What Works? Developing evidence-based approaches to the Pupil Premium Maximising Support for...

What Works?Developing evidence-based approaches

to the Pupil Premium

Maximising Support for Learning

Workshop

Maximising Support for Learning Workshop E Slater 14th July 2014

TOOLKIT OF STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE LEARNING

SUMMARY FOR SCHOOLS SPENDING

THE PUPIL PREMIUM

• Teaching assistants - no added value - very low/no impact for moderate cost

• If teaching assistants are used with the intention of improving learning of ‘pupils’, they should not undertake the tasks they are routinely assigned

(Higgins et al, 2011)


TRUE OR FALSE?

Higgins (2011):

• Very small or no effects on attainment

• Greater impact when given a particular pedagogical role, particularly with training and support

• ‘Pupils’ and teachers tend to suggest positive effects from teaching assistant support


A CASE STUDY OF THE DEPLOYMENT OF TEACHING ASSISTANTS IN SECONDARY

SCHOOLS TO SUPPORT LEARNING

My Research Questions:

• In what ways are teaching assistants deployed to support learning?

• How does the model of deployment support learning?

Conceptual Framework:

• Factors Shaping the Deployment of Teaching Assistants

• Social Constructivist Teaching and Learning


FACTORS SHAPING THE DEPLOYMENT OFTEACHING ASSISTANTS

Structural Factors - Government

• no statutory baseline qualifications required

• No specific job description - schools adapt the role to their own requirements

• No career development or access to specific career paths

• Finance for HLTA training cut - specialist training for conditions such as Autism and Dyslexia usually self-financed


• Out of hours work is often unpaid. Low pay• Teachers are not trained to manage teaching assistants

Institutional Factors: Schools• Location - Subject Department/Learning Support - in

class/withdrawal/team teach/teach alone• Training - teaching and learning strategies/ monitoring

and assessment/specialist knowledge• Formal planning time

FACTORS SHAPING THE DEPLOYMENT OFTEACHING ASSISTANTS (continued)


Teacher Factors:

• Professional relationships• Opportunities for joint planning - strategies (voluntary)• Opportunities for ‘on-the-job’ training - modelling

teaching and learning strategies• Behaviour management• Formative assessment and targets• Provision of open ended tasks - encouraging

independent learning

FACTORS SHAPING THE DEPLOYMENT OF TEACHING ASSISTANTS (continued)


Teaching Assistant Factors:

• Being proactive in using training, observations and joint planning opportunities to support teachers and learners

• Being careful not to over-support or to encourage over-dependence

• Avoiding task completion for learners

• Providing pastoral, emotional and social support for learners

FACTORS SHAPING THE DEPLOYMENT OF TEACHING ASSISTANTS (continued)


RESEARCH DESIGN

Nested Case Study involving:• Three Schools, Seven Lessons, Six Teachers, Seven

TAs and Fourteen Learners

WIDER CASETHE DEPLOYMENT OF TEACHING ASSISTANTS TO SUPPORT LEARNING IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

NESTEDRUSHLEIGH SCHOOL

LESSON

6

LESSON

7

NESTEDMISTFELL SCHOOL

LESSON

4

LESSON

5

NESTEDWINDIHURST SCHOOL

LESSON

1

LESSON

3

LESSON

2

Adapted from a diagram by G Thomas (2011)


METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION


Initial Joint Interviewswith Teachers and Teaching Assistants

Lesson Observations

Individual Interviews with Teachers

Individual Interviews with Teaching Assistants

Individual/Paired or Group Interviews

with Learners

Qualitative Data obtained sequentially from:

Questions Raised:

• How do teaching assistants support learners in lessons (tasks)?

• What approaches are they able (or given the opportunity) to use to support learning ?

• In what locations do teaching assistants support learning?

• Which learners are supported by teaching assistants?


A CASE STUDY OF THE DEPLOYMENT OF TEACHING ASSISTANTS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS TO SUPPORT

LEARNING

They....are VERSATILEADAPTABLERESOURCEFUL

They....provide learning support for SEN and other learners with a range of learning needs

They....work in a variety of locations and scenarios

They....provide learning support, usually (but not always) under the direction of a teacher

They....provide pastoral, emotional and social support for needy learners and support for teachers TEACHING

ASSISTANTS

FINDINGS (Slater 2014)

SHOW THAT:


MODELS OF DEPLOYMENT

• Model 1 - the typical model of the three-pronged, hierarchical relationships between the teacher who delivers the lesson, the teaching assistant and learners

TEACHER

TEACHING ASSISTANT

LEARNERSLEA

RN

ING

SU

PP

OR

T

TEACHER AND TEACHING ASSISTANT IN HIERARCHICAL TRIPARTITE RELATIONSHIP

MODEL 1


Research (Blatchford et al 2009) highlights different ways in which Teaching Assistants are deployed. Four dominant models emerge:

• Model 2 - the teaching assistant supporting a small group of learners away from the classroom but under the teacher’s direction

