Abstract
The statistics describing the occurrence of the out-of-field teaching phenomenon highlight the need to reflect on and reassess the role of education improvement policies in its management. According to McKenzie et al. (Staff in Australia’s schools 2013: Main report on the survey, 2014), in Australia, 5% of experienced primary and 8% of experienced secondary school teachers say they might leave the profession. For early-career teachers, these figures are even higher, hovering between 7 and 11%. The report also shows that 18% of teachers are considering an alternative career, and claims that, of early-career teachers, 39.9% of primary and 43.4% of secondary teachers consider attrition, or are uncertain about their teaching careers. International statistical information about the out-of-field phenomenon makes the discussions offered in this chapter applicable to a wide range of teaching and learning environments.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Aladjem, D., & Borman, K. (2006). Examining comprehensive school reform. Washington, DC: The Urban Institute Press.
Almy, S., & Theokas, C. (2010). Not prepared for class: High-poverty schools continue to have fewer in-field teachers (Research report). Washington, DC: The Education Trust. Retrieved from http://www.data-first.org/data/are-our-teachers-knowledgeable-in-the-subject-they-teach-2.
Andrews, S. P., Gilbert, L. S., & Martin, E. P. (2007). The first years of teaching: Disparities in perceptions of support. Action in Teacher Education, 28(4), 4–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/01626620.2007.10463424.
Ball, S. (2012). Politics and policy making in education: Exploration in policy sociology. New York, NY: Routledge.
Ball, S. (2013). Education, justice and democracy: The struggle over ignorance and opportunity. In A. Montgomery & I. Kehoe (Eds.), Reimagining the purpose of schools and educational organisations: Developing critical thinking, agency, beliefs in schools and educational organisations (pp. 189–206). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24699-4_14.
Bandura, A. (1982). Self-efficacy mechanism in human agency. American Psychologist, 37(2), 122–147. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.37.2.122.
Bédard, M. (2015). Pedagogical autonomy and accountability: A recipe for improving academic results. MEI: Economic Notes. Montreal, Canada: Montreal Economic Institute. Retrieved from https://www.iedm.org/sites/default/files/pub_files/note0815_en.pdf.
Bernstein, B. (2000). Pedagogy, symbolic control, and identity: Theory, research, critique. Boston, MA: Rowman and Littlefield.
Bosse, M., & Törner, G. (2013). Out-of-field teaching, mathematics teachers and the ambivalent role of beliefs—A first report from interviews. In M. S. Hannula, P. Portaankorva-Koivisto, A. Laine, & L. Näveri (Eds.), Current state of research on mathematical beliefs XVIII: Proceeding of the Mathematical Views (MAVI) 18 Conference (pp. 341–355). Retrieved from https://helda.helsinki.fi/bitstream/handle/10138/42920/ad6_Current_state.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y.
Braa, D., & Callero, P. (2006). Critical pedagogy and classroom praxis. Teaching Sociology, 34(4), 357–369.
Buchanan, J., Prescott, A., Schuck, S., Aubusson, P., & Burke, P. (2013). Teacher retention and attrition: Views of early career teachers. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 38(3), 112–129. https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2013v38n3.9.
Collard, J. (2009). Constructing theory for leadership in intercultural contexts. In J. Collard & A. Normore (Eds.), Leadership and intercultural dynamics (pp. 3–21). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing Inc.
Cooper, J. M., & Alvarado, A. (2006). Preparation, recruitment and retention of teachers [Booklet]. Retrieved from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0015/001520/152023e.pdf.
Darby-Hobbs, L. (2012). Response to schools workforce issues paper. Retrieved from https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/education-workforce-schools/submissions/sub032.pdf.
Dee, T., & Cohodes, S. (2008). Out-of-field teachers and student achievement: Evidence from matched-pairs comparisons. Public Finance Review, 36(1), 7–32. https://doi.org/10.1177/1091142106289330.
Department of Education, Republic of South Africa. (2005). Teachers for the future: Meeting teacher shortages to achieve education for all. Retrieved from http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—ed_dialogue/—sector/documents/publication/wcms_161964.pdf.
Du Plessis, A. (2014). Understanding the out-of-field teaching experience. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:330372.
Du Plessis, A. (2017). Out-of-field teaching: What educational leaders need to know. Boston, MA: Sense Publishers.
