Thesis - Out-of-Field Teaching PDF

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1 Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION Rationale Undoubtedly, one of the most important factors in shaping the learning and growth of students is the quality of teaching teachers provide. However, making sure that classrooms are filled with qualified teachers is a perennial issue in many schools globally (Sen, 20...

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Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION Rationale Undoubtedly, one of the most important factors in shaping the learning and growth of students is the quality of teaching teachers provide. However, making sure that classrooms are filled with qualified teachers is a perennial issue in many schools globally (Sen, 2010). One of the least recognized causes of these issues is the phenomenon whereby non-education teachers are made to teach subjects for which they have little education or training. This has been an important but long recognized problem in schools and in education in general (Cobbold, 2010). In the United States, for instance, schools had between 17 - 22 percent of their core classes taught by a teacher who was not a graduate of education courses or even someone who possesses a subject-related degree or certification. Particularly for English, for instance, one-fifth of all public school students enrolled in English classes in grades 7-12, or about 4,310,000 of 20,700,000 students, were taught by teachers who did not have at least a minor in English, Literature, Communications, Speech, Journalism, English Education or Reading Education (Ingersoll & Curran, 2004). This impacts the learning of the students (United States Education Department, 2010). In addition, apart from the problem in student learning as a result of having non-education teachers, US studies reveal the reality of teachers’ attrition. In fact, 25 percent of these teachers are ready to leave within their first year of teaching

2 because of the lack of training and experience in such field (Ingersoll, 2003, 2006). The negative impact of such high levels of inexperienced teaching are obvious (Rosenbaum, 1976; Elmore & Fuhrman, 1995; Guiton & Oakes, 1995; Bennefield, 1997; Urban League, 1999; & Haycock, 2000). As reported by Ingersoll (2002), for example, science achievement hits the bottom, given that even at the 12 th grade level, 41 percent of public school students in physical science classes are not being taught by someone with either a major or a minor in chemistry, physics, or earth science. In the Philippines, the existence of teachers who are not graduates of education is also pervasive. In other words, some of the subjects taught in primary and secondary level are taught by non-education teachers who have not undergone formal training for a couple of years. Though few studies were done regarding this issue (Ingersoll & Curran, 2004; Feng, 2005; Centre for the Future of Teaching and Learning, 2007; McConney & Price, 2009), which takes into account the prevalence of out-of-field teaching, it is surprising that there were no accurate statistical data that reveal how great the number of non-education teachers in the teaching field. This leads to setting the issue aside and giving non-quality training program for the said teachers. As featured by Wintersgill (2006) in her report about this phenomenon, non-education teachers in the Philippines who has a certification in one subject continue to be delegated frequently to teach classes in additional subjects for which they are often not qualified and prepared.

3 A 1999 survey conducted by the Department of Education shows that 45 percent of teachers teaching mathematics were non-education graduates or even non-specialists of the subject. The proportions are worse for science teachers, 60 percent of general science teachers because 59 percent of biology teachers, 79 percent of biology teachers and 82 percent of physics teachers were not staffed with adequately qualified teachers (Mullis et al., 2000; Organization for Economic Cooperation and Cultural Development, 1994, 2005; Wang, Coleman, Coley, & Phelps, 2003) who majored in the subjects they were teaching (Department of Education, 2000). This problem, admittedly, has adversely affected their quest for quality education, and could be largely attributed to the small number of teachereducation graduates who are specialists in such subject. In the local setting, school boards also face increasing difficulty finding and keeping certified teachers, especially in English, Math, Science, and Special Education. However, there seems to be lack of awareness on the issue and one of the reasons for the lack of awareness of this problem has been the absence of accurate statistics on out-of-field teaching has kept this problem largely unrecognized. Based on these reports, the issue of allowing a non-education graduates to teach not only in the country but in foreign countries, has been a problem in the education system. But it is disappointing to learn that there are few studies and research regarding the issue. But apart from the statistical data or the quantitative aspect of the issue, it is of best interest to explore the qualitative side of the story to study in-depth the existence of the phenomenon and its aspects.

4 Moreover, Hobbs (2013) as well as McConney and Price (2009) that the complicated lived experiences of these teachers are insufficiently researched, and insufficient research means insufficient understanding. Prior research has focused on the match between the quantity of schooling and years of schooling required for the job. This paper will take a different look at the issue by studying it in-depth and capturing the different experiences, struggles and triumphs of the teachers engaged in this particular phenomenon. Its purpose is to address the need to understand their experience, to ask how fundamental are their lived experiences and to focus on what is actually happening. Purpose of the Study The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study is to explore common themes from lived experiences of non-Education major teachers like me who are teaching in the elementary level. This is to unveil the complexities surrounding this kind of teaching as the fundamental meanings of our lived experiences are still overlooked. My interest in this particular topic originally stemmed from my personal experiences as a teacher and the experiences of some of my colleagues. The job of teaching, to my surprise, is very complex. One of the major complexities I quickly discovered, was teaching not in one’s field of study. In the schools in which I taught before my present school, misassignment was frowned upon and a rare occurrence. Teaching a subject for which one has little background or interest is challenging, to say the least. I have come to believe that it is also very

