Annotation: The following text was one of the outputs of the project Systemic support for inclusive education no. CZ.1.07./1.2.00/43.0003 carried out at the Institute of Special Pedagogical Studies of the Faculty of Education of Palacký University in Olomouc. It provides theoretical and practical information obtained from a qualitative survey among teaching assistants throughout the Czech Republic. The text aims to define the basic legislative framework for the activity of a teaching assistant and the pre-graduate system of professional preparation. From the completed qualification, salary assessment and the related job assignment then follow.
Introduction
The qualification prerequisites for performing the AP profession are currently highly variable. In general, an AP can be carried out by a pedagogical worker who is an employee of a school. An AP works in a class in which a pupil (or more pupils) with special educational needs (hereafter also SVP) is included. The AP supports the teacher in ensuring smooth instruction within mutual cooperation. AP is currently one of the most widely used support measures for pupils with SVP. However, not all APs have the same qualification prerequisites. In this context it can be stated that not all APs can be experienced experts, whether in practical skills or theoretical knowledge and their subsequent application directly at the place of work.
Legislatively, qualification prerequisites are defined under § 3 of Act No. 563/2004 Coll., i.e., the Act on Pedagogical Workers. The above-mentioned prerequisites must be met by all pedagogical workers. They are: - legal capacity, - criminal record integrity, - professional qualification for the direct pedagogical activity performed, - health suitability, - proven knowledge of the Czech language.
Under Decree No. 317/2005 Coll., in its current wording, AP are included in one of the possible salary classes according to the type of education they have completed. The type of education completed also determines their scope of work. However, the basic framework of the qualification requirement is set by § 20 of Act No. 563/2004 Coll. for assistants in classes with children, pupils, and students with special educational needs (hereinafter also SVP). For clarity, these are presented here with minor modification.
Professional qualification can be obtained by:
a) university education obtained through study in an accredited study program in the field of pedagogical sciences, b) university education obtained through study in another accredited study program than in point a), and 1) education in a lifelong learning program carried out by a university and focused on pedagogy, 2) study of pedagogy, 3) completion of an AP study program carried out by a university or by an institution for the continued education of pedagogical workers (hereinafter “studies for teaching assistants”), c) higher professional education obtained by completing an accredited education program of a higher professional school in an education field with pedagogical orientation, d) higher professional education obtained by completing another accredited education program than in point c) and 1) education in a lifelong learning program carried out by a university and focused on pedagogy, 2) study of pedagogy, 3) studies for teaching assistants, e) secondary education with a school-leaving examination obtained by completing a secondary education program in an educational field with pedagogical orientation, or f) secondary education with a school-leaving examination obtained by completing another secondary education program than in point e) and 1) education in a lifelong learning program carried out by a university and focused on pedagogy, 2) study of pedagogy, 3) studies for AP.
Under paragraph 2 of the same section, in the case of assistants who perform auxiliary educational tasks, these opportunities to obtain qualification are added:
a) secondary education with a trade certificate obtained by completing a secondary education program and study of pedagogy, b) secondary education obtained by completing a secondary education program in the educational field focused on AP preparation, c) secondary education obtained by completing a secondary education program and 1) study of pedagogy, 2) study for AP, d) basic education and study for AP.
The above provides an overview of the legislatively defined conditions for obtaining AP qualification. The above range of different educational levels determines the level of remuneration for the work performed. The information can be shortened as follows. If a person has completed secondary education with a pedagogical focus, higher professional education, or university education, they are competent to perform the AP position. Another option is also courses within further education for pedagogical workers for AP. If a person has not completed pedagogical education, they must complete study in an institution for the further education of pedagogical workers up to a maximum of 120 hours. The graduate receives a certificate.
