Abstract
Teaching assistants are a common presence in pre-kindergarten programs, but their role and the dynamics between lead teachers and their assistants are understudied. The classroom behaviors of lead teachers and assistants from 80 public prekindergarten classrooms were examined for similarities and differences in their roles and to determine how they functioned as teams. Lead teachers spent more of their time instructing and worked more often with the whole class. Assistants working in classrooms with a demanding curriculum spent more time instructing than assistants in less demanding classrooms. Latent class analysis of behavior patterns suggests that the adults adopt similar rather than complementary roles. Two groups of teaching teams emerged: one with both teachers and assistants spending time more time on instruction, and a second with both teachers and assistants spending more time on management. Despite lower pay and credentials, assistant teachers contributed in substantive ways to the instruction in these classrooms. It appears that the lead teacher likely determines how the team functions. Helping teachers know how to establish a well-functioning team should be part of early childhood training. Additionally, consideration to be given to offering direct and ongoing professional development to assistants.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bilbrey, C., Vorhaus, E., Farran, D., & Shufelt, S. (2007). Teacher observation in preschool (2008 revision). Tools of the Mind adaptation (2010). https://my.vanderbilt.edu/toolsofthemindevaluation/files/2012/01/Manual-TOP-Tools-2011_October.243.pdf
Blatchford, P., Russell, A., & Webster, R. (2012). Reassessing the impact of teaching assistants: How research challenges practice and policy. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203151969
Blatchford, P., Bassett, P., Brown, P., Koutsoubou, M., Martin, C., Russell, A., Webster, R., & Rubie-Davies, C. M. (2009). Deployment and impact of support staff in schools: The impact of support staff in schools: Results from strand 2, wave 2. Retrieved from http://maximisingtas.co.uk/research/the-diss-project.php
Bodrova, E., & Leong, D. J. (2007). Tools of the Mind: The Vygotskian approach to early childhood education (2nd ed.). Prentice-Hall.
Chase, C. I., & Mueller, D. J. (1993). Teacher aides: What do they really do in instruction? ERS Spectrum, 11(2), 16–20.
Cramer, T., & Capella, E. (2019). Who are they and what do they need: Characterizing and supporting the early childhood assistant teacher workforce in a large urban district. American Journal of Community Psychology, 63, 312–323. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12338
Cremin, H., Thomas, G., & Vincett, K. (2005). Working with teaching assistants: Three models evaluated. Research Papers in Education, 20(4), 413–432. https://doi.org/10.1080/02671520500335881
Curby, T. W., Boyer, C., Edwards, T., & Chavez, C. (2012). Assistant teachers in Head Start classrooms: Comparing to and working with lead teachers. Early Education & Development, 23(5), 640–653. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2011.607361
Durden, T., & Dangel, J. (2008). Teacher-involved conversations with young children during small group activity. Early Years, 28, 251–266. https://doi.org/10.1080/09575140802393793
Farrell, P., Alborz, A., Howes, A., & Pearson, D. (2010). The impact of teaching assistants on improving pupils’ academic achievement in mainstream schools: A review of the literature. Educational Review, 62(4), 435–448. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2010.486476
Figueras-Daniel, A., & Li, Z. (2021). Evidence of support for dual language learners in a study of bilingual staffing patterns using the Classroom Assessment of Supports for Emergent Bilingual Acquisition (CASEBA). Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 54, 271–285. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2020.09.011
Fisher, M., & Pleasants, S. L. (2012). Roles, responsibilities, and concerns of paraeducators: Findings from a statewide survey. Remedial and Special Education, 33(5), 287–297. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741932510397762
Friedman-Krauss, A. H., Barnett, W. S., Garver, K. A., Hodges, K. S., Weisenfeld, G. G., & DiCrecchio, N. (2019). The state of preschool 2018: State preschool yearbook. National Institute for Early Education Research.
Gerber, S. B., Finn, J. D., Achilles, C. M., & Boyd-Zaharias, J. (2001). Teacher aides and students’ academic achievement. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 23(2), 123–143. https://doi.org/10.3102/01623737023002123
Giangreco, M. F. (2021). Maslow’s hammer: Teacher assistant research and inclusive practices at a crossroads. European Journal of Special Needs Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/08856257.2021.1901377
Groom, B. (2006). Building relationships for learning: The developing role of the teaching assistant. Support for Learning, 21(4), 199–203. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9604.2006.00432.x
Hancock, R., Hall, T., Cable, C., & Eyres, I. (2010). ‘They call me wonder woman’: The job jurisdictions and work-related learning of higher level teaching assistants. Cambridge Journal of Education, 40(2), 97–112. https://doi.org/10.1080/0305764X.2010.481382
Hayes, R., & Matusov, E. (2005). Designing for dialogue in place of teacher talk and student silence. Culture and Psychology, 11, 339–357.
Henson, J. M., Reise, S. P., & Kim, K. H. (2007). Detecting mixtures from structural model differences using latent variable mixture modeling: A comparison of relative model fit statistics. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 14(2), 202–226. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705510709336744
Jones, C. R., Ratcliff, N. J., Sheehan, H., & Hunt, G. H. (2012). An analysis of teachers’ and paraeducators’ roles and responsibilities with implications for professional development. Early Childhood Education Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-011-0487-4
Klein, L., & Knitzer, J. (2006). Effective preschool curricula and teaching strategies. Pathways to early school success. Issue Brief No. 2. National Center for Children in Poverty. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED522728.pdf.
