How do they do it? : perspectives on being an educational assistant in an Ontario classroom

This qualitative study examined the roles and responsibilities of educational assistants from their own perspectives. Five educational assistants kept written journals and each participant was interviewed once. Findings were interpreted through a critical lens which allowed an examination of the relationships within the hierarchical power structure of the school system and where the educational assistants were situated. A grounded theory approach explained the factors which influenced the perspectives of the participants on being an educational assistant in an Ontario classroom. These factors were identified and organized in five major categories: 1) roles and responsibilities, 2) relationships, 3) communication, 4) changes, and 5) training. The interrelationships between these categories highlighted the complex nature of the role of the educational assistant. This study concluded that relationships and communication had a major influence on the perspectives of the educational assistants.