Working as teacher assistants/aides in schools: understanding experiences in an Arabian context using the wider pedagogical role model

Abstract

Discussions about the contributions of teacher assistants (Tas) are mainly limited to Western contexts, such as Australia, the UK, and the United States, and studies have consistently explored the role of TAs in inclusive learning environments despite their continuous deployment in special schools. This study attempted to understand the experiences of TAs working in special and inclusive schools in the United Arab Emirates. The study was guided by the wider pedagogical role model, which explains the preparations, deployment, and practices of TAs in schools. Twelve TAs working in special and inclusive schools were engaged in one-on-one interviews and focus group discussions. While there seemed to be support for TA preparation, there were issues pertaining to their deployment and practices in schools. The findings recommend the development of national guidelines explaining the recruitment and role of TAs in schools.

Keywords:

• Teacher assistants
• private schools
• public schools
• collaboration
• United Arab Emirates

REVIEW EDITOR:

• Marnie Best, University of South Australia, Australia

SUBJECT:

• Inclusion and Special Educational Needs
• Teaching assistants
• primary/elementary education
• Teachers & Teacher Education

Introduction

In this study, teacher assistants (TAs) (known elsewhere as teacher aides, resource teachers, shadow teachers, and learning support assistants) refer to adults or paraprofessionals recruited to help teachers and students with disabilities in schools (Giangreco & Doyle, 2007; Viktorin, 2018). Specifically, they are expected to offer support services to students with disabilities to reduce the burden on teachers (Rose, 2020; Vogt et al., 2021). However, the role of TAs in promoting equitable access to education for students with disabilities is unclear, and sometimes, there is a mismatch between their job descriptions and what they do in the classroom (Breyer et al., 2021; Butt, 2016, 2018; Devecchi et al., 2012; Giangreco, 2010). Specifically, there is unclarity regarding their qualifications, recruitment, and deployment, as well as the quality of support they provide to students and teachers in classrooms (Skipp & Hopwood, 2019). Unfortunately, a large body of literature from Western contexts has focused on the role of TAs in inclusive education (Bagadood & Saigh, 2022; Giangreco & Doyle, 2007) without acknowledging their role in special school environments. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and elsewhere, there is increased recruitment of TAs to ensure the provision of support services to students with disabilities and teachers in both special and inclusive schools (Gaad, 2015). This study extends the discussion of TAs’ contributions to non-Western contexts through the exploration of their preparation, deployment, and practices in special and inclusive school contexts.

There are debates regarding the best environment in which to educate students with disabilities (Imray & Hinchcliffe, 2014; Rivera, 2017). Historically, students with disabilities were known to receive educational services in segregated learning environments (Heward, 2013; Imray & Hinchcliffe, 2014; Kassah et al., 2018). However, these have been criticized as limiting, inadequate, and a violation of the right of children with disabilities to learn in a specialized environment (Göransson et al., 2022). This issue brought to prominence the need to move children with disabilities to neighboring schools that offer inclusive learning environments (Isaksson & Lindqvist, 2015; Kauffman et al., 2022; Rix et al., 2013). Unfortunately, evidence has shown that inclusive education is not always effectively implemented due to several challenges (Opoku, 2022a, 2022b; Heward, 2013; Imray & Hinchcliffe, 2014; Mpu & Adu, 2021; Mwangi & Orodho, 2014; Shamma et al., 2019; Sharma, 2017; Singal, 2019; Singal et al., 2015), thus leaving special schools as an alternative mode of education delivery to children with disabilities (Kassah et al., 2018). According to Imray and Hinchcliffe (2014), the environment within which learning occurs is immaterial; instead, they encourage educators to focus on providing effective teaching services to children with disabilities, regardless of the learning environment. Globally, there is a search for appropriate ways to offer quality education to students with disabilities (Heward, 2013; Imray & Hinchcliffe, 2014; Kauffman et al., 2022; Sharma et al., 2019; UNESCO, 2020). This view lends support to the exploration of the experiences of TAs working in inclusive and special education settings in the UAE.

In the UAE, special and inclusive schools offer supportive learning environments to children with disabilities (Federal Government of the UAE, 2006; Gaad, 2011). In 2012, the Ministry of Education initiated a one-off training program for high school leavers who wanted to work as TAs for students with disabilities (Gaad, 2015; UNESCO, 2020). Since then, many public and private schools have made provisions for TAs to take care of students with disabilities (UNESCO, 2020). However, there is limited information regarding TAs’ contributions to the teaching and learning of students with disabilities in classrooms. This study attempts to shed light on the experiences of TAs working in special and inclusive schools in the UAE.

