CHALLENGES IN THE WORK OF A TEACHER’S ASSISTANT: METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS OF THE STUDY

Abstract

The article deals with the relevance of the problem of implementation of inclusive education in Ukraine. One of the conditions for this is the availability and effectiveness of a team of psychological and pedagogical support for students with special educational needs. Based on the analysis of the regulatory framework relating to inclusion in the education sector it is noted that today the issues of inclusive education, and the formation of an inclusive educational environment remain are still unsolved. Besides, the tasks and job responsibilities of a teacher's assistant / educator are not fully defined.

The purpose of the article is to analyse the specifics of the work of teacher’s assistant / educator in general secondary education institutions with inclusive education. The typical functions of an assistant in the inclusive environment (diagnostic, prognostic, organisational and educational, developmental and motivational, advisory, resource, and reflective) are revealed. The results of a study of stress factors in the work of teacher’s assistants / educators which was conducted within the All-Ukrainian Interdisciplinary Conference “Inclusive Education: Idea, Strategy, Result” (based on the Inclusive Resource Centre of Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University, 23–24 April 2023) are presented. The main difficulties in the work of a teacher’s assistant / educator in the inclusive educational environment are identified, including the following: poor methodological support for assistant work (lack of practice-oriented recommendations, methodological manuals, manuals on individual support for students with SEN); lack of practical support for teachers and heads of educational institutions in solving specific problems and disputable situations related to inclusive education; formal attitude of the members of the psychological and pedagogical support team to their job duties; bureaucracy of the educational process, etc.

Prospects for further scientific research include studying relevant examples of foreign experience on this issue.