The possibilities for obtaining education in the individual regions of the Czech Republic will now be presented. In the Ústí Region, the Faculty of Education J. E. Purkyně offers a bachelor’s study program called “Sociálně pedagogická asistence.” This program is offered in full-time and combined form, and the standard study duration is 3 years. Graduates of the program can be employed in the organization of leisure activities for adults in charitable institutions, residential institutions, homes with home-care services, and centres for work with individuals. In the South Moravian Region, a similar three-year bachelor’s study program called “Sociálně pedagogické asistentství” is offered by the Faculty of Education of Masaryk University in Brno. This field is focused on educational work with children, youth, and adults from various socially disadvantaged environments. The mode of study is full-time and study lasts 3 years. Within the program “Specialization in pedagogy,” the Faculty of Education of Masaryk University offers a range of study fields focused on pedagogical assistantship, implemented through two-field study. Examples are pedagogical assistantship in natural science for primary schools, pedagogical assistantship in civic education for primary schools. Work with pupils with SVP is focused in “Pedagogické asistentství speciální pedagogiky pro základní školy.” It should be emphasized that a graduate of the combination of study fields Pedagogical Assistantship for Primary Schools and Pedagogical Assistantship in the relevant field for primary schools may continue to further master’s study in the relevant study fields Teacher Education for Primary Schools; only with a bachelor’s degree can one not act as a teacher. In connection with this, it can also be pointed out the low remuneration of graduates of the bachelor’s program acting as assistants compared with teachers. In the Olomouc Region, Palacký University offers a three-year bachelor’s study program in full-time and combined forms called “Pedagogické asistentství.” A graduate of this study field is qualified to perform AP functions as an educational worker, pedagogical assistant, or assistant. The last university offering a bachelor-level education for teaching assistants is Ostrava University in Ostrava (Moravian-Silesian Region) within the bachelor study program “Pedagogika.” Graduates of this program can work not only as teaching assistants but also as teachers in out-of-school care settings.
AP who have not met the prerequisites for performing the AP profession (see above) need to supplement their qualification by studying pedagogy or studies for AP. Study of pedagogy is oriented rather toward individual types of disabilities. Within studies for AP, information about disabilities or disability disadvantage is only one thematic area. (Standards for granting accreditation, 2010). Courses provided by other entities are offered in almost all regions (except the Plzeň Region). Providers of these retraining courses are usually schools, counselling institutions, the National Institute for Further Education of Teachers and Educators (hereinafter also NIDV), and other training centers. Both of the above are accredited by MŠMT, which, however, has not strictly defined time allocations. The time length is set by the Conditions for Granting Accreditation (in total this is 120 hours, 80 hours of theory and 40 hours of practice), but in practice the allocations vary considerably. For example, in Liberec under NIDV this course has 107 hours of theory and 40 hours of practice, while in the Moravian-Silesian Region under the Regional Center for the Further Education of Pedagogical Workers Nový Jičín – Opava branch this is 85 hours of theory and only 8 hours of practice. As a result, differing participant experiences occur in individual courses and, consequently, graduates have different profiles.
Partial results from the quantitative survey on education and preparation of AP
The aim of this survey was to find sufficient information about the current situation in the area of pre-graduate AP preparation. Selection of individual respondents was carried out in all regions of the Czech Republic so that roughly the same number of participating regions was represented in Bohemia and Moravia. A total of 838 respondents from 13 regions (the Plzeň Region had no respondents) and the capital city Prague participated in the quantitative survey. The basic data collection method chosen was a questionnaire. The questionnaire was validated through cooperation with experts from special pedagogical centers (hereinafter SPC).
The AP position was introduced into education to meet the corresponding support needs of pupils with SVP. An AP is competent to create conditions in the educational process that support these pupils in ways consistent with their individual needs. The need for AP in Czech education is still increasing; one reason is the long-term rise in the number of children, pupils, and students with SVP in regular mainstream schools. The statement is documented in Table 1 below.
Table no. 1 Number of teaching assistants 2005–2012
Data from MŠMT (ÚIV until 2011) come from so-called start-up reports prepared as of September 30 of the relevant year for the given school year. Cited from Michalík, J. General information on AP, ch. 2 Draft AP Activity Standard, UP, 2014 - working text.
Table no. 1 presents the development in the number of AP in the period 2005 to 2012. The columns show a yearly increase in the number of AP, which can be explained by the rising number of children with SVP in regular schools. Since 2012, according to statistics of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, records of AP have been split between those working with pupils with disabilities and those with social disadvantage.
Below is a table presenting a cross-section of possible courses used to meet AP competence requirements in the individual regions of the Czech Republic. The table includes both state and non-profit organisations.
