Empowering Para-Educators and Instructional Assistants: Increasing Mathematical Content Knowledge and Pedagogical Skills Through Targeted Professional Development

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 8:00 a.m. Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: Studies of Mathematics Professional Development (Table 6)

Abstract

As the roles and responsibilities of instructional assistants increases in K-12 schools, providing appropriate professional development for them because paramount. With backgrounds often significantly different than a teacher, using the same professional development likely won’t be effective. This research explores the impacts of a yearlong mathematics professional development designed specifically for instructional assistants. The professional development was designed to help build instructional assistants’ sense of confidence and efficacy while providing additional math content and pedagogical content knowledge. Using a modified version of the MTEBI, statistically significant increases in instructional assistant mathematics self-efficacy was found from the beginning to the end of the professional development.

Authors

• Brandon Sorge, Indiana University Indianapolis

• Karen Mutch-Jones, TERC

• Kevin Rose, University of Louisville