“It’s Just a New Way of Looking at Learning”: Evaluation of the Mediating Learning Support Assistant (MeLSA) Training Programme

This feasibility study evaluated the Mediating Learning Support Assistant (MeLSA) training programme. Two cohorts (N = 16) of learning support staff (teaching assistants and learning support assistants) completed the MeLSA training programme that consisted of six-day sessions delivered over six weeks. The MeLSA training content focuses on applying psychology to support children’s learning within schools. Feedback was gathered from four learning support staff, using semi-structured interviews to evaluate the training programme. The interviews were analysed thematically. Learning support staff reported on the impact of MeLSA on developing psychologically informed thinking, valued aspects of, and suggested improvements for, the training programme, and the implementation of MeLSA in schools. Facilitating school staff to mediate learning through providing training is discussed as an effective approach for educational psychologists to support children and young people to become independent and competent learners.