Table no. 2: Courses for teaching-assistant studies (minimum time allocation 120 hours)
Graph to Table no. 2: Courses for teaching-assistant studies (minimum time allocation 120 hours)
From the table (and the graph), it is clear that the broadest offer of AP education is in the Hradec Králové Region, with 6 cases. A fairly broad range is offered by the capital Prague — 4 options. In Moravia, courses are available in the Olomouc Region in 3 educational institutions. Another option for AP study is provided by the Ústecký Region (2 options), followed by the Zlín Region and Vysočina (one each). In the remaining regions, AP study appeared in the past only once or irregularly, which is why it is not listed in the table.
University preparation of AP takes place at the educational faculties of individual universities, where study is designed as a 3-year bachelor’s program and a follow-up master’s /5-year/ program. Below is a list of universities in the Czech Republic that have an educational faculty, which means potential study opportunities for AP.
Table no. 3: List of universities in the Czech Republic
Overall, this means 9 universities in the Czech Republic that can contribute to training future AP.
Further in the pre-graduate preparation survey, AP were asked about the status of their highest attained education. The highest attained education can influence their subsequent practical and theoretical readiness to perform AP work.
Graph no. 4: What is your highest attained level of education?
Table to Graph no. 4: What is your highest attained level of education?
From the total number of 838 respondents, 27% (226) have university education. In terms of educational level, people with secondary education completed with a final exam prevail at 53%. 1% of respondents have basic education.
The next question was the way professional AP competencies were obtained. This subcategory was created in view of the variability of pre-graduate preparation.
Graph no. 5: How did you obtain your professional qualification as a teaching assistant?
Table to Graph no. 5: How did you obtain your professional qualification as a teaching assistant?
The largest share of respondents reported that they obtained professional AP qualification by completing an accredited education program for AP at an institution for the further education of pedagogical workers. In addition, respondents include AP with university education in pedagogical sciences, with secondary education with a final exam focused on pedagogy, higher professional education in a field focused on preparation of pedagogical assistants, and secondary education in a field focused on the preparation of pedagogical workers. Among respondents, there are also those teaching assistants who have no qualification for performing the AP function; this is 11%. These may be AP who, for example, are studying at university or another school, or who have not completed an accredited education program.
The next item concerned focus on educational topics within pre-graduate preparation. The aim was to identify those topics that respondents lacked during training.
Graph no. 8: Which topics were missing for you in your education/preparation?
From the graph shown above, it is evident that the largest share of AP lacked practice and concrete examples in their education/preparation. Even though respondents were mainly satisfied with information sources, surprisingly large parts of them lacked information from special pedagogy and psychology. The absence of information in the field of special pedagogy may be connected with the differing levels of education among individual AP. Given the fairly large part of AP with less than one year of practice, lack of practical information can also explain this.
Within AP education, a form including concrete practical demonstrations is preferred, which can most easily be transferred into practice. This finding should be taken into account when setting the future education system toward a higher percentage of teaching in the form of practical drills, experiential forms, and rehearsals with concrete materials. Responses from AP show that they themselves consider special pedagogy and psychology to be the core area in their education, which confirms the need to shape the future education module so that theoretical basic knowledge is represented and then translated into practical demonstrations and exercises.
Another item asked respondents about the actual availability of educational programs for obtaining AP qualification. Because of variability in education, this was one of the core areas.
Graph no. 9: How do you rate the availability of educational programs aimed at obtaining qualification for AP work in your region?
Almost identical percentages of respondents rated the availability of educational programs intended for AP work in their region between values 2 (very good) and 3 (good). Only 3% rated the availability of educational programs intended for AP work as insufficient.
The following items focused on the consistency of theoretical information and practical outcomes. The aim was to determine how satisfied respondents were with the theoretical information they obtained during pre-graduate preparation, specifically whether this information can be transferred into practice. Another element was the much-discussed AP job scope with real requirements that are in practice placed on individual AP.
Graph no. 10: Do you think that the duties assigned to you correspond to the competencies acquired during your preparation?
