University of Tasmania, Australia

Research has shown that while the presence of TAs in a classroom is seen as beneficial by teachers, this presence does not necessarily lead to improved academic outcomes for the students in mathematics. While TAs are often expected to support students who have numeracy difficulties, TAs often report that they receive none or minimal training or guidance in the most appropriate ways to do this. We are looking for interested RHD students to investigate the role of TAs in mathematics education in Tasmania (and/or beyond) using the following questions as a guide:

1. In what ways do TAs support students with their mathematical learning in primary (and secondary) school classrooms?
2. What is the nature of their interaction with students when teaching numeracy?
3. How do TAs interact with teachers, and how much guidance do they get from teachers?
4. What mathematical resources are available and utilized by TAs?

We would welcome proposals that address some or all of these possibilities, but are also willing to consider other proposals that may take a different direction.