This article reports on a small-scale study which explored the perceptions of learning support assistants (LSAs) about how they facilitate learner agency and wellbeing, two key facets of the capability approach. Interviews were conducted with ten LSAs working in an international school to investigate whether LSAs support aspects of this theoretical framework within their role, where their efficacy is often valued by the quantity of time they spend with the child rather than the quality of the support provided. The capability approach was utilised as an analytic framework by using the four capability approach categories which Sen (1999) argues can evaluate human life: wellbeing achievements, agency achievements, wellbeing freedoms, and agency freedoms. The findings from the study indicate that whilst LSAs did support key aspects of the capability approach, they felt unsure if every part of their role could be based on it due to a range of factors beyond their control, such as parental expectations and the school’s deployment of the LSAs. Possibilities for future research, such as the impact of higher-education on LSAs’ ability to further the capability approach, are discussed briefly.

本文报告了一项小规模研究，该研究探讨了学习支持助手（LSA）关于他们如何促进学习者的能力和幸福感的认识，这是能力方法的两个关键方面。对在国际学校工作的十个LSA进行了访谈，以调查LSA是否在其职责范围内支持该理论框架的各个方面，其中LSA的效力通常取决于他们与孩子在一起的时间而不是所提供支持的质量。能力方法被用作分析框架，使用了森（1999）认为可以评估人类生活的四个能力方法类别：幸福成就，代理成就，幸福自由和代理自由。该研究的结果表明，尽管LSA确实支持能力方法的关键方面，但他们由于不确定的一系列因素（例如父母的期望和学校的部署）而不确定自己的角色的每个部分是否都可以以此为基础。 LSA。简要讨论了未来研究的可能性，例如高等教育对LSA推动能力方法发展的能力的影响。