Australia Association for Research in Education
Out-of-field teaching
What to do when our schools run out of the teachers they urgently need
When faced with a teacher shortage, often schools need to ‘make do’ and ask teachers to teach away from their area of expertise in order to staff classes. That’s called teaching out-of-field and sometimes teachers, put in that position, can feel unsupported and overwhelmed. The issue of teaching ‘out-of-field’ persists in Australia and internationally – …
Out-of-field teaching is out of control in Australian schools. Here’s what’s happening
Assigning teachers to teach in positions outside their field of qualifications or expertise creates complex and multi-layered challenges, yet it is happening in many Australian schools. I believe out-of-field teaching can affect the quality of teaching we provide in our schools, and the wellbeing of the students, teachers, parents and school leaders involved. So it …