The Role of Teaching Aides in Facilitating Student Learning

Working with students with additional needs is complex and multi-faceted. That is why it is recommended that each learner with additional needs has a team of professionals and carers, including the student’s parents, educators, paraprofessionals, relevant healthcare workers, and the student themself, to work together to meet their needs. This approach enables all significant factors in the learner’s life to be incorporated into the decision-making process surrounding their education.

An important member of the student’s team is usually an educational support staff member or teaching aide (TA). In the UK, the Education Endowment Foundation (2015) issued a guidance report setting out evidence-based recommendations for TAs. According to their findings:

• TAs should work with students in structured one-to-one or small group settings.
• TAs should not replace teachers as this would separate students from their teachers and peers. Instead, TAs should take guidance from teachers and add value as needed.
• TAs should help students develop independent learning skills and manage their own learning.
• TAs must ensure explicit connections are made between learning from everyday classroom teaching and structured interventions. TAs require high-quality training and support to fulfill their roles.