Education Case Study: A Plan for Carrying Out a Lesson Study Based on the Impact of Teaching Assistants in School

A Plan for Carrying Out a Lesson Study Based on the Impact of Teaching Assistants in School
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Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u 1.0 Introduction PAGEREF _Toc50830258 \h 31.1 Objectives of study PAGEREF _Toc50830259 \h 42.0 Literature Review PAGEREF _Toc50830260 \h 53.0 Methodology PAGEREF _Toc50830261 \h 103.1 Introduction PAGEREF _Toc50830262 \h 103.2 Sample and target Population PAGEREF _Toc50830263 \h 103.3 Research Approach PAGEREF _Toc50830264 \h 103.4 Data Collection PAGEREF _Toc50830265 \h 113.5 Data Analysis PAGEREF _Toc50830266 \h 113.6 Research Ethics PAGEREF _Toc50830267 \h 12
A Plan for Carrying Out a Lesson Study Based on the Impact of Teaching Assistants in School
1.0 Introduction
Teaching is a noble profession that needs different tactics to make it useful. Teachers, teaching assistants, and other stakeholders in the profession often consult on the best way to ensure that students get the most out of a teaching session. They do this through planning and lesson studies and using teaching assistants (Kang et al. 2015, p 685). A lesson study is a process of teaching improvement that involves teachers' collaboration in small groups where they meet to discuss the goals of learning and plan for the classroom lessons. Therefore, it is a professional learning technique that concentrates on learning, and the progress students make while teachers develop the best strategies to perfect a specific learning area. It involves observing how ideas work in a live classroom session with students and reporting the outcome for other teachers (Lusher et al. 2018). Teaching assistants, on the other hand, help teachers in teaching processes. They are undergraduate students, graduate students, secondary school students, and even elementary school teaching assistants. Teachers give all the instructions while the assistants only help to reinforce the learning instruction.
Teachers and teaching assistants have a more significant impact on the education process. There is always a need for them to collaborate and compare notes to ensure that teachers give their best during a classroom session. Some teachers are better than others despite attending the same training procedures. Unlike teachers, teaching assistants are varied in qualifications because others have not gone for professional training while others are still attending pieces of training. Teaching is a talent that is only enhanced through training, and those who have not gone through secondary education can teach effectively by applying the knowledge they learned in class. Different teaching assistants apply different techniques in teaching the same subject; hence, students have a favorite teacher in a particular area subject because of their teaching method. In a lesson study, such teaching assistants help boost others by sharing their teaching experience and technique.
Lesson study has borne fruits in different countries, including the UK and Japan. It has improved teaching techniques and the progress of students in both primary and secondary education levels. It has also helped develop new approaches to learning, like the assessment for learning, which assesses the impact of a learning process on students. During a lesson study process, the groups of teachers, which can be of two, use the data they collect daily in their teaching processes to identify and area that needs improvement and then developed a common technique to use in improving the identified area of weakness. A lesson study gives teachers and their assistants the privilege to have a case study of a small number of students to assess the learning outcomes of different areas subject. The same technique can also be used to determine a teacher's productivity or a teaching assistant in a specific field. This study, therefore, aims at determining the impact of teaching assistants in schools through lesson studies.
1.1 Objectives of the study
1 To determine the effectiveness of teaching assistants in schools
2 To assess teachers' opinions on teaching assistants
3 To assess students' opinions on teaching assistants.
2.0 Literature Review
Teaching is a profession that goes beyond school settings. Everybody is a teacher by nature because, as a parent, you have to teach your children how to be morally upright. Religious leaders also teach their followers how to follow the teachings and guidelines of that particular religion. The same thing applies to economic experts who teach entities on how to make timely investments and savings. Teaching in school and classroom scenario is very professional and needs carefulness because it determines the future of a person being taught. It is a process that needs effectiveness and professionalism. Teaching assistants help teachers in imparting knowledge to students, but how effective are they? How do teachers and students perceive them? This section samples the opinions and findings of previous literature on teaching assistants' impact in schools using lesson study.
