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oai:figshare.com:article/32641587 2026-10-01T16:22:03Z portal_1172 item_type_8 month_year_10_2026

Factors contributing to the job satisfaction of classroom assistants supporting autistic children in mainstream primary and post-primary education in Northern Ireland Veronica McKeever (24170091) PUREID: 650731088 Classroom Assistants job satisfaction Autism mainstream provision Research shows one in 100 children is diagnosed with autism, with over 70% educated in mainstream schools. To support their inclusion, some may need a classroom assistant (CA). Recent studies in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland highlight that autism is the main reason for CA support. However, due to the high demand for CAs and high levels of staff turnover, there are many vacant CA positions. This study takes a strengths-based approach to determine job satisfaction (JS) factors of CAs supporting children and young people (CYP) in mainstream provisions. Upon completing a literature search, no research was returned on the JS of CAs supporting autistic CYP. Therefore, an exploratory sequential design was employed to establish which factors contribute to CAs JS. Interviews with eleven CAs were analysed using template analysis (Ta), revealing five first-level themes: respect for the CA role, collaboration, structural factors, child-centred approach, and personal factors, that influenced CAs' JS. The second-level themes from the Ta were used to create hypothetical statements using a Likert scale of 1-9 (strongly disagree to strongly agree) for the broader CA population supporting autistic pupils to agree or disagree with. Two-hundred and forty-two CAs supporting autistic pupils in mainstream provisions completed the survey. Results showed that participants agreed all five factors contributed to their JS, with collaboration being the top-rated factor. The findings align with previous research. Theories of JS, practical implications, and limitations are discussed.  <br><i><br>Thesis is embargoed until 31st December 2027.</i> 2026-10-01T16:22:03Z Text Thesis 10.17034/32641587.v1 https://figshare.com/articles/thesis/Factors_contributing_to_the_job_satisfaction_of_classroom_assistants_supporting_autistic_children_in_mainstream_primary_and_post-primary_education_in_Northern_Ireland/32641587 All Rights Reserved Open Access after 2027-12-31