Appraisal of the Effectiveness of Out-Of-Field Teachers: Input for a Proposed Teacher Development Program

Abstract

Introduction

Teachers are at the core of the teaching-learning process. Teachers who know what and how to teach can facilitate learning more effectively. To equip teachers with the necessary skills, they are trained as early as their college days. Secondary teachers earn their degree in Education, specializing in one specific field, in which they master their content and develop pedagogical skills. However, when they enter the teaching force, they find themselves teaching out-of-field, i.e., handling subjects other than their specialization. This has been found to have negative effects on the teaching-learning process.

Methods

This study utilized the descriptive quantitative design in appraising the effectiveness of thirty-three out-of-field teachers. They were assessed in the following areas: mastery of the subject matter, instruction, classroom management, professional competence, and the teacher-student relationship. Data were gathered through a self-assessment questionnaire, accomplished by the out-of-field teachers themselves, and through a separate questionnaire answered by their school administrators. Frequency distribution, percentage, and arithmetic mean were used in analyzing the data gathered.

Results

The mean scores from the out-of-field teachers and administrators respectively show that out-of-field teachers scored higher in the areas, teacher-student relationship (4.388, 4.150), professional competence (4.084, 4.006), and classroom management (3.896, 3.516). They scored lower in the areas of instruction (3.326 and 2.980) and mastery of the subject (3.006, 2.544).

Discussions

The results of the study show the strengths and weaknesses of out-of-field teachers. They can become very effective classroom managers, have very satisfactory professional competence, and they can be excellent in establishing teacher-student relationships. However, they need to further develop their mastery of the subject matter and their delivery of the lesson. They are at their weakest in terms of their ability to relate lessons in daily life, their repertoire of instructional strategies, and in stimulating learners to utilize high order thinking skills. Their other weak points are their abilities in simplifying vague concepts and recognizing misconceptions.