Du Plessis, A. (2018). Barriers to effective management of diversity in classroom contexts: The out-of-field teaching phenomenon. International Journal of Educational Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2018.11.002.
Du Plessis, A. (2019). Professional support beyond initial teacher education: Pedagogical discernment and the influence of out-of-field teaching practices. Singapore: Springer.
Du Plessis, A. E., & McDonagh, K. (2020). Leadership for well-being: Managing the implications of the out-of-field teaching phenomenon. Manuscript in preparation.
Du Plessis, A. E., Gramotnev, D., Gramotnev, A., Hoang, N., Wang, J., Schmidt, A., … Roy, K. (2019). Initial teacher education’s (dis)connectedness to the teaching workforce: Implications for school contexts and the development of stable beginning teacher workforce. Manuscript in press.
Du Plessis, A. E., Hoang, N., Wang, J., Schmidt, A., Mertens, L., & Cullinan, M., … Cameron, V. (2018). Invest in the future of education: Building a stable and quality beginning teacher workforce. Critical factors for reform: Evidence from the field (Research report). Brisbane, QLD: Australia: Australian Catholic University.
Ekstedt, M., & Fagerberg, I. (2005). Lived experiences of the time preceding burnout. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 49(1), 59–67. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2004.03264.x.
Eppley, K. (2009). Rural schools and the highly qualified teacher provision of No child left behind: A critical policy analysis. Journal of Research in Rural Education, 24(4), 1–11. Retrieved from http://jrre.vmhost.psu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/24-4.pdf.
Freiberg, J., & Driscoll, A. (1996). Universal teaching strategies (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
Gillies, R. (2007). Cooperative learning: Integrating theory and practice. London, UK: Sage.
Gillies, R. (2009). Evidence-based teaching: Strategies that promote learning. Rotterdam, Netherlands: Sense Publishers.
Gillies, R., & Boyle, M. (2010). Teachers’ reflections on cooperative learning: Issues of implementation. Teaching and Teacher Education, 26(4), 933–940. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2009.10.034.
Glanz, J. (2003). Action research: An educational leader’s guide to school improvement (2nd ed.). Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon Publishers.
Gordon, B. (2007). U.S. competitiveness: The education imperative. Issues in Science and Technology, 23(3), 31–36.
Halász, D. C., Santiago, G. P., Elkolm, M., Matthews, P., & McKenzie, P. (2004). Teachers matter: Attracting, developing, and retraining effective teachers. Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/education/school/34990905.pdf.
Harris, K.-L., & Jensz, F. (2006). The preparation of mathematics teachers in Australia: Meeting the demand for suitably qualified mathematics teachers in secondary schools (Report prepared for Australian Council of Deans of Science). Retrieved from http://amsi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/36_ACDS_Prep_Math_Teach_Aus_Jul06.pdf.
Harris, K., Jensz, F., & Baldwin, G. (2005). Who’s teaching science? Meeting the demand for qualified science teachers in Australian secondary schools (Report prepared for Australian Council of Deans of Science). Retrieved from http://www.acds.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2015/04/teachsci.pdf.
Hobbs, L. (2013). Teaching “out-of-field” as a boundary-crossing event: Factors shaping teacher identity. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 11(2), 271–297.
Hoff, H. (2013). “Self” and “other” in meaningful interaction: Using fiction to develop intercultural competence in the English classroom. Tidsskriftet FoU i praksis, 7(2), 20–50.
Ingersoll, R. (2001). Teacher turnover and teacher shortages: An organisational analysis. American Educational Research Journal, 38(3), 499–534.
Ingersoll, R. (2003a). Is there a shortage among mathematics and science teachers? Science Educator, 12(1), 1–9.
Ingersoll, R. (2003b). The teacher shortage: Myth or reality? Educational Horizons, 81, 146–152.
Ingersoll, R. (2003c). Out-of-field teaching and the limits of teacher policy. Report of the Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy and The Consortium for Policy Research in Education. Retrieved from https://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1143&context=gse_pubs.
Ingersoll, R. (2006, January). Is there really a shortage of mathematics and science teachers? Paper presented at the Math Science Partnership Conference. Retrieved from http://repository.upenn.edu/gse_pubs/132.