Lieber, J., Butera, G., Hanson, M., Palmer, S., Horn, E., Czaja, C., Diamond, K., Goodman-Jansen, G., Daniels, J., Gupta, S., & Odom, S. (2009). Factors that influence the implementation of a new preschool curriculum: Implications for professional development. Early Education and Development, 20(3), 456–481. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409280802506166
Lin, Y., & Magnuson, K. A. (2018). Classroom quality and children’s academic skills in child care centers: Understanding the role of teacher qualifications. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 42, 215–227. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2017.10.003
LoCasale-Crouch, J., Konold, T., Pianta, R., Howes, C., Burchinal, M., Bryant, D., et al. (2007). Observed classroom quality profiles in state-funded pre-kindergarten programs and associations with teacher, program, and classroom characteristics. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 22(1), 3–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2006.05.001
Manning, M., Wong, G. T., Fleming, C. M., & Garvis, S. (2019). Is teacher qualification associated with the quality of the early childhood education and care environment? A meta-analytic review. Review of Educational Research, 89(3), 370–415.
Morgan, J., Ashbaker, B., & Forbush, D. (1998). Strengthening the teaching team: Teachers and paraprofessionals learning together. Support for Learning, 13(3), 115–117. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9604.00071
Morris, P., Mattera, S. K., Castells, N., Bangser, M., Bierman, K., & Raver, C. (2014). Impact findings from the Head Start CARES Demonstration: National evaluation of three approaches to improving preschoolers’ social and emotional competence. Executive summary (OPRE Report No. 2014-44). Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation.
Morrissette, D., Morrissette, P. J., & Julien, R. (2002). Paraeducators in education. Essays in Education, 3, 1–12. Retrieved from https://openriver.winona.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1008&context=eie
National Association for the Education of Young Children. (March, 2020). Unifying framework for the early childhood education profession. National Association for the Education of Young Children. https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/mar2020/unifying-framework-early-childhood-education
Nylund, K. L., Asparouhov, T., & Muthén, B. O. (2007). Deciding on the number of classes in latent class analysis and growth mixture modeling: A Monte Carlo simulation study. Structural Equation Modeling, 14(4), 535–569. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705510701575396
Pianta, R., Howes, C., Burchinal, M., Bryant, D., Clifford, R., Early, D., & Barbarin, O. (2005). Features of pre-kindergarten programs, classrooms, and teachers: Do they predict observed classroom quality and child-teacher interactions? Applied Developmental Science, 9(3), 144–159. https://doi.org/10.1207/s1532480xads0903_2
Pianta, R. C., La Paro, K. M., & Hamre, B. K. (2008). Classroom assessment scoring system. Paul H. Brookes.
Ratcliff, N. J., Jones, C. R., Vaden, S. R., Sheen, H., & Hunt, G. H. (2011). Paraprofessionals in early childhood classrooms: An examination of duties and expectations. Early Years, 31(2), 163–179. https://doi.org/10.1080/09575146.2011.576333
Reddy, L. A., Alperin, A., & Glover, T. A. (2021). A critical review of the professional development literature for paraprofessionals supporting students with externalizing behaviors. Psychology in the Schools, 58(4), 742–763. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.22381
Rubie-Davies, C. M., Blatchford, P., Webster, R., Koutsoubou, M., & Bassett, P. (2010). Enhancing learning? A comparison of teacher and teaching assistant interactions with pupils. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 21(4), 429–449. https://doi.org/10.1080/09243453.2010.512800
Shim, J., Hestenes, L., & Cassidy, D. (2004). Teacher structure and child care quality in preschool classrooms. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 19(2), 143–157. https://doi.org/10.1080/02568540409595061
Slot, P. (2018). Structural characteristic and process quality in early childhood education and care (OECD Working Paper No. 176). Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. https://doi.org/10.1787/edaf3793-en
Sosinsky, L. S., & Gilliam, W. S. (2011). Assistant teachers in pre-kindergarten programs: What roles do lead teachers feel assistants play in classroom management and teaching? Early Education & Development, 22(4), 676–706. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2010.497432
Tizard, B., Hughes, M., Pinkerton, G., & Carmichael, H. (1982). Adults’ cognitive demands at home and at nursery school. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 23, 105–116. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.1982.tb00056.x
Webster, R., Blatchford, P., Bassett, P., Brown, P., Martin, C., & Russell, A. (2011). The wider pedagogical role of teaching assistants. School Leadership and Management, 31(1), 3–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632434.2010.540562
Whitebook, M., Phillips, D., & Howes, C. (2014). Worthy work, still unlivable wages: The early childhood workforce 25 years after the National Child Care Staffing Study. University of California, Berkeley.
Funding
This study was supported by Institute of Education Sciences [Grant No. R305A09053-10].
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mowrey, S.C., Farran, D.C. Teaching Teams: The Roles of Lead Teachers, Teaching Assistants, and Curriculum Demand in Pre-kindergarten Instruction. Early Childhood Educ J 50, 1329–1341 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-021-01261-7
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-021-01261-7