Out-of-field teaching: Sustaining quality teaching (Teaching Across Subject Boundaries [TASB] Project)

Teaching out-of-field (teaching a subject without qualifications) is a rising concern internationally, and is linked to attrition, stress, and reduced student learning outcomes. With a comparatively high percentage of out-of-field teachers, Australia is exposed to significant social, economic and educational costs. Through the development of longitudinal case studies, this project investigates the changing landscape of teacher perceptions and practices over three years, within school institutional cultures relating to teacher assignment, support, and out-of-field mathematics and science teaching. Outcomes of the project will inform the development of system and school policy and practice in dealing with this internationally pervasive issue.

Team members:

• Dr. Linda Hobbs (Lead),
• Associate Professor Coral Campbell,
• Professor Russell Tytler,
• Professor Colleen Vale,
• Dr. Robert Whannell,
• Dr. Frances Quinn,
• Associate Professor Terry Lyons

Funding: ARC Discovery, DP 1500102089

Publications:

• Hobbs, L., du Plessis, A.E., Quinn F. & Rochette, E. (2019). Examining the complexity of the out-of-field teacher experience through multiple theoretical lenses. In L. Hobbs & G. Törner (Eds.), Examining the Phenomenon of “Teaching Out-of-field”: International Perspectives on Teaching as a Non-specialist (pp. 87-128). Dordrecht: Springer.
• Du Plessis, A.E., Hobbs, L., Luft, J.A., & Vale, C. (2019). The Out-of-field teacher in context: The impact of the school context and environment. In L. Hobbs & G. Törner (Eds.), Examining the Phenomenon of “Teaching Out-of-field”: International Perspectives on Teaching as a Non-specialist (pp. 217-242). Dordrecht: Springer.
• Vale, C. & Drake, P. (2019). Attending to out-of-field teaching: Implications of and for education policy. In L. Hobbs & G. Törner (Eds.), Examining the Phenomenon of “Teaching Out-of-field”: International Perspectives on Teaching as a Non-specialist (pp. 195-216). Dordrecht: Springer.
• Hobbs, L., Campbell, C., Speldewinde, C. & Quinn, F. (2018) Teacher professional learning on the fly: Using metaphor to understand teacher learning when teaching out-of-field. Paper presented to ECER, September 2018, Bolgna, Italy.
• Hobbs, L., Campbell, C., Speldewinde, C., Quinn, F., Whannell, Lyons, T., Vale, C. (2018). Learning to teach out-of-field is like re-inflating a deflated football Paper presented to the annual meeting of ASERA, July 2018.
• Quinn, F., Hobbs, L., Lyons, T., Campbell, Speldewinde (2017). A cultural-historical activity theory analysis of teaching science out-of-field. Paper presented to the annual meeting of the ESERA, Dublin, 21-25 August, 2017.
• Vale, C. (2016). Out-of-field teaching: a contested concept. Paper presented to the ICME discussion group, 2016.
• Hobbs, L., Campbell, C., Speldewinde, C. & Quinn, F. (2016). Learning to teach out-of-field:
  The influence of school culture and rurality. Paper Presented to ECER, August 25, 2014, Dublin, Ireland.
• Quinn, F., Hally, L., Hobbs, L., Speldewinde C. & Vale, C. (2016). Naught, sought and fraught: Tensions in Professional Development for science, IT & maths teachers operating out-of-field in small rural schools in NSW, Australia. Paper presented to IOSTE, 2016.
• Vale, C. (2016). Beliefs about Mathematics and Teaching when Crossing Subject Boundaries to Teach Mathematics. Paper presented to MERGA 2016.
• Vale, C. (2016). Out-of-field teaching As boundary crossing. Paper presented to PME 2016.
• Speldewinde, C., Hobbs, L., & Campbell, C. (2016). Straddling The Boundary: Early Career Teachers Adapting To Teaching Across Subject Disciplines. Paper presented to the annual meeting of the European Education Research Association, European Conference on Educational Research, Dublin, 23-26 August, 2016.
•  Hobbs, L., Campbell, C. Quinn, F., Hally, L., Lyons, T., & Vale, C. (2016). Learning to teach out-of-field: The influence of school culture and rurality. Paper presented to the annual meeting of the European Education Research Association, European Conference on Educational Research, Dublin, 23-26 August, 2016.
• Hobbs, L., Vale, C., Quinn, F., Tytler, R., Lyons, T., Whannell, R., Campbell, C., Spedlewinde, C., Hally, L.A., du Plessis, A. (2015). Using video to examine the practices of teachers as they teach across subject boundaries. Paper presented to the Contemporary Approaches to Research in Mathematics, Science, Health and Environmental Education, Deakin University, Melbourne, 25-26 November 2015.