Springer Out-of-Field Teaching and Education Policy: International Micro-Education Policy

This book focuses on the elusive out-of-field teaching phenomenon and its direct effects on quality education globally. Based on the experiences and concerns of teachers and school leaders, it investigates the phenomenon’s impact on everyday teaching and school practices, and offers insights into the challenges that out-of-field teachers face in maintaining their role as the “knowledgeable counterpart” in their teaching and learning environments. In this frame, it also highlights the often-overlooked importance of initial teacher education and its preparation of prospective teachers for employment in complex school contexts, subjects or year levels. The book emphasises the need to develop specific policy strategies to effectively address the global implications of out-of-field teaching, and explores the potential of micro-education policies as targeted support resources for teachers in these challenging positions. Through this new policy lens, which renegotiates the discourse of education policy as a quality education improvement framework, the book offers readers a comprehensive understanding of the urgent need for policy to uphold all stakeholders involved in these unique and complex environments. Accordingly, the book is a valuable resource for academic advisors, decision-makers, policy-makers, and educational and school leaders in developing new approaches to improving school outcomes that promote the retention of teachers for a strong and stable teaching workforce. From the Back Cover This book focuses on the elusive out-of-field teaching phenomenon and its direct effects on quality education globally. Based on the experiences and concerns of teachers and school leaders, it investigates the phenomenon’s impact on everyday teaching and school practices, and offers insights into the challenges that out-of-field teachers face in maintaining their role as the “knowledgeable counterpart” in their teaching and learning environments. In this frame, it also highlights the often-overlooked importance of initial teacher education and its preparation of prospective teachers for employment in complex school contexts, subjects or year levels. The book emphasises the need to develop specific policy strategies to effectively address the global implications of out-of-field teaching, and explores the potential of micro-education policies as targeted support resources for teachers in these challenging positions. Through this new policy lens, which renegotiates the discourse of education policy as a quality education improvement framework, the book offers readers a comprehensive understanding of the urgent need for policy to uphold all stakeholders involved in these unique and complex environments. Accordingly, the book is a valuable resource for academic advisors, decision-makers, policy-makers, and educational and school leaders in developing new approaches to improving school outcomes that promote the retention of teachers for a strong and stable teaching workforce. About the Author Following a substantial career as an education practitioner with experience teaching across different international systems and curriculum frameworks, Anna Du Plessis completed a doctorate in Education Leadership in 2010, focusing on professional development programs for out-of-field teachers. She entered academia full-time later the same year to pursue a research and teacher educator career at tertiary level. Her research explores the lived meaning of out-of-field teaching practices for quality education, with a specific focus on educational leadership and teaching pedagogies.