Collaboration is a virtue that all people should possess. Sharples, Blatchford, and Webster (2016) suggest that teaching assistants are beneficial in a student's learning process in primary and secondary schools. They have the fresh knowledge and the drive to teach in many ways; hence they should be given a chance and all their expertise exploited. Because some of them have not undergone any training, there is a need to train them on teaching basics. It makes the teaching assistants learn about the ethics and methods of teaching essential in the teaching process. It is a study that Webster, Russell, and Blatchford (2015) agree with. The impact varies depending on different factors like their level of education and the passion for teaching.
Many schools use teaching assistants in the wrong way. Some teachers overload them with too much work in many subjects and classes. Webster, Russell, and Blatchford (2015) suggest a need to take action on how teaching assistants are treated. In a study, Webster, Russell, and Blatchford (2015) found out that pupils who were taught by teaching assistants did very well instead of those who never received the services of any teaching assistant. It is an indication that teaching assistants are doing a good job. However, they noted that some are not treated well, which is a possible reason for their underperformance. Treating them in the right way helps to improve their productivity because they feel a sense of belonging. The study concluded that teaching assistants are instrumental, but their working environments need to be enhanced (Webster, Russell, and Blatchford, 2015, p 128).
Lesson study is critical to teaching assistants. Takahashi and McDougal (2016) argue that lesson study helps develop student abilities because the study concentrates on the weak point and improves them. Lesson study is a collaborative way in which teachers help to identify where a problem is and address it. Teaching assistants need to make lesson study a part of their daily routine. The first reason for this is because most of them have not gone through formal professional training but only applying the general knowledge they acquired in class. Lesson study will help them in improving different areas of study where they are weak. It is also essential for teachers to help the teaching assistants in the brainstorming of lesson study. Teachers add to their experiences, which teaching assistants can apply to improve their classroom experience in their daily teaching practice. In a study, Radford et al. (2015) advocate for collaborations between teaching assistants and teachers in maximizing the outcome of a learning process through lesson study.
Students are always excited when a different face that is not a formal teacher engages them. They tend to grasp more when being taught by such people, maybe because they do not fear engaging them as they do not have strict rules like the formally employed teachers. Radford et al. (2015), in their study, found out that student is likely to benefit more from teaching assistants. The support that untrained teaching assistants provide is overwhelming and of substantial benefit. Many countries have employed few professionally trained teachers leaving gaps in the schools. The schools in these countries have decided to save the situation by hiring untrained teachers to help boost learning processes by bridging the teaching staff gap. Such teaching assistants are often underpaid, but they can do nothing on that prompt. However, Radford et al. (2015) carried out a study on special needs schools and found out that they are greatly affected by teachers' shortage. Teaching assistants have helped in this sector and are making significant progress. However, training is required to help deliver the best because children with special needs are a population that is hard to deal with owing to their physical, emotional, and psychological conditions.
There is a need to come up with a comprehensive and intensive graduate teaching assistant program. Dragisich et al. (2016) assert that the program is already in use in many regions, and it is instrumental in preparing the teaching assistants for the classroom experience. Once the teaching assistants have undergone the training, they will deliver more quality services than without the training and benefit student even more. Schussler et al. (2015) believe that the practice should be given priority to technical subject areas and special needs learning. These subjects include chemistry and physics, which are regarded are technical while special needs students should also prioritize training. Most students often need help in technical studies compared to less technical ones like humanities. In contrast, special needs students need special attention that can only be given by a trained teaching assistant. Lack of proper training has affected education quality, raising concerns about how the dignity of education should be lifted once again.
Lesson study is essential in the education sector as it enhances teaching. It is a practice that is spread all over the world. The learning practices of students and pupils and boosted by embracing lesson study. Dudley (2015) believes that leading teachers and assistant teachers can support lesson studies by joining study groups and sharing their knowledge. In such groups, teaching assistants need to be very vigilant and attentive to add to their ability to apply in classroom sessions with students and pupils. Dudley (2015) says that he agrees with other scholars like Charles Desforges, that all schools should adopt a lesson study and even practices beyond schools (p. 1). Teaching assistants should never miss any lesson study session because it helps build them. Students love these teaching assistants; hence another great reason they should always embrace lesson stud...