TEACHING

ASSISTANT RESEARCH

Our Research on Teaching Assistants

The Deployment and Impact of Support Staff (DISS) project, 2003-09

Since 2003 we've been conducting one of the most comprehensive programmes of research on and involving TAs, including the Deployment and Impact of Support Staff project - the biggest study of TAs ever undertaken.

 

Recently we've been investigating how TAs are used as part of schools' provision for pupils with SEN, and how schools can make better use of TAs for the benefit of all pupils.

rita_cover tawithpair
MITA book cover

Key finding:

The more support pupils received, from TAs, the less progress they made - but TAs are not blame

Key publication:

Reassessing the Impact

of Teaching Assistants,

by Blatchford, Russell

& Webster (2012)

The Effective Deployment of Teaching Assistants (EDTA) project, 2010-11

Key finding:

Schools developed effective models of deploying and preparing TAs that added value to the work of teachers

Key publication:

Maximising the Impact

of Teaching Assistants,

by Russell, Webster

& Blatchford (2013)

The Making a Statement (MAST) study, 2011-13

Key finding:

Compared to their peers, pupils with SEN Statements have a lower quality educational experience as a result of TAs being their ‘primary educator’

Key publication:

The Making a Statement Final Report: A study of teaching and support experienced by pupils with a Statement of special educational needs in mainstream primary schools,

by Webster & Blatchford (2013)