What to do when our schools run out of the teachers they urgently need

Linda Hobbs, Russell Tytler, Peta White and Jill Brown

By Linda Hobbs, Russell Tytler, Peta White and Jill Brown
Community contribution / May 6, 2021

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 ...

PE Teacher (with one other subject) - St Francis College, CRESTMEAD

St Francis College Crestmead Queensland

Teaching - Secondary / Dec 28, 2024

P-6 Teacher - St Francis College, CRESTMEAD

St Francis College Crestmead Queensland

Teaching - Secondary / Dec 28, 2024

Veritas Blackburn

Teaching - Primary / Dec 27, 2024

By Linda Hobbs, Russell Tytler, Peta White and Jill Brown

Community

Associate Professor Linda Hobbs is a Science and STEM educator and has researched in the area of out-of-field teaching for over 12 years. Professor Russell Tytler is Alfred Deakin Professor of Science Education at Deakin University, and has published widely on student and teacher learning, and interdisciplinarity in STEM. Dr Peta White is a science and environmental education senior lecturer at Deakin University with research interests including science and biology education; sustainability, climate change, and environmental education; and collaborative/activist research. Dr Jill Brown is a mathematics educator and researcher and Course Director of the Graduate Certificate Secondary Mathematics.

Similar news

Opinion / We need an urgent review of how literacy and numeracy are taught in primary schools Opinion / Our Acting Education Minister needs to stop running teachers into the ground School news / NSW risks running out of teachers: union

Latest comments

Great article, Sarah. At my last school staff were told not have Facebook accounts! Is there any wonder that we have ...

— Greg Cudmore on Intruder Alert: Can School Leaders Lawfully ‘Spy’ On Teachers Via Social Media?

Top events

Professional Development / August 23, 2024 / 2025 Filmmaking Summer School

School news / Christmas bonus: new deal for independent school teachers and staff

In welcome news just before Christmas, the Independent Education Union of Australia NSW/ACT branch has reached a deal with the Association of Independent Schools NSW (AIS) that includes substantial pay rises and improved conditions in new three-ye...

School news / How parental identity shapes education spending, challenges cultural stereotypes

How much parents spend on their children’s education has a big impact on family well-being and a country’s overall development. While past studies suggested that ethnic and racial backgrounds affect this spending, they lacked solid experimental pr...

School news / Fact or fiction? Teaching kids better sleeping habits the stuff of fairytales

Some traditional fairy tales and classic children’s fiction that have soothed many a child to sleep may also provide accessible and engaging ways to discuss healthy sleep with children, researchers in the Christmas issue of The BMJ suggest.

School news / Adolescents experiencing depression or anxiety at unprecedented levels: new research

Around three-out-of-four adolescents in Australia experience clinically significant depression or anxiety symptoms, with most being chronic, according to a new study.

School news / ‘Treat us like humans’: alarming rise in out-of-home care kids

The number of vulnerable children in “substandard” residential care is rising in Australia’s worst-hit state, causing a $500 million budget blowout.

School news / New project boosts confidence in teaching at-risk youth about sexual consent

The Consent Matters pilot project led by Sexual Health Victoria and Women’s Health in the South East is helping thousands of youths outside the mainstream education system understand affirmative consent, as highlighted by an evaluation report rele...

School news / New program to improve young people’s social media literacy and self-compassion

A pilot evaluation of the first evidence-informed, strength based, digital eLearning program developed for Australian secondary schools to support body image and online safety of young people, has shown significant benefits of the program for stud...

School news / Global prize summit explores ways to strengthen learner and educator resilience

This year’s Yidan Prize Summit in Hong Kong has offered a robust platform for education leaders, researchers, policymakers and philanthropists globally to exchange ideas on innovative means to build resilience in a fast-changing world.

Opinion / Emotional intelligence: a fundamental tool for all school leaders

It has been many years now since renowned psychologist and journalist Daniel Goleman first began writing about emotional intelligence.

Leadership / The link between self-regulation and academic success: ground-breaking new study

Self-regulation, the ability to manage your own thoughts, emotions and behaviour, begins to develop in the preschool years and its impact is felt well into adult life.

Comments