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Scaffolding by teaching assistants in England: Exploring the interaction between practice and task structure.

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Title: Scaffolding by teaching assistants in England: Exploring the interaction between practice and task structure.
Authors: Ciletti, Lorenzo (AUTHOR), Webster, Rob (AUTHOR), Strogilos, Vasilis (AUTHOR)
Source: Support for Learning. Nov2025, Vol. 40 Issue 4, p247-253. 7p.
Subjects: Teachers' assistants, Learner autonomy, Children with disabilities, Teaching aids, Work structure, Classroom activities
Geographic Terms: England
Abstract: Internationally, teaching assistants (TA) support children with special needs and/or disabilities as they complete classroom tasks; meanwhile, teachers manage whole‐class instruction. Given the limited training for TAs, Bosanquet et al. (2020) developed an influential framework promoting TA effectiveness. Their 'scaffolding framework' encourages TAs to provide minor support, such as prompting, while children complete tasks. Accordingly, children retain independence, maximising thinking and learning. This study examined how different task structures, including open tasks, influence the strategies TAs use. Two focus groups were conducted with four TAs working in an English primary school. Through facilitated discussion, participants reviewed the scaffolding framework and commented on videos showcasing the practices of another primary‐school TA across open and closed tasks. Data were largely coded using the categories of the scaffolding framework. The findings reveal that TA support, such as prompting, is recommendable across tasks. In open‐task settings, TAs could also utilise more nuanced assistance, notably 'what else' questions. These encourage children to further elaborate on their ideas, leveraging the undetermined nature of open‐task responses. Such scaffolding opportunities are more limited in closed tasks, which require precise answers. Moreover, the findings illustrate that effective TA practice stems from open‐ended or closed tasks well‐suited to children's capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Support for Learning is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: Scaffolding by teaching assistants in England: Exploring the interaction between practice and task structure.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Support+for+Learning%22">Support for Learning</searchLink>. Nov2025, Vol. 40 Issue 4, p247-253. 7p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teachers'+assistants%22">Teachers' assistants</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Learner+autonomy%22">Learner autonomy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Children+with+disabilities%22">Children with disabilities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teaching+aids%22">Teaching aids</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Work+structure%22">Work structure</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Classroom+activities%22">Classroom activities</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22England%22">England</searchLink>
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  Data: Internationally, teaching assistants (TA) support children with special needs and/or disabilities as they complete classroom tasks; meanwhile, teachers manage whole‐class instruction. Given the limited training for TAs, Bosanquet et al. (2020) developed an influential framework promoting TA effectiveness. Their 'scaffolding framework' encourages TAs to provide minor support, such as prompting, while children complete tasks. Accordingly, children retain independence, maximising thinking and learning. This study examined how different task structures, including open tasks, influence the strategies TAs use. Two focus groups were conducted with four TAs working in an English primary school. Through facilitated discussion, participants reviewed the scaffolding framework and commented on videos showcasing the practices of another primary‐school TA across open and closed tasks. Data were largely coded using the categories of the scaffolding framework. The findings reveal that TA support, such as prompting, is recommendable across tasks. In open‐task settings, TAs could also utilise more nuanced assistance, notably 'what else' questions. These encourage children to further elaborate on their ideas, leveraging the undetermined nature of open‐task responses. Such scaffolding opportunities are more limited in closed tasks, which require precise answers. Moreover, the findings illustrate that effective TA practice stems from open‐ended or closed tasks well‐suited to children's capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Support for Learning is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1111/1467-9604.70005
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Learner autonomy
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      – SubjectFull: Children with disabilities
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      – SubjectFull: Teaching aids
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      – SubjectFull: Work structure
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      – SubjectFull: Classroom activities
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      – SubjectFull: England
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            NameFull: Webster, Rob
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            – D: 01
              M: 11
              Text: Nov2025
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
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