Ingersoll, R. M., & Merrill, L. (2010). Who’s teaching our children? The key to changing the teaching profession. Educational Leadership, 67(8), 14–20. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/may10/vol67/num08/Who’s-Teaching-Our-Children%C2%A2.aspx.
Ingersoll, R. M., Merrill, L., & May, H. (2012). Seven trends: The transformation of the teaching force (Working paper). Retrieved from https://repository.upenn.edu/gse_pubs/241/.
Ingersoll, R. M., Merrill, L., & May, H. (2014). What are the effects of teacher education and preparation on beginning teacher attrition? (Research Report No. RR–82). Philadelphia, PA: Consortium for Policy Research in Education, University of Pennsylvania.
Ingvarson, L., Beavis, A., & Kleinhenz, E. (2004). Teacher education courses in Victoria: Perceptions of their effectiveness and factors affecting their impact. Retrieved from https://research.acer.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1003&context=teacher_education.
Johnson, B., Down, B., Le Cornu, R., Peters, J., Sullivan, A., Pearce, J., et al. (2014). Promoting early career teacher resilience: A framework for understanding and acting. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 20(5), 530–546. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2014.937957.
Jones, C. (2010). Practical problems of doing research across different cultures: Experience from the RACHEL study. Intensive & Critical Care Nursing, 26(3), 125–127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iccn.2010.01.003.
Joyce, B., Weil, M., & Calhoun, E. (2000). Models of teaching (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
Lingard, B. (2007). Pedagogies of indifference. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 11(3), 245–266.
Lingard, B. (2014). Politics, policies and pedagogies in education. New York, NY: Routledge.
Lingard, B., Hayes, D., & Mills, M. (2002). Developments in school-based management: The specific case of Queensland. Australia. Journal of Educational Administration, 40(1), 6–30.
Lingard, B., Hayes, D., Mills, M., & Christie, P. (2003). Leading learning: Making hope practical in schools. Philadelphia, PA: Open University Press.
Lingard, B., Sellar, S., & Savage, G. (2014). Re-articulating social justice as equity in schooling policy: The effects of testing and data infrastructures. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 35(5), 710–730. https://doi.org/10.1080/01425692.2014.919846.
Lonsdale, M., & Anderson, M. (2012). Preparing 21st century learners: The case for school community collaborations (ACER occasional essays). Retrieved from ACEReSearch website: http://www.acer.edu.au/documents/ACER-Occasional-Essay-Number_4.pdf.
Loveys, K. (2011, April 21). Scandal of the untrained teachers: Thousands don’t have degrees in the subjects they teach. DailyMail. Retrieved from https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1378908/Thousands-teachers-dont-degrees-subjects-teach.html.
McConney, A., & Price, A. (2009a). An assessment of the phenomenon of “teaching out-of-field” in WA schools (Final report). Perth, Australia: Western Australian College of Teaching.
McConney, A., & Price, A. (2009b). Teaching out-of-field in Western Australia. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 34(6), 86–100.
McKenzie, P., Weldon, P., Rowley, G., Murphy, M., & McMillan, J. (2014). Staff in Australia’s schools 2013: Main report on the survey 2014. Retrieved from https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/sias_2013_main_report.pdf.
Ministers for the Department of Education and Training Media Centre. (2018, July 9). Interview on ABC Radio Sydney Focus with Cassie McCullagh and Senator the Hon Simon Birmingham: Specialised STEM teachers [E & EO transcript]. Retrieved from https://ministers.education.gov.au/birmingham/interview-abc-radio-sydney-focus-cassie-mccullagh.
National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future. (2007). National commission on teaching and America’s future and Pearson achievement solutions partner to recognize exemplary learning teams. Retrieved from https://nctaf.org/wp-content/uploads/Chapter4.Carroll.pdf.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2005). Teachers matter: Attracting, developing and retaining effective teachers: Overview: Education and Training Policy. Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/education/school/34990905.pdf.
Panizzon, D., Westwell, M., & Elliott, K. (2010). Exploring the profile of teachers of secondary science: What are the emerging issues for future workforce planning? Teaching Science, 56(4), 18–40.
Productivity Commission. (2012). Education and training workforce: Schools workforce (Research report). Retrieved from Australian Government Productivity Commission website: https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/education-workforce-schools/report.
