"Do I Have to Do It This Way?": A Look at How Expert-Led Trainings Can Affect Paraeducators' Job Performance and Job Satisfaction

Abstract

The project will consider how paraprofessionals are trained for their jobs and how this can affect how they feel about their place of employment. Paraprofessionals are called upon to provide service and care to individuals who need extra assistance. However, in order to properly perform specific parts of their jobs, they need to have proper trainings that explain how to execute these responsibilities. This project will examine how paraprofessionals are trained for their job by comparing the checklist of training required by one school’s HR department along with what is actually occurring within the classrooms they work in on a daily basis and how these trainings can affect job satisfaction based upon self-disclosure. Some of these responsibilities include taking proper academic data and behavioral data, implementing specific strategies such as when to offer an individual a break, and knowing when to give a consequence such as implementing classroom management strategies.

In this study, paraprofessionals will use rating scales to evaluate themselves and how they feel about their skills for particular tasks they complete on a daily basis such as helping students with toileting, following and implementing behavior plans, using sensory strategies, and modeling communication through the use of a communication device as well as their overall job perceptions. In addition, experts will be rating the paraprofessionals within their field of expertise, which means the Speech and Language Pathologist will rate the paraprofessionals’ performance in using communication strategies, the Occupational Therapist will rate the paraprofessionals’ use of OT/sensory strategies, the Behavior Therapist will rate the accuracy of behavior data and implementing behavior strategies, and the classroom teacher will rate the accuracy of academic data and pushing the students to become more independent within the classroom. Each expert will then lead a paraprofessional training session and provide tips and strategies that the paraprofessionals can then use when their students. Once all the trainings are completed, the paraprofessionals will rate themselves again and the experts will rate the paraprofessionals’ performance. These ratings will then be compared to the ratings conducted at the beginning of the project to determine if the trainings had any effect on the paraprofessionals’ job performance and job perceptions.