TEACHER

CLASS

LEA

RN

ING

SU

PP

OR

TWITHDRAWAL GROUP

MODEL 2

TEACHING ASSISTANT

LEARNERS


• Model 3 - A higher level teaching assistant and teacher sharing and team teaching a class:

TEACHER TEACHING ASSISTANT

LEARNERSLEA

RN

ING

SU

PP

OR

T

TEACHER AND TEACHING ASSISTANT DIVIDE CLASS BETWEEN THEM

MODEL 3

TEACHING ASSISTANT

LEARNERS

LEA

RN

ING

SU

PP

OR

T

TEACHING ASSISTANT INDEPENDENTLY TEACHING OPTIONS GROUP

(SEPARATE LOCATION)MODEL 4

SATELLITE TEACHERS

• Model 4 - A teaching assistant independently running a lesson for learners:


MODELS OF DEPLOYMENT

Across the three schools:• This study found examples of each model of deployment


LESSON SUB-UNIT SCHOOL MODEL

1 WINDIHURST MODEL 1A (i) (PAIRED IN-CLASS SUPPORT)

2 WINDIHURST MODEL 1B (INDIVIDUAL IN-CLASS SUPPORT)

3 WINDIHURST MODEL 2 (WITHDRAWAL GROUP)

4 MISTFELL MODEL 1C (GROUP IN-CLASS SUPPORT)

5 MISTFELL MODEL 3 (TEAM TEACHING - HALF EACH, IN-CLASS)

6 RUSHLEIGH MODEL 4 (SATELLITE, TA WITH CLASS ALONE)

7 RUSHLEIGH MODEL 1D (INDIVIDUAL IN-CLASS SUPPORT/ICT SUITE)

IDENTICAL SCENARIOS – DIFFERENT OUTCOMES

Model 1A - Teaching Assistant and learners work in isolation within the class - they complete closed task. Teacher - focuses exclusively on rest of class - Learners - make no contribution in plenary feedback .

Model 1B - Teaching Assistant works with learner as a pair - other learners work in pairs - complete open-ended task -Teacher fully inclusive of TA and learner - learner hypothesises, and completes written task with assistance -contributes to plenary feedback


MODEL 1A MODEL 1B

MODEL 2 - WITHDRAWAL GROUP(Year 8 - bottom set)

• Teaching assistant and assigned group were present in class whilst teacher presented lesson content, objectives and outcomes

• Learners chosen for group to complete an introduction to a novel using a writing frame. Included a close focus on literacy skills

• Task could be ‘open’ or ‘closed’ depending on the approach taken


MODEL 2 - YEAR 8 WITHDRAWAL GROUP(continued)

• Move to separate location - teaching assistant is ‘the more knowledgeable other’ (Vygotsky, 1978)

• Skilful use of a range of questioning strategies (Bloom 1956).

Recall - ‘do you remember..?’ statements followed by questions - ‘the character is a caring person - why? and open-ended - ‘what happened next?’ followed by focus on task - ‘how are we going to write this?


• Questioning on literacy skills - encouragement to use phonetics where appropriate - ‘massive’ and ‘what does ‘evil’ begin with?’

• Provision of ‘thinking time’ for learners to formulate answers to open-ended questions

• Scaffolding the learning - working at the learner’s level of competence, withdrawal of support (fading) when appropriate and final transference of responsibility for learning to the learner (Wood, Bruner & Ross, 1976)



• Encouraged independent learning - for example, spelling phonetically and questioning techniques

• Discouraged over-dependence - creating of a step-by-step guide - ‘what to do when stuck with the work’

• Monitored progress throughout the lesson

• Verbal feedback and independent writing from learners gave a positive indication of learning having taken place



MY RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT TEACHERS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO TEACHING ASSISTANTS’

EFFECTIVENESS BY:

• Finding time for discussion and/or voluntary planning

• Providing ‘open’ tasks, and modelling (social constructivist) teaching strategies to support the outcomes

• Fully integrating teaching assistants and learners into lessons

• Helping teaching assistants to understand target setting how to monitor assessment


RESEARCH FOUND THAT TEACHING ASSISTANTS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO SUPPORTING INDEPENDENT

LEARNING BY:• Providing support as the more knowledgeable adult

(Vygotsky, 1978)

• Supporting peer interaction

• Scaffolding the work - knowing when to withdraw support (Wood, Bruner & Ross, 1976)

• Using a range of questioning techniques (Bloom, 1956) -

providing thinking time for answers

• Not completing tasks for the learner

• Providing pastoral, emotional and social support to promote confidence


QUESTIONS

Discuss:

• How do these findings resonate with your own experiences of working with Teaching Assistants?

• What practical implications do they suggest for your work in respect of the Pupil Premium - for example, how can you ensure that Teaching Assistants are able, enabled or allowed to maximise learning?

• What kind of evidence might you look for to assess their success in deploying Teaching Assistants around the Pupil Premium agenda?


What Works? Developing evidence-based approaches to the Pupil Premium Maximising Support for...

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