How to maximise the impact of teaching assistants in primary schools - Literature review Example

How to maximize the impact of teaching assistants in primary schools in England Teaching assistants (TAs) have a major contribution to the way pupils learn as well as achieve their academic goals. According to Russell, Webster & Blatchford (2013), the latter is achievable if schooling institutions utilize teaching assistants efficiently and in right interventions. Despite teaching assistants in any learning institution known to play a significant role in the lives of students, they seldom realize how poor results usually affect the academic process of pupils.

Therefore, it is not the kind of decisions made by the teaching assistants that matter but those of school management bodies on how they ought to help in the running of schools. For instance, Deployment and Impact of Support Staff in schools (DISS) project at the Institute of Education in London recently carried out a study (Russell, Webster & Blatchford 2013). Their findings proved pupils who received great assistance from TAs usually made poor progress in their academics compared to those received very little support from the same (Russell, Webster & Blatchford 2013).

This is because TAS in schools play very little role in the academic teaching of pupils but contribute in helping them understand various contents as well as acquiring essential life’s skills. Mostly, TAs aid in instilling a sense of self-responsibility in pupils thus enabling them to face varied life challenges with confidence that they will overcome if they apply appropriate skills.In a perfect school composition, teaching assistants mostly do about 25% of the entire school workforce. Therefore, it is essential for schools to make the most of the teaching assistants in order to assist pupils succeed not only in their academics but also in making rational decisions while they are outside learning settings.

This is by schools coming up with effective strategies on preparing teaching assistants well as well as interaction with pupils to help them achieve higher standards. According to Russell, Webster & Blatchford (2013), schools ought to invest more on preparedness, deployment as well as practice of teaching assistants to ensure they adequately influence pupils positively. For instance, TAs ought to be adequately prepared on how to aid teachers in classrooms as well as understanding different disciplines, which pupils learn in class.

It is also essential that teaching assistance receive practice on the nature and quality of their interactions with pupils Russell, Webster & Blatchford (2013). The latter is important as the teaching assistants’ interactions with pupils can propel pupils to become more responsible and dynamic to the ever-changing world. Therefore, Russell, Webster & Blatchford (2013) emphasize that; schools ought to come up with ways on how to improve the extent as well as scope of interactions between pupils and their teaching assistants.

This is because research shows contends effective interaction between teaching assistants and pupils enables students to develop a certain traits essential in aiding them to know what to do when facing certain life’s challenges.However, despite all the roles, which TAs ought to play in realizing success of their respective pupils, schools and institutions have a major part to facilitate the entire process. Schools ought to conduct reassessment and critically review on how they deploy their teaching assistance staff.

In addition, schools should indicate what they expect from the teaching assistance as well as the activities they should indulge in to achieve positive results. Schools should set out a strategic framework that explains the role and purpose of teaching assistants. In addition, they ought to support and adequately prepare them to maximize their potential by positively influencing children.ReferencesRussell, A., Webster, R. & Blatchford, P. (2013). Maximizing the impact of teaching assistants. New York: Routledge.