Contributions of teaching assistants at schools

A corpus of research has reported only on the role of TAs in supporting the learning of students with disabilities in inclusive learning environments. Available evidence can be broadly categorized into four categories: (a) positive impact, (b) negative impact, (c) barriers, and (d) effective support models. In terms of impact, several studies have found that the presence of TAs benefits students with disabilities. For example, they are able to facilitate students’ interactions with peers (Devecchi et al., 2012; Haakma et al., 2021; Zhao et al., 2021), manage behavior (Jardí et al., 2021; Pinkard, 2021; Zhao et al., 2021), enhance students’ classroom participation in learning activities (Opoku, 2022a, 2022b; Vogt et al., 2021; Webster et al., 2011), and ease the workload on teachers (Lacey, 2001). Therefore, if TAs are properly deployed in contexts such as the UAE, they will benefit both students and teachers.

Conversely, a large body of literature has reported that the presence of TAs could have an adverse effect on the learning experiences of students with disabilities (Giangreco, 2010, 2013, 2021; Webster et al., 2011). TAs are found to be in close proximity to students, a situation that limits interaction between students and peers, as well as teachers (Giangreco, 2021; Vogt et al., 2021). In some situations, TAs complete tasks for students with disabilities, which has been found to be counterproductive and non-beneficial to the former (Pinkard, 2021; Vogt et al., 2021). In addition, the one-to-one working relationship between TAs and students with disabilities means that the latter receives instructional support from the least qualified, most untrained, and most poorly paid adults in the classroom (Giangreco, 2010, 2013, 2021). Although students with disabilities have described a positive working relationship between them and TAs (Pinkard, 2021), TAs could inhibit the nurturing of students in the classroom (Vogt et al., 2021; Webster et al., 2011). This issue has resulted in discussions on appropriate models for effective TA deployment in schools.

Several suggestions have been made on effective ways in which TAs can support teachers and students with disabilities (Breyer et al., 2021). For instance, Butt and Lowe (2012) recommended that TAs be used as facilitators who offer class-wide support. This would allow teachers to have time for students with disabilities while TAs help high-achieving students in the classroom. Breyer et al. (2021) proposed the need for clearly defined roles for TAs and for their recognition as members of the school community. Others have advocated that TAs should teach ‘soft skills’ (Giangreco, 2021; Webster et al., 2011), assigned to teachers (Giangreco, 2021), provided professional development opportunities (Kerins et al., 2018; Zhao et al., 2021), be enrolled in induction programs (Balshaw, 2010; Webster et al., 2011), and be offered positive behavior support training (Butt, 2018). However, in the context of the current study, such recommendations can only be made in the event that enough evidence has been gathered on how TAs are recruited and supporting teaching practices.

A large body of literature on TAs has reported significant barriers to their employment in schools. In a qualitative study conducted in Australia, Butt and Lowe (2012) and Butt (2016, 2018) reported a lack of clarity regarding the qualifications of teachers and their roles. Studies conducted in other Western countries have reported issues pertaining to the qualification of TAs, as well as ambiguity regarding their role in schools (Keating & O’Connor, 2012). However, in Ghana, Opoku (2022a, 2022b) reported that special education teachers were employed as TAs, yet they were unable to offer meaningful support to students with disabilities. This was a result of a myriad of challenges, such as a lack of teaching materials, poor collaboration, and a lack of parental support, which were found to have a negative impact on their work. In other Western countries, unclear roles (Breyer et al., 2021; Butt, 2018; Salter et al., 2017), low remuneration (Giangreco, 2021; Webster et al., 2011; Wilson & Bedford, 2008), poor collaboration (Devecchi et al., 2012; Zhao et al., 2021), lack of training (Maher, 2016), lack of funding (Kerins et al., 2018), and exclusion or non-recognition of TAs as members of the school community (Devecchi et al., 2012; Maher, 2016) were notable barriers to the provision of successful support practices in schools.

Evidence of the role of TAs in non-Western contexts is vital to clarifying the support they offer teachers and students with disabilities. Although there is an absence of guidelines on the role of TAs in schools in the UAE, TAs are present in schools supporting the teaching of children with disabilities (Gaad, 2015). Additionally, although educational policy documents acknowledge their contributions to successful practices (UAE Ministry of Education, 2010), limited attention has been paid to their experiences working in schools.

The wider pedagogical role model

This study was guided by Webster et al.’s (2011) wider pedagogical role model, which was developed in the context of the role TAs play in supporting the learning of students with disabilities and, as such, was deemed a useful framework in which to situate this study. The model captures all the critical issues pertinent to the involvement of TAs in schools. The model comprises three components: preparation, deployment, and practice (Balshaw, 2010; Webster et al., 2011). Preparation encompasses the training provided to TAs to enable them to discharge their duties. Indeed, there are concerns regarding the training or qualification of TAs working with students with disabilities in schools (Butt, 2016, 2018; Butt & Lowe, 2012; Giangreco, 2010, 2013). It is necessary to pay attention to the qualifications, training received in schools, and opportunities to participate in professional development programs (Webster et al., 2011). Balshaw (2010) added that induction programs are important before TAs are allowed to work to ensure that they have a clear understanding of their roles and the environment within which they would be working Figure 1.

Figure 1. Graphical display of the wider pedagogical role model.

