References for teaching assistants: from role definitions to the ambiguities of supporting people with disabilities

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze in detail the duties of teaching assistants (i.e., teacher aides or paraeducators), as described in their legal frameworks. With this in mind, a solid examination of teaching assistant’s regulation across Brazil was conducted relying on Bardin’s method of content analysis. In total, 25 documents from a variety of legal sources were inspected, including the Brazilian Classification of Occupations (in Portuguese, Classificação Brasileira de Ocupações) and the policies focused on the inclusion of people with disabilities. The results were arranged into 3 main categories: nomenclature, competencies, and qualification. This survey revealed a range of ambiguities and inaccuracies in the regulation of this professional activity, which directly affects teaching assistants’ practice and might lead to an inconsistent interpretation of their duties and functions. The research also highlights that there is an urgent need to reconsider the roles attributed to these professionals as well as proposes an expansion of their responsibilities in order to significantly contribute to the qualification of these aides. In this context, qualification is considered essential to improve the process of inclusive education, ensuring that teaching assistants will be ready to satisfy students with disabilities’ demands and, doing so, promote a more inclusive, fair, and effective educational environment.