Are you teaching out of field? Your input is needed

When Margaret Paton talks about teaching, it’s not from a distance—it’s from lived experience. As a journalist, former teacher and now a part-time PhD candidate at Deakin University, Margaret’s PhD dives into a subject many might not even realise exists: the everyday reality of experienced high school teachers who are teaching subjects they weren’t trained for—specifically mathematics and science.

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“My research focuses on high school teachers in NSW who are experienced but are teaching mathematics or science out-of-field — meaning they don’t have formal qualifications in the subject they’re assigned,” says Margaret. “I’m especially interested in how these teachers define success for themselves — not just how others judge them, but how they navigate that internal sense of being ‘good enough’ or even thriving in a role they didn’t train for.”

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While her research is still in its early stages, Margaret is drawing from existing literature to shape her inquiry. She highlights the work of her PhD supervisor, Professor Linda Hobbs, who introduced the concept of ‘discontinuity’—“the disruption teachers experience when stepping outside their subject area, which can challenge their professional identity and confidence.”

Professor Hobbs’ “Boundary Crossing Model” forms a core part of Margaret’s research design. But despite the challenges, Margaret says, “Hobbs also emphasises that with appropriate support and professional development, out-of-field teaching can become an opportunity for growth, leading to successful teaching experiences and enhanced job satisfaction.”

Other researchers, like Associate Professor Anna Du Plessis from the University of New England, have found that it can take three to five years for out-of-field teachers to build the expertise and confidence needed to teach effectively. In the U.S., Associate Professor Jim Van Overschelde’s data analysis from Texas schools has revealed a more sobering finding: students taught by out-of-field teachers in mathematics often experience significant learning deficits.

These insights highlight the stakes of Margaret’s research. In her words, they “underscore the challenges faced by out-of-field teachers and the potential implications for student learning.”

The next phase of her project is an innovative one: a private Reddit forum where up to 10 out-of-field teachers in NSW will discuss their experiences over six weeks. “I’ll be actively engaging with the group — joining the conversation, asking questions, and creating space for participants to reflect on what success looks like in their out-of-field roles.”

Margaret is excited by what this format might reveal. “I’m hoping this forum will uncover what I can’t get from one-on-one interviews: the way peer conversation builds a collective sense of success. What gets validated? What goes unsaid? What language do teachers reach for when they’re not being formally assessed, but just talking to other teachers who get it?”

She’s looking for NSW high school teachers with proficiency-level registration who are currently teaching science or mathematics out-of-field—or who have done so recently.

“They don’t need to be full-time or currently in a permanent position, but they do need to be teaching out-of-field this year, or have done so recently and be based in NSW.”

Participation is low-key—“just 15 minutes or so per week”—and is fully anonymised. Volunteers can also opt into up to two short Zoom interviews. The study has been approved by Deakin University’s Human Research Ethics Committee.

For Margaret, this research is as much about identity as it is about policy. “I know what it’s like to front up to a class and think, I hope I’m doing this justice. But I also know how rewarding it can be, and how often we do rise to the occasion — quietly, without fanfare.”

She notes that national teacher standards still place significant emphasis on subject knowledge. “It does bug me that the Australian Professional Teaching Standards trumpet that teachers need to know the content, and how to teach it, but, ahem, as an out-of-field teacher you might not be able to tick both of those off.”

With current headlines focused on teacher shortages, Margaret believes her work fills a critical gap. “Out-of-field teaching is a big part of that story. But I want to make space for the human side — how teachers actually feel and what helps them flourish, not just survive.”

If that sounds like you—or someone you know—Margaret invites you to consider joining the study or helping spread the word.

To learn more about her work, visit her podcast: The Out-of-Field Teaching Toolkit visit the project site or contact her via [email protected]