As schools lock in their staffing plans for 2025, reports show a worrying number of Australian school children are being educated by out-of-field teachers, an issue that experts warn is contributing to sub-par outcomes in important subjects such as maths, science and digital technologies.
Recent studies show Australia’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) qualified teacher shortage is growing and is projected to affect up to 70,000 students annually by 2030.
Worryingly, out-of-field teaching rates for maths reaching are as high as 32%, contributing to a slide in student outcomes in these key learning areas.
To combat this, some universities have been rolling out microcredential courses for out-of-field mathematics and science teachers. But in the meantime, the teacher shortage continues to put a strain on many schools, forcing educators to become flexible to fill these gaps and teach students subjects outside of the area for which they have qualified.
Professor Linda Hobbs of Deakin University says 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,” Professor Hobbs told MCERA recently.
What concerns Professor Hobbs most is who's being asked to teach out-of-field.
“Often the early career teachers,” she said. “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.”
Professor Hobbs said teacher shortages are compounded by poor allocation, with schools lacking the right teachers in the right roles or subjects.
“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,” Professor Hobbs said. “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, Professor Hobbs noted.
“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,” she said.
“As such, 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 exacerbate inequities, particularly for those in lower socio-economic areas, Professor Hobbs said, pointing out that 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,” Professor Hobbs said.
“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.”