The second component is deployment, which encapsulates how TAs are involved in classrooms. In the literature, there is a lack of clarity regarding how TAs can be involved in classrooms to support the learning of students with disabilities (Breyer et al., 2021; Butt, 2018; Salter et al., 2017). They are consistently used to or play similar roles as classroom teachers—a situation that has received much criticism (Breyer et al., 2021; Giangreco, 2013, 2021). According to Giangreco (2013, 2021), TAs are supposed to play a supplementary role and not necessarily take the lead in teaching. It has been suggested that TAs be made aware of their role as well as teachers made aware of what they are expected in the classroom (Balshaw, 2010). This practice would enhance collaboration between TAs and other teachers working with children with disabilities.

The third component is a practice that refers to the actual role of TAs in the classroom. It is expected that all stakeholders in a school will understand TAs’ supplementary roles and collaborate with them accordingly (Balshaw, 2010). By ensuring that relevant stakeholders, such as teachers and parents of children with disabilities, understand TAs’ roles, a fruitful working relationship to advance the education of students with disabilities can be established.

In the UAE, there is a lack of clarity regarding how TAs are recruited and their roles and functions in the classroom. This study explores the experiences of TAs in the UAE using the tenets of a wider pedagogical role model.

Current study

The government of the UAE is committed to promoting the education of students with disabilities in both special and regular classrooms (Federal Government of the UAE, 2006; Gaad, 2011). This is particularly evident in the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and in the legal frameworks guiding the education of students with disabilities (Gaad, 2011). However, teachers encounter formidable barriers in their efforts toward teaching students with disabilities, especially in regular classrooms (Gaad, 2011; Hadidi & Al-Khateeb, 2015). Relatedly, empirical evidence has shown parental dissatisfaction with the teaching services provided in special schools (Crabtree, 2007). While there are discussions and guidelines on how to advance special education services, little attention has been paid to TAs’ preparedness, deployment, and practices in classrooms. This study extends previous studies by answering the following research questions: (a) How are TAs recruited to work in special and inclusive schools in the UAE?; (b) How do TAs support the teaching of students with disabilities in special and inclusive classrooms in the UAE? and; (c) What are the perceived challenges and needs that TAs face in contributing effectively to the teaching of students with disabilities in classrooms?

Method

Study participants

The participants in this study were TAs working in inclusive and special schools in the second-largest city in the Emirates of Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. The study setting was chosen because of its familiarity to the research team and the increasing number of children with disabilities in schools (Statistic Centre Abu Dhabi, 2020). Special and regular schools in the study setting were the focus because of their formal acknowledgment by the legal framework (Federal Government of the UAE, 2006; Gaad, 2011) as environments to support the education of children with disabilities in the UAE. The participants were recruited from both private and public settings, as TAs work in both environments. The following inclusion criteria guided participant recruitment: (a) working as TAs, (b) working in either public or private schools, (c) being employed to support students with disabilities, and (d) having the capacity to consent to participate in this study.

One-on-one interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with 12 TAs working in special and inclusive schools. The two FGDs were conducted with two and three participants, meaning that five participants in total participated in the FGDs. Seven one-on-one interviews were conducted. All study participants were female: three worked in special schools, six worked in regular private schools, and three worked in regular public schools (see Table 1).

Table 1. Demographic characteristics of participants.

Code	Mode	Age	Qualification	School type	Experience
Participant_1_Amina	One-on-one	36 years	BA English language	Public regular School	4 years
Participant_2_Alyazia	One-on-one	38 years	BA English language	Public regular School	8 years
Participant_3_Wessam	One-on-one	50 years	high school diploma	Public special school	17 years
Participant_4_Siham	One-on-one	42 years	High school diploma	Public special school	17years
Participant_5_Yara	One-on-one	30 years	BA Psychology	Private regular School	10 years
Participant_6_Maya	FGD_1	19 years	Student (BA Special Education)	Private regular School	1 year
Participant_7_Fadwa	FGD_1	22 years	BA Special Education	Private regular School	4 years
Particiapnt_8_Shaikha	FGD_2	27 years	BA Special education	Private regular School	2 years
Participant_9_Khuloud	FGD_2	29 years	BA Arabic Language Education	Private regular School	6 years
Participant_10_Amna	FGD_2	24 years	BA special education	Private regular School	1.5 years
Participant_11_Malak	FGD_2	38 years	BA Science Education	Public regular School	14 years
Participant_12_Nouf	One-on-one	24 years	BSc Computer Science	Public special school	2 years

Note: FDGs = focus group discussions; BA = Bachelor of Arts; BSc = Bachelor of Science.

Instrument

The study was guided by an interpretive design that aimed to understand and report the lived experiences of TAs working in schools. According to Ary et al. (2019), a qualitative interpretative design is mainly used to report participant accounts of a given phenomenon. A semi-structured interview guide was used for data collection. This enabled the researchers to ask for clarification or follow up on some of the points/issues that emerged during the interviews.

