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The Relational Space of Teacher Aides and Teachers: The 'Ins' and 'Outs' of Inclusive Education

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Title: The Relational Space of Teacher Aides and Teachers: The 'Ins' and 'Outs' of Inclusive Education
Language: English
Authors: Claire Sinnema (ORCID 0000-0002-6707-6726), Joelle Rodway, Jude MacArthur, Rachel Cann (ORCID 0000-0003-3911-1253)
Source: Educational Administration Quarterly. 2025 61(2):282-322.
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 41
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Junior High Schools
Middle Schools
Secondary Education
High Schools
Descriptors: Inclusion, Foreign Countries, Students with Disabilities, Academic Accommodations (Disabilities), Educational Policy, Teacher Attitudes, Teacher Aides, Elementary School Teachers, Middle School Teachers, High School Teachers, Social Networks, Communities of Practice, Interprofessional Relationship
Geographic Terms: New Zealand
DOI: 10.1177/0013161X241313125
ISSN: 0013-161X
1552-3519
Abstract: Inclusive education is vital for the rights of all children to education to be met and teacher aides are key players in inclusive education efforts. But inclusive education policy aspirations, like other policies, often fail to be fully realised. In this article we focus on the inclusion of teacher aides in educational networks and the extent to which both teacher aides and teachers can access, borrow, and leverage each other's resources. Our investigation drew on social capital theory and social network analysis to provide insights into this aspect of inclusive education. We administered a social network survey to 701 educators in two communities of learning--comprising four and eight schools respectively. Our analysis involved whole network statistics, analysis of TA-inclusive dyads, centrality measures, statistical tests of the centrality measures, core-periphery analyses, and sociograms. We found that patterns of relational activity between TAs and other educators were low; connections (of any kind) were infrequent. While teacher aides were accessible to others from a network perspective, people did not directly access them. They were, despite policy aspirations to the contrary, rarely considered valued sources of knowledge and expertise or identified as collaborators. In most schools, teacher aides were on the periphery of the network. It is clear that ambitious and well-intentioned inclusive education policies are not yet working as intended. We argue for the vital contribution of the relational space--the relational ties amongst teachers and teacher aides­--to realizing inclusive education goals. In turn, we argue for educational leadership focused on belonging and inclusion not only for students, but also for all of the adults who support inclusive education aspirations in school communities.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1466244
Database: ERIC
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  Data: The Relational Space of Teacher Aides and Teachers: The 'Ins' and 'Outs' of Inclusive Education
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Claire+Sinnema%22">Claire Sinnema</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6707-6726">0000-0002-6707-6726</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Joelle+Rodway%22">Joelle Rodway</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jude+MacArthur%22">Jude MacArthur</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Rachel+Cann%22">Rachel Cann</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3911-1253">0000-0003-3911-1253</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Educational+Administration+Quarterly%22"><i>Educational Administration Quarterly</i></searchLink>. 2025 61(2):282-322.
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  Data: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
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  Data: 41
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  Data: 2025
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Education%22">Elementary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Junior+High+Schools%22">Junior High Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Middle+Schools%22">Middle Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Secondary+Education%22">Secondary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22High+Schools%22">High Schools</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Inclusion%22">Inclusion</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Students+with+Disabilities%22">Students with Disabilities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Academic+Accommodations+%28Disabilities%29%22">Academic Accommodations (Disabilities)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Policy%22">Educational Policy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Attitudes%22">Teacher Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Aides%22">Teacher Aides</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+School+Teachers%22">Elementary School Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Middle+School+Teachers%22">Middle School Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22High+School+Teachers%22">High School Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+Networks%22">Social Networks</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Communities+of+Practice%22">Communities of Practice</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Interprofessional+Relationship%22">Interprofessional Relationship</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22New+Zealand%22">New Zealand</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1177/0013161X241313125
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  Data: Inclusive education is vital for the rights of all children to education to be met and teacher aides are key players in inclusive education efforts. But inclusive education policy aspirations, like other policies, often fail to be fully realised. In this article we focus on the inclusion of teacher aides in educational networks and the extent to which both teacher aides and teachers can access, borrow, and leverage each other's resources. Our investigation drew on social capital theory and social network analysis to provide insights into this aspect of inclusive education. We administered a social network survey to 701 educators in two communities of learning--comprising four and eight schools respectively. Our analysis involved whole network statistics, analysis of TA-inclusive dyads, centrality measures, statistical tests of the centrality measures, core-periphery analyses, and sociograms. We found that patterns of relational activity between TAs and other educators were low; connections (of any kind) were infrequent. While teacher aides were accessible to others from a network perspective, people did not directly access them. They were, despite policy aspirations to the contrary, rarely considered valued sources of knowledge and expertise or identified as collaborators. In most schools, teacher aides were on the periphery of the network. It is clear that ambitious and well-intentioned inclusive education policies are not yet working as intended. We argue for the vital contribution of the relational space--the relational ties amongst teachers and teacher aides­--to realizing inclusive education goals. In turn, we argue for educational leadership focused on belonging and inclusion not only for students, but also for all of the adults who support inclusive education aspirations in school communities.
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    Languages:
      – Text: English
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      – SubjectFull: Inclusion
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      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
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      – SubjectFull: Students with Disabilities
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      – SubjectFull: Interprofessional Relationship
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      – TitleFull: The Relational Space of Teacher Aides and Teachers: The 'Ins' and 'Outs' of Inclusive Education
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