Productivity Commission. (2018). Report on government services 2018: School education, Part B, Chapter 4. Retrieved from Australian Government Productivity Commission website: https://www.pc.gov.au/research/ongoing/report-on-government-services/2018/child-care-education-and-training/school-education.
Queensland Audit Office. (2013). Supply of specialist subject teachers in secondary schools. Report to Parliament 2: 2013–14. Retrieved from https://www.qao.qld.gov.au/sites/qao/files/reports/rtp_supply_of_specialist_subject_teachers_in_secondary_schools.pdf.
Queensland College of Teachers. (2013). Attrition of recent Queensland graduate teachers: Report, November 2013. Retrieved from https://www.qct.edu.au/pdf/Retention_Research_Report_RP01.pdf.
Ross, J. (2018, April 28). Teacher shortage looms in Australia as entry requirements rise. The World University Rankings. Retrieved from https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/teacher-shortage-looms-australia-entry-requirements-rise.
Rutter, M. (2008). Biological implication of gene-environment interaction. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 36, 969–975.
Sayeski, K. (2009). Defining special educators’ tools: The building blocks of effective collaboration. Intervention in School and Clinic, 45(1), 38–44. https://doi.org/10.1177/1053451209338398.
Schueler, A., Roesken-Winter, B., Weißenrieder, J., Lambert, A., & Römer, M. (2016). Characteristics of out-of-field teaching: Teacher beliefs and competencies. In K. Krainer & N. Vondrová (Eds.), CERME 9—Ninth Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education, Feb 2015, Prague, Czech Republic (pp. 3254–3261). Retrieved from https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01289877.
Shepherd, J. (2013, March 31). More schools hiring unqualified teachers “to save money.” The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/education/2013/mar/31/schools-hiring-unqualified-teachers-money.
Sosu, E. M., & Gray, D. S. (2012). Investigating change in epistemic beliefs: An evaluation of the impact of student teachers’ beliefs on instructional preference and teaching competence. International Journal of Educational Research, 53, 80–92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2012.02.002.
Spelitsis, H. (2018, February 21). School’s suspension rates halved by good behaviour plan. Queensland Times. Retrieved from https://www.qt.com.au/news/revealed-ipswich-schools-suspension-expulsion-rate/3341142.
Tasmanian Audit Office. (2010). Auditor-General special report no. 90: Science education in public high schools. Retrieved from https://www.audit.tas.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/Science-Education-Report.pdf.
Tickle, S. (2018, April 10). “Every lesson is a battle”: Why teachers are lining up to leave. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/apr/10/lesson-battle-why-teachers-lining-up-leave.
Thomson, S., De Bortoli, L., & Buckley, S. (2013). PISA 2012: How Australia measures up: The Pisa 2012 assessment of students’ mathematical, scientific and reading literacy. Retrieved from Australian Council for Education Research website: https://research.acer.edu.au/ozpisa/15.
Törner, G., & Törner, A. (2010). Fachfremd erteilter Mathematikunterricht—Ein zu vernachlässigendes handlungsfeld? Mitteilungen der DMV(MDMV), 18, 244–251.
Usher, R. (2009). Experience, pedagogy, and social practices. In K. Illeris (Ed.), Contemporary theories of learning: Learning theorists…in their own words (pp. 169–183). London, UK: Routledge.
van Manen, M. (2016a). The tone of teaching: The language of pedagogy (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
van Manen, M. (2016b). The tact of teaching: The meaning of pedagogical thoughtfulness. New York, NY: Routledge.
Warnke, G. (2011). The hermeneutic circle versus dialogue. The Review of Metaphysics, 65(1), 91–112.
Weldon, P. (2015). The teacher workforce in Australia: Supply, demand and data issues. Policy Insights, 2. Retrieved from https://research.acer.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=policyinsights.
Weldon, P. (2016). Out-of-field teaching in Australian secondary schools. Policy Insights, 6. Retrieved from https://research.acer.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1005&context=policyinsights.
Zepeda, S. (2006). High stakes supervision: We must do more. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 9(1), 61–73. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603120500448154.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Du Plessis, A.E. (2020). Attention to the Numbers. In: Out-of-Field Teaching and Education Policy. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-1948-2_3
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-1948-2_3
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-15-1947-5
Online ISBN: 978-981-15-1948-2
eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)