Les aides-éducateurs à l'école primaire : entre polyvalence et spécialisation, quelle efficacité pédagogique ?

Résumé Fr

This paper examines the situation of classroom assistants who were recruited three years ago in French schools. This research took place in 150 schools (academy of Burgundy) in which two age groups (8 and 10) were assessed both at the begining and the end of the school year. It concerned a large sample of classroom assistants (150) whose timetables have been collected to know precisely how their time is used in schools and how it may influence students achievement. First of all, the main results show that classroom assistants take part in a lot of varied activities, especially in academic fields. Secondly, those activities tend to have a positive impact on students achievement, particularly on the weakest ones. On the other hand, there is a break-even point when classroom assistants are very focused and devote most of their time to academic tasks; then, it can lead to a waste of students time. Finally, this research is interesting to both the teachers, in helping them in the way they make classroom assistants work, and to politicians to reflect on their professional abilities and employment.