Unique contribution to the discipline

This research aimed to address an identified gap within the literature in relation to TA SE in relation to ASD. Previous research addressed the SE of teachers of children with autism (Dimopoulou, 2012; Ruble et al., 2013), or

TAs (Higgins & Gulliford, 2014); however, the TA who is often at the heart of the task had not been the focus of any published studies.

On the basis of extant research and the TA voice via focus group interview, a preliminary TA SE questionnaire was created. This merits further

development. As a standardised scale, the TASCA could be utilised to assess links between SE and measures such as impact of training, job satisfaction and support.

The four sources of SE proposed by Bandura (1997) were considered in relation to the qualitative data gained, with the theory felt to provide a valuable framework for analysis and future planning.

The small scale findings of the current study add knowledge and insight to the scarce research in relation to the self-efficacy of teaching assistants who support children with autism spectrum needs. The researcher thus believes that the assertion that: “the primary goal of research is, and must remain, the production of knowledge” (Hammersley & Atkinson, 1995, p.17) has been met.

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