The examination of the supporting mode of teaching assistants and the learning outcome of SEN students in inclusive schools of Hong Kong

This is a General Research Fund funded by the Research Grants Council (RGC) of University Grants Committee in 2013. The project, lasting for 24 months, aims at identifying the difficulties and support mode of TAs to teachers and SEN students; as well as examining the effectiveness of the support mode in strengthening professional collaboration and students’ learning. Teachers and TAs working in the inclusive settings will take part in focus group interviews, classroom observations and questionnaire for examining challenges in local inclusive classrooms. A facilitation technique will then be introduced to an experimental group. The learning behavior and change in academic performance of student participants will be assessed for a year. Both quantitative and qualitative outcome will be collected at the pre-, midway, and post-intervention stages, by means of questionnaire, videotaping analysis, teachers’ reports on student participants’ academic performance, written individual feedback and strategic reflections. The local findings are of practical use and have potential impact on future training for teachers and TA, in regard to the skill validation driven by the facilitation technique and research practices on TA’s effectiveness in Chinese communities.

Funding Source: RGC - General Research Fund (GRF)