The interview guide was suitable for both FGDs and face-to-face interviews. The decision to use one-on-one interviews and FGDs in the same study was to determine whether the responses would be similar or different. According to Creswell and Miller (2000), the use of different data collection methods adds to the rigor of qualitative studies. The semi-structured interview guide was developed from a review of the literature (Balshaw, 2010; Breyer et al., 2021; Devecchi et al., 2012; Haakma et al., 2021; Jardi et al., 2021; Kerins et al., 2018; Lacey, 2001; Vogt et al., 2021; Webster et al., 2011) on key components (preparedness, deployment, and practice) of the theoretical framework (see Appendix).

Procedure

The Research Ethics Committee at United Arab Emirates University approved the study and its protocols (ERSC_2022_2429). After approval, a formal invitation requesting that special and regular schools participate in this study was sent. None of the special private schools (known in the study context as ‘centers’) responded favorably to our invitation. However, each public special and regular school agreed and nominated two or three participants for the interviews. In addition, two regular private schools nominated TAs to participate in this study.

The data were collected in Arabic and English, which are the official languages of classroom instruction in UAE schools. Nine of the 12 participants spoke Arabic during the data collection process. The data were collected by the second author, who is proficient in both languages. Participants were encouraged to use their language of preference. Two participants from special public schools declined to be recorded. As such, while the second author was conducting the interviews, the third and fourth authors were taking notes that were compared and integrated into the transcriptions. All participants were assured that neither the school nor any identifying descriptors would be used in the reporting of the study. They were also assured of their safety because the data would not be available to an external body outside the research team. The participants read and signed an informed consent form before participating in the study.

Data analysis

The data were recorded verbatim by Authors 2, 3, 4, and 5, who are bilingual speakers of Arabic and English. The initial transcribed Arabic data were sent to the participants for their input before they were used in the reporting of this study. Four participants made alterations that were incorporated into the final draft. The authors (2, 3, 4, and 5) read and translated the transcriptions from Arabic to English. All authors were involved in this process to ensure the authenticity, accuracy, and credibility of the data used in the reporting of this study.

At this stage, the authors continued to use thematic analysis in the reading, coding, categorizing, thematizing, and reporting of the study. First, all authors read the 80 pages of interview data. Since a framework was used to guide the development of the instrument, the authors came up with phrases used to code the data. The coding was done by Authors 1 and 2, who coded the first two interviews and discussed and reached a consensus on the descriptors used to code the entire dataset. The first author categorized similar ideas under categories before proceeding to identify similarities and differences between the ideas shared by the participants. Following this, the categories were tabulated under the a priori themes (preparedness, deployment, and practice), and quotes explaining key ideas were extracted for the reporting of this study. The draft results section was read by all authors who participated in the study.

Results

Participants expressed that they had been adequately prepared to support students with disabilities in classrooms. However, they discussed a role characterized by having multiple tasks, as well as the struggle to work with general teachers and parents. The results are presented under three themes: preparedness, deployment, and practice.

Preparedness

Preparation refers to the qualifications of TAs, induction training, and training support they received to work in schools.

Recruitment, qualifications, and competencies

All participants shared that their employment began after going through formal interviews. Although they were employed to work specifically with children with disabilities, six participants discussed being afraid to go near children with disabilities. This issue was related specifically to not having any training or background in special education. Over time, they developed the confidence to support children with disabilities in classrooms. However, those with a background in special education discussed not having such a problem. Two participants shared the following experiences:

When I was hired, I completed a year without receiving any training. We immediately started working and were given the responsibility of the student’s safety and academic support, as well as their assistive technology (magnifiers, wheelchairs, hearing aids, worksheets, materials, etc.) from the beginning to the end of the school day. (Participant_1_Amina)

When I started, it was so hard for me. I was scared of the children and didn’t know how to deal with them. I had no training or experience. The classroom teacher was so professional and positive. From her, I learned how to understand and support them. (Participant_3_Wessam)

All participants stated that having access to training would enable them to discharge their duties. Participants in public and private schools discussed the training they received from the school, especially special education teachers. According to them, this has been very beneficial and has enhanced their competence in discharging their duties. For instance, participants recounted the following:

I took an intensive course in training and qualifying special education teachers before starting work, in addition to several courses during the work period. I did not undergo training before working. Only after I was employed did I take workshops with Ms. Marwa, as she organized weekly meetings.

I took a 15-hour course as a shadow teacher before applying for the job. Before I came to the UAE, we had weekly meetings to go through approved courses by the ADEK, such as Introduction to Applied Behavior Analysis and Solutions for ADHD. (Participant_9_Khuoud)

Yes, we received training from special education teachers. They administered courses and workshops, and they informed us of our tasks and roles as assistant teachers to special needs students, not just inside the classroom but also outside, such as break time, if the case required assistance. We were taught how to improve our social interaction skills. For example, the student I am with right now, at the beginning of the year, was extremely shy and would not interact in the classroom or socially with her peers. We also get evaluated from time to time. (Participant_1_Amina)

All the participants discussed satisfaction with and the importance of their role in advancing the learning of students with disabilities. Almost all participants expressed high confidence in their ability to support the teaching of students with disabilities.

