The increasing prevalence of out-of-field teaching in Australian schools is sparking concerns among educators, parents, and policymakers, with experts warning of its impact on student outcomes.
Out-of-field teaching refers to teachers being assigned to subjects outside their qualifications or expertise. This practice, often driven by teacher shortages and budget constraints, is becoming more common across the country. However, research suggests it may be detrimental to students, particularly in key subject areas such as Technology, Mathematics, and English.
Professor Linda Hobbs, associate head of school (research) at Deakin University’s School of Education, is an expert in science and STEM education. She has extensively studied teacher workforce issues, including the effects of out-of-field teaching.
“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 explained.
“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.”
Hobbs highlighted that early career teachers are often those most affected by out-of-field teaching.
“New teachers face the additional challenge of teaching subjects they’re not familiar with, on top of navigating the early stages of their professional development,” she said.
“New teachers who teach out-of-field face the additional challenge of having to teach subjects they’re not familiar with, on top of their early professional development. 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.”
She also noted the particular challenges in finding qualified teachers for subjects like Languages and Technology, which can significantly impact student learning.
“The key to maintaining teacher quality is the amount of support teachers receive in their school while learning to teach a new subject,” Hobbs noted.
Solutions such as targeted professional development and improved workforce planning may be required to ensure students receive high-quality education from teachers with the right expertise.