Professional development provision for primary teaching assistants : the case of one international school in Laos

There are a growing number of professional development provisions in many educational institutions. This is because professional development is regarded as the key learning opportunity to enhance work performance for teams, individuals and organisations. However, problems arise when professional development may not be adequately provided, despite the awareness of educational institutions and senior leaders about its importance and the benefits it brings. Leaders play a vital role in ensuring that professional development is appropriately provided to meet the needs of everyone in the organisation. Senior leaders have also become a significant force in the professional learning context as their expertise and knowledge are widely utilised as the key elements to build an ongoing development climate and learning community. This research study examines the professional development provision for primary teaching assistants at one international school in Laos. The role of teaching assistants is becoming increasingly important and more complex because today’s classroom is functioning in a more demanding environment than in the past. Teaching assistants, therefore, are the key people who play pastoral and pedagogical roles to assist many stakeholders in achieving teaching and learning outcomes. However, the literature and the study on professional development for teaching assistants are less recognised and targeted. Although teaching assistants are asked to perform multiple roles, there is a lack of clarity around their professional development. This research takes the form of a qualitative case study that employs three research instruments: semi-structured interviews, a focus group interview and an open-ended questionnaire. ... The study shows that there is a need for an investment in professional development provision for teaching assistants if senior leaders want to promote the quality of teaching assistants in teaching and learning