5 detrimental to the educational process. However, as I was admitted by the DepEd and taught at one of its schools, I, together with my colleagues were also faced with this certain phenomenon. Our experiences left us with a number of questions. Was teaching by a non-Education graduate a common practice also in other public schools across the country? If so, why? And how do these teachers cope with this challenging role? The latter made me more interested to delve into the topic, hence, the conduct of the study. An investigation of this phenomenon has the potential to influence policy transformation and education leaders’ decision-making about recruitment and support strategies while focusing on the needs of non-education teachers within the classrooms. Hence, this thesis offers new understanding about the teachers’ experiences in positions with implications for the improvement of retention of teachers and the provision of quality education to students. Furthermore, the thesis answers to a need to understand these teachers’ experiences better to develop suitable support and management for these positions, keeping in mind that they are the resources who direct the outcome of learning. Being a teacher myself, my passion to support teachers and aid them to reach their full potential within their classrooms motivated me to address this phenomenon.

Research Questions 1. What are the difficulties and triumphs of non-education teachers

teaching in the public elementary schools? 2. What coping mechanisms are employed by the non-education teachers?

6 3. What insights can the participants of the study share to their peers and the academe in general? Theoretical Lens In my desire to develop an in-depth understanding of the meaning of teaching as a non-education graduate and its effectiveness in teaching and learning environments, I anchored my study on Bourdieu’s (1979) Social Field Theory coined as Habitus. According to his theory, being-in-the-world amounts to a nonthematic circumspective absorption in everyday activity. The world is comprehensible, immediately endowed with meaning because we have been exposed to its regularities from the beginning. We therefore acquire dispositions or systems of dispositions: habitus (Bourdieu, 1990, 1997; Bourdieu & Wacquant, 1992). Habitus generates, without reflection are the patterned ways we interact with the world, that is, our practices that embody both actions and perceptions. There exists a mutually constitutive and therefore reflexive relationship between the structures of the world and the structure of habitus. The key concepts of Bourdieu’s theory confirm the complexities of teacher development and teacher change by focusing on the dynamic relationships between structure and agency within a social practice, pointing to the promise and possibility of social change through critical reflexivity. Bourdieu posits a situated critical reflexivity, that is, a reflexivity which is not separated from the everyday but is intrinsically linked to the (unconscious) categories of habit which shape action (Adkins, 2004). The concepts of field and habitus are central to

7 understanding social practice since the two concepts are produced and reproduced in relation to each other through social practice. Drawing on the theoretical constructs of Bourdieu’s social field theory, I presented several pervasive discourses, or dispositions, as narrated by the noneducation teachers. These discourses highlighted non-education teachers’ negotiations of conflicting habitus-field fits during their teacher education field experience. Understanding the dispositions and actions (habitus) within social practice fields, along with Bourdieu’s theoretical constructs, provides key insights for their situation.

Significance of the Study Seeing that all our nation’s classrooms are staffed with qualified teachers is an important issue facing our nation. It is also among the least understood. And one of the least recognized of these causes is the problem of teaching not in the degree they have graduated from or teachers being assigned to teach subjects that do not match their training or education. Studying the lived experiences of non-education teachers in Elementary can give significance; first, to the policymakers. This could have important implications for policy. This can be basis for policy solutions to the dilemma such as how to ensure sufficient supply without lowering the bar, which would simultaneously upgrade the quality and attractiveness of the job and many other educational policies. Second, to the Department of Education officials, as this study could provide additional information on the effects of employing non-education

8 teachers to teach among elementary learners. Moreover, core curricula for educators too often fall short of the depth and detail needed to successfully serve learner populations. Hence, the study could be a benchmark for further enhancement of the curriculum. Third, to the non-education teachers, and even the education graduates, the findings of the study would hear their experiences and sentiments in relation to their profession. This would give them a chance to voice out the daily issues they face as well as the difficulties they encounter in their teaching career. The knowledge gained from this study would offer a clear understanding of why teachers experience disparities between expectations of teaching and realities of the classroom, and how such disparities affect their performance and the quality of education they serve to the students. Fourth, to the learners, as they are the ones most benefitted, since quality education is the general objective of the study. Finally, to the future researchers, the study’s results will provide baseline data who will conduct the same field of study but could focus on different variables as presumably, there will other issues be worthy of further research. Definition of Terms The following terms are defined to gain better understanding of the study: Non-education teachers. Teachers who are not graduates of BS Education but were hired to teach in public schools. They only earned certification and were granted to take the teachers’ licensure exam.