Deployment

Recruitment explains what TAs are employed to do. Specifically, the concept encompasses the support TAs provide to teachers and students with disabilities.

Key responsibilities

Participants were asked to share their responsibilities and the ways in which they support the teaching of children with disabilities. Discussions with participants revealed four broad responsibilities: (a) providing one-on-one support, (b) facilitating classroom participation and socialization with peers, (c) actual teaching, and (d) behavior management. Some of the participants shared the following:

For example, when we are inside the class with the child, for whatever subject, my role is that before the class, I prepare a learning resource sheet on the lesson and a worksheet to help the child understand the content in a simplified way. I apply this with him inside the classroom during the lesson in a more simplified manner than with other students. I start with the learning resource sheet, and then I let him apply the concepts with paper and pen in the booklet. Then, he may be able to take part in class activities with other kids or interact with the teacher, and we do this through task analysis. (Participant_6_)

We worked with him to interact with people using speech rather than just gestures. And we worked on interacting socially with people, sitting with his friends and talking with them, and discussing with them to get him to participate in social, recreational, and sports activities with his friends. We tried to let him work in groups. From the reinforcers that he likes, such as verbal praise, if you tell him ‘you are clever’ or ‘you are excellent’, he will respond intensely to you. I clap for him if he does something outstanding. He loves stickers. And he loves to get gifts from teachers. (Participant 7)

The boy under my supervision has autism. When I first started working with him, we had some behavioral challenges with him. He is very hyperactive. One of the first goals we trained him on was to sit in a chair for a longer period because he had trouble with that. He also had difficulty reading and writing. We started working with him step by step. (Participant 5)

This includes support in subjects like mathematics, science, English, and Arabic. We train him in skills that have deficits or are missing (e.g., behavioral skills and classroom rules). I maintain the students’ (and other typical students around them) safety and emotional state. I also take the students to the resource room and give them one-on-one sessions. (Participant 2)

Five participants indicated that they were tasked with teaching students with disabilities. While three of them were trained special education teachers or general teachers, two participants working in special schools had no teaching qualifications. Participant 3 said that she worked as a classroom teacher, teaching a student with severe disabilities. Others oversee the learning and goal achievement of students with disabilities. A particular topic that led to ample discussion was their duty to ensure that students with disabilities are achieving their learning goals. One participant recounted the following:

Did they accomplish their tasks in class? Did they do well in their formative, diagnostic, midterm, and final exams (which we need to assist them in)? For example, if we have a student with learning difficulties, we might need to read the test to them or reword the questions in a simple way. (Participant_1)

Practices

Practices refer to the working relationship between TAs and other stakeholders, as well as the barriers hindering their work.

Collaboration and support from Others

Almost all the participants recounted the importance of collaboration in the discharge of their duties. Participants shared their working relationships with three stakeholders: (a) special education teachers, (b) general teachers, and (c) parents. It was apparent that special education teachers played a significant role in ensuring the success of TAs in schools. For instance, seven participants said they received training and instructional support from special education teachers. Alyazia said, ‘We and the special education teachers go hand in hand. They are very supportive. Sometimes, the child has multiple disorders, so I and the special education teacher would be working together the whole time. We are a team’ (Participant 2). Yara added that ‘Special education teachers are especially supportive of us’ (Participant 5). Malak shared the following:

Special education teachers play a big role in supporting me in carrying out my duties as an assistant special education teacher and accepting all discussions and opinions about the importance of integrating our work as a team to rehabilitate and train people with disabilities.

Conversely, six participants discussed having problems working with regular teachers and parents. Both private and public regular school teachers indicated that the general teachers were not very supportive and sometimes unhappy to see them in their classrooms. Fadwa said, ‘70% is cooperation, and sometimes, I face challenges in which I don’t find cooperation because the general education teacher may not have enough experience to deal with this case’. Similarly, Maya said, ‘Characters differ. Some teachers are supportive from the beginning, and others need to be reminded to collaborate with us. They will still not accept you and what you do’. Amina recounted her struggles as follows:

There are challenges I faced with special education teachers and other general teachers. Some classroom teachers refuse the presence of both special needs students and TAs. They sometimes also refuse to support TAs. There needs to be flexibility and meetings between the special education teacher and me to find solutions to problems. Special educators also face challenges. For example, they sometimes refuse to allow TAs to contact and communicate with students’ parents. They want to be the only ones in contact with the parents. They also sometimes do not share with you the educational resources that you need while working with students. The biggest challenges I faced were mostly with general education teachers because most of my work was in classrooms. If I succeed in the classroom, I succeed overall.

