An exploration of the lived experiences of classroom assistants who support children with social, behavioural and/or emotional wellbeing needs in primary schools in Northern Ireland

Despite these increasing numbers and the central role they play in the classroom, a review of the literature revealed a lack of studies that exclusively elicited and explored CAs perspectives and lived experience. The current study aimed to explore the lived experiences of eight CAs supporting a child or young person (CYP) with Social, Behavioural and/or Emotional Wellbeing (SBEW) needs in mainstream classrooms in Northern Ireland (NI).

A qualitative methodology using semi-structured interviews was applied for data collection. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was utilised as the method of analysis. During the analytical process, five group experiential themes (GETs) emerged as significant to participants’ experiences of supporting CYP, including: the influence of external factors on internal experiences, walking the tightrope of CA responsibilities in the role, Sense of low self-worth, keys to empowering and effective practice and the difficulty of what’s expected and dealing with what’s expected.