10% of participants in the research believe that the duties deriving from their profession do not correspond to the competencies obtained during preparation and further education. Conversely, 90% of the total sample of respondents agree with this statement. This indicates alignment between theoretical knowledge and subsequent practice. This is a surprisingly large group of respondents, given the unsystematic nature of education and the lack of AP work standards.
Graph no. 11: If No, in which areas do these duties not correspond?
AP mention that their duties are often linked to the scope of work and mandatory activities of teachers. APs especially indicate an overlap between the roles of their professional tasks and the content of teachers’ work. In second place, they request increased own professional qualification. The duties do not correspond in the area of performing auxiliary tasks that are unrelated to AP job responsibilities.
In the following item, respondents were asked to indicate in which area of professional competencies they lack required educational preparation. Its aim was to identify AP professional competencies.
Graph no. 12: In which areas of your professional competencies do you feel you lack the necessary educational preparation?
Table to Graph no. 12: In which areas of your professional competencies do you feel you lack the necessary educational preparation?
Also in this question, multiple options could be selected. Respondents lacked the most professional knowledge in working with pupils with behaviour disorders, which again aligns with practical experience; schools often mention a need for methodological guidance in the area of behaviour disorders. Surprisingly, 17% (the second highest frequency) of responses concern a lack of knowledge about pupils with SVP. These competencies were selected by research participants as the most important for the performance of the AP profession.
Conclusion
The analysis conducted as part of the project Systemic support for inclusive education in the Czech Republic concerns possibilities, parameters of education, and adequacy of educational content leading to obtaining the qualification needed for the AP position. The results presented by the analysis will significantly shape the proposed AP education system. A total of 838 AP took part in the research. Of the 838 respondents, 94% (785) were women, with the remaining 6% (53) being men. The average age of respondents was 38 years. Respondents were contacted throughout the Czech Republic. The largest number of respondents came from the South Bohemian Region (13% of AP), the second largest was the South Moravian Region (12% of AP), followed by the Olomouc Region (11% of AP) and the Karlovy Vary Region (10% of AP). No respondent from the Plzeň Region participated in the study.
In education, more than half of AP have secondary education with a leaving examination (53%), and 27% of those questioned reported university education. 1% of AP have basic education and 10% have a vocational path without a leaving exam. The largest proportion of AP (46%) completed an accredited education program for AP in an institution for the further education of pedagogical workers. By contrast, the fewest AP (3%) obtained professional qualification through secondary education in the field focused on preparation of pedagogical workers. In terms of supplementing or broadening professional qualification, additional courses were completed by a total of 45% of AP. These assistants further stated that the most beneficial for them were courses focused on work with children with intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder, and also courses focused on special pedagogy, pedagogy, or AP studies. Practice should certainly be part of AP’s further education, rehearsals of concrete situations with children with SVP, and visits to specific institutions. AP were also asked which topics within education/preparation were missing. From some responses it emerged that during education/preparation they most lacked practice or concrete demonstrations, and also topics from special pedagogy or pedagogy. AP also indicated that other knowledge, skills, or abilities they now need for their practice were not acquired in education/preparation.
The availability of educational programs intended for AP work was rated as good by 33% of respondents and as very good by 31%. Availability of continuing education was assessed similarly by AP, with 37% rating it as good and 28% as very good.
During pre-graduate preparation, 73% of AP were sufficiently familiar with which specific activities they can perform and at the same time what their duties and responsibilities are. A clear majority of AP (90%) believe their duties correspond to competencies acquired during their preparation and education. 10% of AP expressed, in the additional open question, in which areas their duties do not correspond to the profession. This concerns primarily overlap of AP and teacher roles.
Autori: doc. Mgr. PaedDr. Jan Michalík, Ph.D. doc. Mgr. Jiří Langer, Ph.D. Mgr. et Mgr. Petra Křížkovská Mgr. Veronika Švecová Reference list
- Michalík, J. 2014. Draft of the standard of teaching assistant activities. Olomouc: UP Olomouc – working version.
- Standards for granting accreditation. In: MŠMT [online]. 2010. v. [cit. 2014-08-14]. Available at: http://aplikace.msmt.cz/PDF/JMStandardyDVPP1a.pdf
- Act No. 563/2004 Coll., in current wording
- Decree No. 317/2005 Coll., in current wording
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