Four participants discussed two major challenges with parents: parents being in denial of their child’s diagnosis and not supporting the learning of their children at home. For instance, Sara said, ‘Because sometimes they don’t review learning content with the child (or follow up with what we give in school), I contact the mother and find that she is neglecting her child’. Another participant recounted her experience:

One of the challenges is the family’s neglect of the case I have. They do not review his learning with him at home or go through the material with him. So, there is this type of neglect, which is the worst thing I face, unfortunately. So, I always inform them that they must care for and pay attention to the child, that when he returns home daily, he needs to study, solve worksheets, copy the vocab words, and do things like this. (Participant_5_Yara)

In my situation, I have a challenge, which is the mother. She still denies the child’s condition. She still believes that he has a little learning difficulty, not autism. So, this has a significant impact on how she is able to contribute and collaborate with us. She always tries to cooperate but in the wrong way. Because she is very anxious and worried, she is always intervening with the smallest details and always compares him to his peers in his general classroom. (Participant_4_Wessam)

Challenges and needs

The participants who took part in this study expressed several challenges. Almost all study participants discussed having problems working with children with disabilities who display challenging behavior. Most of them discussed directly supervising children with challenging behaviors. Although they did their best to enhance the development of children, they discussed facing challenges in performing their roles. For instance, Khuloud said her problem is ‘how to keep the student under control to a certain level so that he doesn’t interrupt the general classroom lesson’. Another participant, Siham, added that ‘every day, they have a new mood, and the medicine affects their ability to study or causes sleeping problems. When other teachers are absent, and I need to work with her student, it’s so hard if we don’t know too much’. Alyazia said, ‘The bouts of violence are the most challenging for me. I get most concerned with the student’s own well-being during these bouts of violence’. Because of these challenges, almost all participants expressed the need for training in behavior management to enable them to discharge their duties effectively and efficiently.

Another issue that surprisingly emerged as a concern for TAs was job security and attrition of general teachers. Three teachers in the private schools said that their jobs were tied to the students they supported and, as such, paid salaries by parents. Consequently, their engagement is tied to the ability of the parents to pay their salaries. They wished to be employed directly by the school and offered contracts. For instance, Wessam said:

I want to undergo recruitment procedures through the school, become an employee of the school, and to get our salaries from the schools, not from the parents. I want to have a contract, to have a job like any other, inside the school like any teacher, a permanent contract. I want to know that I am securely employed for a specific duration, but currently, I may wake up tomorrow to the news that I am unemployed.

Three private school teachers recounted that the frequent departure of teachers from their schools affected their work. They indicated that students with disabilities require routines and consistency. However, teachers do not stay long in one place, which compounds their workload. As the students are not used to new teachers, teachers are expected to carry on teaching students with disabilities. Some participants expressed that they struggle to offer pedagogical support and thus expressed the need for training on best teaching practices.

Participants also shared that general education teachers, peers of children with disabilities, and parents do not understand their work or ways to support children with disabilities:

For example, I would like to receive workshops from the university. There needs to be more awareness from parents, either acquired from the university or anywhere, but there needs to be workshops for us, specifically for parents and general teachers. General teachers also need awareness. As I told you, there need to be workshops from the university. (Participant_5_Yara)

There needs to be awareness from the parents; they need to know how to deal with a human case as a person with determination, at home as a parent, personally at home. Furthermore, they need to know how to deal with the student in the academic area, with his abilities. And [awareness] for the peers, most peers do not cooperate; they do not accept [the student with determination]. Mockery can happen, as they are not accepting of someone different from them being among them. (Participant_8_Shaikha)

I would suggest awareness for students [typically developing] in the class on how students in the class can relate to students with special needs. There’s also a need to enhance the awareness of teachers and parents on how they support children with special needs. (Participant_12_Nouf)

These participants raised concerns in terms of developing an inclusive and acceptable environment for students with disabilities, special needs, and learning difficulties. This kind of environment should start at home, with parents’ awareness that they should accept their children in their current situation as they are and support their learning and development. This is because TAs need support in the school and classroom to work with these children with special needs and disabilities and to deal with the challenges that may arise due to behavioral problems and a lack of acceptance by other normal students.

Discussion

This study attempted to understand the experiences of TAs working in inclusive and special schools in the UAE. The results showed that the participants who took part in this study seemed well prepared to support the teaching of children with disabilities. In particular, most had at least university degrees and were provided with induction and professional development opportunities to enable them to discharge their classroom duties. This finding is inconsistent with previous studies from Western contexts, which reported low qualifications and a lack of training opportunities for TAs working in schools (Butt, 2016, 2018; Giangreco, 2013, 2021; Keating & O’Connor, 2012; Webster et al., 2011). In the UAE, there seems to be a realization that skilled support staff would contribute effectively to the day-to-day education of students with disabilities in both regular and inclusive classrooms. In the past, there were some attempts to train young Emiratis without skills to work as TAs in schools supporting children with disabilities (Gaad, 2015). Although such a program has not been heard of in a long time, teacher educators in the UAE seem conscious of the need to have the right caliber of people in classrooms to support students with disabilities. It was also refreshing that appropriate induction and professional development opportunities were made accessible to the TAs employed in schools. This is also missing in the Western context, where TAs are ‘thrown into the job’ without much preparation or training opportunities (Giangreco, 2010, 2013; Maher, 2016). Therefore, in the current study context, some attempts have been made to prepare TAs to effectively support the teaching of students with disabilities in both special and regular schools.

