silliman, 2000, pg.37) Teaching assistants are not as highly trained as teachers in the pedagogy of talk and these interactions and the quality of talk that children receive is very important in maximising learning. Although there are clear benefits of assigning children to a teaching assistant so that they are able to access the curriculum, the support can sometimes be restrictive. It is clear that teaching assistants should be carefully considered when working on a one to one basis with a child and be well trained and deployed so that they can maximise the childs learning effectively and not unintentionally restrict their learning.Pedagogical RoleResearch has shown that teaching assistants are outgo an increased amount of time in a direct pedagogical role with children in the classroom (Blatchford et al, 2011 and Blatchford et al, 2009a and Blatchford et al, 2009b and Butt Lance, 2009). Rubie-Davies et al, (2010) reviewed the nature of talk between teaching assistants and children and compared it with the nature of talk between teachers and children. The analysis was general and only included a small sample but it did show that there were some similarities in the type of talk experienced by children. However, it also showed there were some major differences in the type of talk. While teachers spent time explaining concepts and questioning children, teaching assistants tended to provide the pupils with the answers and in some cases completed the work for them (Rubie-Davies et al, 2010). In this case teaching assistants are not allowing the child to maximise their learning by building up their own thinking. The research also indicates that that the dialogue between the teaching assistant and the pupil is more concerned with the communication of knowledge rather than allowing pupils to come up with their own thinking (Rubie-Davies et al, 2010). This dialogue does not allow the sharing and development of ideas which children require so that they can build their own personally constructed ideas. Teachers on the other hand tended to engage in more dialogic teaching which allows the pupil to engage in thinking (Rubie-Davies et al, 2010). Alexander (2008) has clearly stated that talk is arguably the true foundation of learning. (Alexander, 2008, pg.9) If this is the case then it is clear that teaching assistants need to be better trained in effective talk so that they are promoting learning through discussion of new ideas rather than finish down talk. During a scientific discipline lesson in school X the teacher used higher order questioning to engage the children i n dialogic talk. The teacher also scaffolded the talk but as the children began to come up with their own concepts and ideas he took on a more passive role in the talk. This links in with Bruners concept of scaffolding as understanding and learning can only be attained with the guidance of a more knowledgeable other, which in this case was the teacher (Bruner, 1986). On the other hand, the teaching assistant was more concerned with correcting the childrens misconceptions and gave them the answer to the question rather than permit them talk to each other and to eventually construct their own thinking. separate WorkTeaching assistants that work with small groups allow the teacher to provide differentiated and targeted learning support in the classroom. This therefore allows all the children to maximise their learning as every group is being encouraged to achieve their potential. In many cases teaching assistants are generally found to be placed with the lower ability groups and these children spend less time being taught by a qualified teacher (Ofsted, 2010). A report by HMI (2002) stated its concern over the very common problem that the least(prenominal) qualified people are often working with the most demanding pupils and that teaching assistants are rarely used to support and challenge the higher attaining pupils. At school X the higher ability and middle ability groups worked periodically with a teaching assistant who had excellent survey knowledge in maths to extend their learning. The teaching assistant was therefore, maximising pupil learning by extending their knowledge further than the teacher was able to provide. When teaching assistants are well trained and are effectively deployed they seem to be effective in raising standards. incumbrance StrategiesIntervention strategies are frequently used in schools to assist children in attaining better attainment levels in the nucleus subjects of English and Maths. These intervention strategies are most com monly run by teaching assistants. The Ofsted (2010) report indicates that teaching assistants who were well deployed and trained properly made a difference to pupil learning when they provided intervention programmes. Alborz et al, (2009) also agrees that teaching assistants make a positive contribution to maximising pupil learning in learning literacy and language. However, these surveys were of a small scale and are therefore not a fair representation of all teaching assistants. Intervention programmes are generally run during other foundation subjects and the children are therefore missing out on other areas of the curriculum so although the intervention programme may maximise their learning in that particular subject it actually prevents them from accessing other areas of the curriculum. At school X the children were removed from cognizance to do their intervention programme for literacy. Despite the children getting better APP levels in literacy as a result of the intervention programme their APP levels in skill dropped and this was most likely due to the fact that they were missing the majority of the science lessons for the literacy intervention programme. However, although their APP levels increased in literacy it could be argued that this was down to the teacher make sure that what was learnt during the intervention was then unifyd in the lesson to maximise the learning rather than solely the intervention run by the teaching assistant. The abstract framework model (Todd Powell, 2004) can also be used to stretch forth on this idea as the child does not have access to the whole curriculum and therefore does not have all the elements available to enhance their behaviour to learn. Without these in place the chid is therefore not able to maximise their learning. Intervention programmes are clearly important for those children who require additional support in English and Maths, as without them the children would not reach evaluate levels. Removing the children from the class for the intervention programme also means that the teaching in the class can focus on the ability range and deliver effective learning. In turn this maximises learning for the children in the class as the intervention programme reduces the class size, therefore creating an alternative to reducing class size (Reynolds Muijs, 2003). The smaller class allows the teacher to focus the teaching at the ability level in the class and therefore gives the children more direct and focused learning.It is clear that the most effective intervention strategies do not see intervention in isolation from the lesson but look to consolidate and develop what has been learnt in the intervention into the classroom (Ofsted, 2010). When teaching assistants are effectively prepared and deployed they are able to offer effective learning opportunities in intervention programmes.ConclusionsCurrent research on the role of teaching assistants and pupil learning suggests that the prese nce of teaching assistants does not improve pupil learning. (Blatchford et al, 2007) However, Blatchford et al, (2007) deter that we should be careful not to suppose that teaching assistants do not have a role to play in pupil learning as it is not always easy to assess the subtle impacts on learning and the attitudes to learning that result from the teaching assistant being present.When teachers and teaching assistants work in partnership they are able to create an effective learning environment for children. It is important that with the changing role of teaching assistants to a direct pedagogical role that they are trained and deployed effectively so that they can successfully contribute to maximising pupil learning. It is evident that more research is needed in this field especially due to the increased number of teaching assistants present in classrooms. There also needs to be a more clearly defined boundaries between the role of the teaching assistant and the teacher as these boundaries are becoming more blurred (Butt Lance, 2009). In addition, teaching assistants and teachers need more non contact time to plan and reflect on lessons together so that they are able to clearly define and clarify the roles and responsibilities during the lesson (Butt Lance, 2009). It is also important to have the verbal expression as to what strategies are working in providing maximum learning and whether there are other strategies which may be more efficient.Finally, research and reviews have shown that the increase in teaching assistants needs to be carefully managed so that they can successfully fulfil their role and provide excellent learning opportunities for children. When teaching assistants are prepared and deployed effectively they are able to extend and develop childrens learning. However, whether they effectively maximise pupil learning is an ongoing debate. What is clear from the research is that teaching assistants are taking on a more pedagogical role and if they are to be effective in maximising pupil learning they need to be well trained in the pedagogy of teaching.Word count 4692