Support teachers & collaborative consultation

In British Columbia, Canada, as in Australia, significant changes have occurred in the format of service delivery to children with special learning needs. This case study of two learning assistance centres situated in suburban Vancouver explores in detail the changing role of the support teacher; the Impact on school staff of more special support faking place in the regular classroom; and concerns about the collaborative/consultation model voiced by support teachers and regular education teachers. Specifically, the research questions investigated were: How is the support teachers’ role changing? Is the collaborative/consultative model being accepted by members of the school staff? Do the support teachers and class teachers have concerns that need to be addressed? Data were collected by examining all relevant learning assistance centre paperwork, observing support teachers’ daily work, conducting interviews, and analysing responses to a questionnaire administered to class teachers and administrators. Overall, this examination suggests that support teachers and class teachers need practical support and consideration if they are to meet the challenges of their changing roles. Specifically, they need time for consulting, ongoing inservice training, and the sharing of responsibilities, and decision‐making, as well as time to adjust to the new demands and pressures of their roles. This research addresses issues which are as important to Australian teachers as they are to Canadian teachers. If is of current interest because the insights arrived at concern the dynamics of special educators’ changing roles and the use of collaborative consultation models.