While positive steps toward preparing TAs to work in schools have been taken, there seems to be concern regarding deployment and practices. With respect to deployment, the study showed that multiple tasks are assigned to TAs, which include teaching, behavior management, and facilitating socialization between students with disabilities and their peers. It is apparent that TAs are tied to students with disabilities. In effect, everything pertaining to the education of students with disabilities falls under the purview of TAs. Such deployment has been criticized as counterproductive and as an abuse of TAs in schools (Giangreco, 2013; Webster et al., 2011). For effective practice, Giangreco (2013, 2021) has consistently advocated that TAs play a supplementary role compared to the lead role they play in contemporary classrooms. In the current study, the call for the appropriate utilization of TAs in the classroom means that there should be guidelines explaining their role and what they are expected to do.

In the UAE context, a cursory look at the demographic characteristics suggests that highly qualified individuals are employed as TAs. This is unsurprising because in a Ghanaian study, qualified special education teachers were deployed in schools as TAs, yet their impact was very minimal due to a myriad of challenges (Opoku, 2022a, 2022b). There is potential for some of them to play instructional roles; however, not all might be allowed to be in charge of teaching students with disabilities. However, this could be well managed or coordinated by engaging all stakeholders involved in the education process and letting them know which TAs have specific duties or responsibilities. Going forward, there is a need for national guidelines on the deployment of TAs, spelling out which TAs are expected to have teaching duties and who should play supporting roles.

Another challenging area of practice, as discussed by the participants, was collaboration. The corpus of literature has reported that collaboration is at the center of the effective teaching of students with disabilities. The findings showed that the participants struggled to work with general educators, which seems consistent with previous studies that reported a poor working relationship between special education teachers and TAs (Breyer et al., 2021; Maher, 2016; Salter et al., 2017; Webster et al., 2011; Zhao et al., 2021). In this study, the inability of TAs and regular teachers to work together in an inclusive environment might be a result of the former’s understanding of the role of the latter. The employment of TAs seemed to be tied to specific children with disabilities. Thus, teachers might perceive them as individuals who are expected to work with such children and probably not interfere with class activities. It is vital to add that teachers in the UAE and similar contexts are unable or resistant to teaching children with disabilities in classrooms (Opoku, 2022a, 2022b; Gaad, 2011). Therefore, teachers might look at TAs in the same light as students with disabilities and probably develop a negative attitude toward them. Inasmuch as the UAE is striving to train TAs to work in schools, teachers in those schools, especially regular schools, need induction and training about the role of TAs in supporting the teaching of students with disabilities in classrooms.

A unique finding that emerged from this study was the lack of tenure in the employment of TAs in private schools. They were directly paid by parents, and as such, their continued engagement was dependent on the willingness of parents to pay their salaries. This finding is in line with previous studies that reported poor conditions of service among TAs working in schools in Western contexts (Giangreco, 2013, 2021; Webster et al., 2011; Wilson & Bedford, 2008). In the UAE context, teachers struggle with practicing inclusive education (Gaad, 2011, 2019; Hadidi & Al-Khateeb, 2015). Private schools have pushed the burden of recruiting TAs onto parents who are expected to pay in the event that they want the best education for their children in private schools. There is likelihood that private schools, which are business and profit oriented, are uninterested in investing in or hiring permanent TAs. Thus, parents in the UAE and other contexts are overburdened with caregiving responsibilities that include finances and emotional well-being (Crabtree, 2007). Adding the hiring of TAs to parents’ workloads could compound the caregiving burden they have to shoulder. Furthermore, there is the possibility that TAs feel that they are not members of the school community, a situation that has emerged in Western contexts. Therefore, it would be useful for educators and institutions to deliberate on ways to recruit TAs through schools, offer them working contracts, and provide them with the needed recognition.

Participants also shared their perspectives regarding struggling to work with parents of children with disabilities. This was in the areas of collaboration and acceptance that their children were living with the diagnosed disability. This finding agrees with previous studies that reported unhealthy working relationships between TAs and the parents of children with disabilities (Opoku, 2022a, 2022b; Salter et al., 2017). In the UAE and other contexts, parents seem to have problems raising children with disabilities (Crabtree, 2007; Lamba et al., 2022). Among the plethora of challenges, negative public perceptions are consistently reported as one of the barriers faced by parents in facilitating the inclusion of their children with disabilities in society (Crabtree, 2007; Lamba et al., 2022). Parents’ denial of their children’s diagnoses can be expected, as society seems hostile toward children with disabilities and their families. Thus, parents may be struggling to get their heads around the fact that their children have a disability. This could have an adverse impact on the working relationship between TAs and parents, who might not be thinking about rehabilitation; instead, parents might be focused on ways to ‘cure’ their children. Disability is a lifelong condition (Heward, 2013) that likely occurs through no fault of the parents. Public education and awareness could emphasize the etiology of disability, as well as supportive or rehabilitation services available for children with disabilities and their families.

