As schools finalise their staffing arrangements for 2025, experts believe parents should be concerned whether their childrens’ teachers are qualified to teach the classes they are allocated.
Out-of-field teaching has emerged as a contentious issue, with many educators being assigned to teach subjects outside their expertise. As the teacher shortage crisis continues to mount, educators are being forced to become flexible to fill these gaps and teach students subjects outside of the area for which they have qualified.
Deakin University’s Professor Linda Hobbs argues that this practice can affect student learning and can lead to significant gaps in knowledge, particularly in critical areas like Technology, Math, and English.
What is out-of-field teaching?
Out-of-field teaching occurs when teachers are assigned to teach subjects or grade levels for which they do not have formal qualifications or specialised training. This can happen due to various reasons, such as staffing shortages, timetabling issues, or the need to cover classes in rural or remote areas.
“Teaching out-of-field is when teachers are teaching subjects, year levels or phases of schooling where they’re not qualified to teach it,” Hobbs says.
“They might not have the disciplinary background in the subject to teach it, the teacher education methods training for it, or lack accreditation for teaching that subject.”
Why should parents worry?
Out-of-field teaching can lead to many concerns, such as teacher stress and lower quality of instruction, poorer student learning outcomes, and negative impacts on school and community.
“When teachers are in-field, they are more likely to be stable in relation to their professional development. With out-of-field teachers, it’s very up and down,” Hobbs says.
“However, in our research, we have identified a general trend upwards in terms of enjoyment and capability for out-of-field teachers.”
She says out-of-field teaching can be stressful and overwhelming, particularly for early-career teachers. This can lead to burnout and higher attrition rates, exacerbating teacher shortages.
Teachers may feel less confident and competent when teaching subjects outside their field, which can impact their professional identity and job satisfaction. It can also impact student learning outcomes, as teachers might not have the depth of knowledge or confidence to effectively teach the subject.
“What concerns me most is who’s being asked to teach out-of-field, and it’s often the early career teachers,” Hobbs says.
“Speaking to them, you can understand the challenge of a teacher who’s new to teaching and the range of things they have to learn all at the same time – and also the extra demands of having to teach a new subject.
“Part of the reason we’re in the situation we’re in is because we may not have the teachers that we need in the right schools, teaching the right subjects, and allocated in the right way within schools.”
The impacts of out-of-field teaching can be subject-dependent
In Australia, out-of-field teaching can be a more significant issue with certain subjects, such as mathematics and English. Hobbs says efforts to mitigate these challenges include professional development, mentoring programs, and support networks to help teachers adapt and succeed in their roles.
“In subjects like maths and English, some principals will say that they don’t put out-of-field teachers in charge of those classes if they can,” Hobbs says.
“Of course, some schools are not in a situation where they can have specialised teachers in those areas.
“In other areas like language and technology, it can be very difficult to find teachers that are needed.”
How does it affect students?
Hobbs says out-of-field teaching can lead to lower academic performance for students when their teachers lack deep content knowledge and pedagogical skills necessary to teach a particular subject. As such, she says students themselves may become less engaged and motivated when taught by teachers who similarly lack enthusiasm for a particular subject matter.
In schools with fewer resources, out-of-field teaching can also exacerbate inequities, particularly for those in lower socio-economic areas. Students in less-equipped schools are more likely to be taught by out-of-field teachers, which can widen the achievement gap.
“We can’t underestimate the impact on students, particularly when a teacher only teaches out-of-field,” Hobbs says.
“It’s important to look at who’s teaching students over time, and within that time, how often have they come into contact with an experienced teacher with the background in the subject they’re teaching.”
