Keyword: support

ABSTRACT: In this article, we examine the role and responsibilities of teaching assistants (TAs) in primary schools in England. A survey exploring the health and wellbeing of educators received 244 responses, with 70 TAs eager to share their experiences. While literature indicates that expectations placed upon TAs are often unclear and fluid, our data suggest that this vagueness can be exploited by leaders. In response to our survey, a picture emerges where the responsibilities of TAs increased exponentially during the pandemic and have not lessened since. In a role that is very poorly paid and can be relatively unsupported, the inevitable impact of this is a significant increase in stress and anxiety. This stress not only impacts TAs’ mental health and wellbeing but also affects their family relationships. In this article, we call for a review of this role at school level and for consideration to be given to clearer pay scales and job descriptions. We advise schools to consider actions that create a more respectful school culture, where the skills, knowledge, and wellbeing of TAs are valued on a par with their teaching colleagues.

ABSTRACT: The academic achievement of secondary students remains a top goal for an increasing number of parents, teachers, administrators, students, and policymakers. This is because students with high academic learning outcomes gain a lot in the long run, including
future admission success in college or university and later in the workforce. As a result, all educational stakeholders must focus on figuring out how to raise student academic achievement. One of the promising avenues to increase academic achievement is student engagement. According to self-determination theory, satisfying a student’s need for relatedness, autonomy, and competence is one of the conditions for raising student engagement. This study, therefore, mainly examined how the classroom environment of student cohesiveness (SC), equity (EQ), teacher support (TS), and teacher autonomy support (TAS) predicts behavioral engagement (BE), cognitive engagement (CE), emotional engagement (EE), and agentic engagement (AE) of students. Data were collected from 305 students (150 males and 155 females) in four purposively selected secondary schools in the Nyamagabe district of Rwanda. The four subscales from the What Is Happening In this Class (WIHIC) questionnaire, the Learning Climate Questionnaire, and the Student Engagement Scale were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using the Mean and SD, multivariate analysis of variance, and regression analyses. Based on the results, the SC, TS, EQ, and TAS were significantly related to all components of student engagement (BE, CE, EE, and AE). There was a significant difference between boys’ and girls’ perceptions of BE and TAS. Gender, SC, and EQ predict BE; TAS predicts CE; EQ and TAS predict EE; and SC, TS, and TAS predict AE. Thus, responding to students’ SC, TS, EQ, and TAS needs is crucial as they can foster student engagement in various aspects.

ABSTRACT: Research indicates differences between the Jewish majority and the Arab minority groups in Israel in terms of academic achievements. Some explanations refer to cultural and social differences between the groups, which are expressed in greater reliance on
family support among the students of Arab origin. The present research examined the relationship between social support from family and friends and first-year grades of undergraduates studying together. In order to examine these questions, 204 students studying together were examined, half of them of Arab origin and half of them of Jewish average. For all the subjects, grades over time, the degree of social support, and a number of other variables were examined. The findings indicate a complex association between level of social support and student grades. Among students who sensed a high level of threat, social support actually correlated with lower grade levels. This effect was found mainly regarding family support among the students of Arab origin and mainly regarding support from friends among the students of Jewish origin.