Study limitations

The results of this study ought to be interpreted with caution. First, the study was carried out in one city and could not be generalized to the entire country. Nevertheless, the country has common structures and standards for teaching and recruitment. Thus, the findings reported could be reminiscent of what pertains to other parts of the country. As this study drew on a small sample, it may be useful for future studies to use a quantitative design to compare experiences across different geographical areas. Second, the schools nominated the TAs who participated in this study. There is a high possibility that schools nominated TAs who offer favorable responses to questions. The data collection was conducted at a time convenient for the study participants. They were assured of their confidentiality because identifiable information was not used in the reporting of the study results. Overall, this groundbreaking study reported the experiences of TAs working in special and inclusive learning environments.

Conclusion and implications for practice

This study aimed to explore, interpret, and understand the lived experiences of TAs working in special and inclusive schools in the UAE. The study was underpinned by the wider pedagogical role model, which offers guidelines on the preparation, deployment, and practices of TAs in classrooms. The findings differed from most previous studies, where issues pertaining to teaching and learning materials were problematic for TAs (Opoku, 2022a, 2022b). This shows that in the current study context, some efforts have been made to create a conducive teaching and learning environment. Furthermore, TAs who participated in this study were well prepared for their roles. However, there is a lack of clarity regarding their roles and support practices in the classroom. Although the TAs interviewed were well prepared, had higher qualifications, and were given induction training, they had to multitask and were in charge of the development of students with disabilities. They had issues working with general classroom teachers. There were also issues pertaining to working with parents, as well as the lack of tenure for TAs working in private schools. The UAE is committed to offering a supportive learning environment to all children. However, this can only be achieved if support services are well coordinated.

The findings of this study are groundbreaking, as this is one of the first studies to explore the perspectives of TAs working in special and inclusive classrooms in both the public and private school settings. In particular, the disparities in the qualifications of the study participants suggest the need for national guidelines explaining the role of TAs based on their qualifications and experience. Teachers may know what TAs should be doing to support the teaching and learning of students with disabilities in the classroom. National guidelines on the recruitment and responsibilities of TAs should also provide timelines for training, guidelines to ensure the security of tenure, and guidelines to foster collaboration with stakeholders, such as teachers and parents. This would enable other stakeholders to clearly understand what each TA would be doing to support the teaching of students with disabilities. The education of students with disabilities is still in development. As such, considering some of these recommendations in future educational policy would go a long way toward enabling them to enjoy their right to education.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Maxwell Peprah Opoku

Maxwell Peprah Opoku is currently an Assistant Professor in Special Education at the United Arab Emirates University. He holds a PhD in Education from University of Tasmania, Australia. Before Joining UAEU, he worked as casual academic, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses at Faculty of Education, University of Tasmania, Australia.

Ashraf Mustafa

Ashraf Mustafa is an instructor in Special Education at United Arab Emirates University. He is a trainer in Braille and teaching courses in sensory disabilities. He has more than 20 years working experience supporting children with disabilities in schools and clinical settings.

Noora Anwahi

Noora Anwahi is an undergraduate student pursuing a degree programme in Special Education at United Arab Emirates University. Her area of specialization is mild/moderate disabilities.

Fatima Alkatheeri

Fatima Alkatheeri holds undergraduate degree in Special Education from United Arab Emirates University. Her area of specialization is severe disabilities.

Nada Alsuwaidi

Nada Alsuwaidi is an undergraduate student pursuing a degree programme in Special Education at United Arab Emirates University. Her area of specialization is mild/moderate disabilities.

Aisha Alqutaiti

Aisha Alqutaiti is an undergraduate student pursuing a degree programme in Special Education at United Arab Emirates University. Her area of specialization is Sensory disabilities.

Shashidhar Belbase

Shashidhar Belbase is an associate professor in mathematics education at Troy University, Alabama, USA. Dr. Belbase earned his Ph.D. in Education (Mathematics Education) from the University of Wyoming in May 2015. Dr. Belbase is interested in collaborative research and scholarly activities across the departments and disciplines both locally and globally.

Appendix

Interview guide for TAs

1. Please introduce yourself (for example, please provide details such as education, school, age, years of experience, and marital status).

2. Please tell me about your experience dealing with or supporting the education of children with disabilities.

3. Please tell me how you were recruited for this position.

4. Please tell me some of the training you received before being employed as a TA.

5. What role were you employed to perform at school?

6. Please tell me some of the functions you perform at school.

7. Do you perceive there to be differences between the role you were hired to perform and the role you currently play?

8. How do you work with teachers and special education teachers?

9. How does your educational background help you in the current role you perform at school?

10. Please tell me some of the training you receive at school.

11. How supportive are teachers and special education teachers in supporting you in performing your role?

12. How relevant is your role to the teaching of students with disabilities?

13. What are some of the challenges you encounter in your day-to-day work with children with disabilities?

14. What are some of the challenges you encounter when working with teachers and special education teachers?

15. What are some of the things you need to enable you to effectively support the education of children with disabilities?