The current study was conducted to examine the types of adjustments used to support students with special educational needs in mainstream classrooms and how schools monitored the effectiveness of the adjustments they use. A range of stakeholders were interviewed in 22 mainstream schools across New South Wales, Australia, and the interviews were…

The use of teaching assistants (TAs) is widespread in many education systems, but the ways that TAs can support learning effectively are poorly understood. Much evidence indicates that most TA support has no, or negative, effects on pupil attainment. A small but growing body of evidence shows that structured TA intervention programmes can be…

Many adults work with children in schools to provide support in a variety of forms. This study aimed to explore perceptions of the role of classroom assistants in supporting children's learning in the primary classroom. Aligning with an interpretivist paradigm, a case study approach was used to explore the deployment of classroom assistants in one…

Given the challenges faced in enacting curricular expectations of developing intercultural communicative competence through the teaching of languages, this study reports on a language and culture assistants (LACs) programme that may offer a viable pathway for foreign language programmes around the world. We examine how local non-native speaker…

International discussion on inclusive education has managed to identify various contextual, process and individual factors having an impact on implementation. In addition, learning and support assistants (LSAs) have been found to be a key element in enhancing participation and learning for all students in inclusive schools. The present…

This qualitative study looked at the experience of teachers, past and present, who have taught Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students at an inclusive school on an island nation. The researcher explored the perceived ability of the teachers to support these students in learning social and emotional skills. Additionally, the study included the…

Internationally, support staff with limited teacher training (Teaching Assistants [TA]) are hired to support the mainstream education of children with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND). Meanwhile, teachers instruct the whole class. Although TAs might help children with significant difficulties participating in the classwork…

Paraeducators are critically important members of school communities, but there is little statewide research on the characteristics of paraeducators. We therefore use over 25 years of longitudinal data from Washington state to provide a descriptive portrait of the paraeducator workforce. Paraeducators are more racially and ethnically diverse than…

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a professional development (PD) program on preschool teacher assistants' (TAs) attitudes toward multilingualism and self-efficacy in working with linguistically and culturally diverse children (LCDC) and their parents. The study was conducted in a northern peripheral city in Israel that reflects…

Educational paraprofessionals have had an increased presence in English state schools since the first decade of the 21st century, but research has been limited in terms of who undertakes paraprofessional roles, what they entail and how such work is perceived by others. This paper compares one such paraprofessional role, the learning mentor, with…

Recent research documents the positive impact that paraprofessionals have on student learning. Given these strengths, states and districts across the country have developed programs to attract and prepare paraprofessionals to become certified teachers. Despite increased interest in expanding pathways for the paraeducator workforce, research has…

Many studies have investigated the inadequacy of training and support for special education paraeducators, but few have examined prehire activities or recommended a comprehensive plan to train and hire paraeducators. This quantitative action research study of 267 special education paraeducators and special education teachers was conducted in a…

The kindergarten staff comprises one teacher and two permanent staff members: an aide and a fill-in teacher. The study tracks the tactics that teachers use to motivate staff members to do their jobs effectively, in view of their considerations in choosing these tactics and the way staff members perceive them. The study is based on a multiple case…

The Early Childhood Education program at Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) prepares more than 600 students each year to be educators in early childhood (birth-Grade 2) classrooms as teaching assistants or to continue their education in 4-year institutions. In March 2020, as COVID-19 devastated urban neighborhoods, a journey was…

Creative drama has great potential and its implementation in education from pre-school education requires research, as evidenced by the number of scientific studies that have been registered in international research databases over the last ten years. The aim of the research was to examine the use of creative drama methods within kindergartens in…