9 Public School. A school that is maintained at public expense for the education of the children and youth of a community or district and which constitutes a part of a system of free public education, commonly including primary and secondary schools. Phenomenology. It is primarily concerned with the systematic reflection on and study of the structures of consciousness and the phenomena that appear in acts of consciousness (Husserl, 2015). Pedagogical Anxieties. It is the feeling of unease such as worry or fear when dealing with the method and practice of teaching, especially as an academic subject or theoretical concept. Delimitations and Limitations of the Study The study is limited to 14 elementary teachers in the public schools of Calinan District, Davao City. The sample size was limited to non-education graduates who are teaching in elementary public schools. The results do not accurately represent school district in other parts of the city, hence, generalizability was not achieved by this study. It was assumed that participants responded without preconceived biases when answering the questions during the interview. Therefore, the study is dependent on the teachers’ honesty in response to the interview questions. Furthermore, generalizability was limited due to a homogenous sample and time sensitive and natural settings that were subject to change.

10 Organization of the Study Whilst this chapter focused on the background of the thesis and placed it within a societal context globally, nationally and locally, the literature review in Chapter 2 offers literature on non-education graduates teaching at public schools and the existing research about this topic in the field. It highlights discussions in the literature about its prevalence in the global, national, and local setting and the different aspects of this phenomenon such as its implications to the teachers and the learners as well. Chapter 3 discusses the methodological approach of the thesis and informs the process of inquiry, settings, samples, ethical considerations and discusses the data gathering strategies involved. Chapter 4 provides thematic results while discussing data in specific clusters and units of meaning as they were found in the field. The thematic analyses discussed the lived meaning of non-education teachers in relation to their experiences, dispositions, emotions, perceptions and pedagogical content knowledge. The phenomenological exploration focuses on the relationship between the lived experience and the subject, which forms specific units of meaning such as dealing with insecurities and anxieties, lack of content mastery, lack of teaching strategies and techniques, being able to shape up and progress, having the necessary persona and attitude, amongst many others which will be discussed in detail through this chapter. Chapter 5 concludes with a summary of the findings and discussions as we as my personal recommendations.

Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE This section presents the literature, readings and articles that have bearing on the present study as taken from books, journal articles, magazines and the Internet. In exploring the issue of non-education teaching, several terms were often associated with this scenario, one of which is job mismatch. Hence, the literature on job mismatch was regarded as an important benchmark in this study. This study begins by presenting the importance of the quality of teacher/teaching to describing the phenomenon of non-education teaching and exploring the different aspects of this issue from the perspectives of various authors. Existing literature also revolves around the occurrence of non-education teaching and thoroughly discusses claims that this teaching is a global concern (Ee-gyeong, 2011), and widespread with implications with teacher turnover, attrition, retention (Ingersoll, 2011, 2003; Ingersoll & Curran, 2004). As opined by Bullock and Russell (2010), effective teaching, to achieve its goals, has a number of vital elements and one of which is the teacher. The students can be affected by what he says and how he says it. He believes that the teacher is the ultimate key to educational change. The composition of national

and

provincial

curricula

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the

development

of

benchmark

assessments are of little value if they do not take the teacher into account. The language teacher has a number of duties and responsibilities to guarantee language learning success. He must have knowledge and skill in the language.

12 On one hand, the instructor must have the knowledge and skill to teach the language. Also, the teacher must have the training, personality characteristics, and ability to teach the fundamentals of the language to the students. In addition, Ingvarson, Beavis, Bishop, Peck, & Elsworth (2004) emphasize that teacher practice in the classroom is affected by the content knowledge and pedagogical skills of the teacher, with the quality and the level of their qualifications deemed paramount. Hence, teacher capability has a direct impact on student achievement (Darling-Hammond, 2000; Higgins & Boone, 2011). Across the educational systems of the world, few issues have received more attention in the recent years than the problem of ensuring that elementary and secondary-school classrooms are staffed with qualified and competent teachers. Even in nations were students routinely score high on standardized exams, teacher quality is the subject of much concern. This is not surprising. Elementary and secondary schooling is mandatory in almost all nations and children are legally placed in the care of teachers for a significant portion of their lives. It is widely believed that the quality of teachers and teaching are among the most important factors shaping the learning and growth of students. Moreover, the impact goes beyond student academic achievement (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 2014). Teachers enter the education profession and are attracted to teaching as a career because of what they view as the role of the teacher (Anhorn, 2008). Educators experience contentment in their role as a teacher because of the

13 passion they have for teaching students and the subject matter (Loui, 2006). Despite the fulfillment and satisfaction many teachers experience in educating children in the classroom, Roulston, Legette, and Womack (2005) posited that 33 percent of teachers resign from the education profession within the first three years of teaching. An abundance of past and current literature supports that 25 to 50 percent of novice teachers leave the education profession within the first five years, showing an ongoing trend of the problem (Bang, Kern, Luft, & Roehrig, 2007; Ingersoll, 2011; Massengill, Mahlios, & Barry, 2005; National Education Association [NEA], 2006; Painter, Haladyna, & Hurwitz, 2007; Schulz, 2005; Yost, 2006). Globally, observers routinely tie the performance of teachers to numerous, larger societal goals and problems - economic competitiveness and productivity, juvenile delinquency, moral and civic culture, and so on. In addition, the largest single component of the cost of education in any country typically is teacher compensation. Along with a general consensus among many nations that the quality of teachers and teaching is a vital resource, there is accordingly much concern surrounding how equitably this resource is distributed within educational systems....