ISSN (Online): 2455-3662

EPRA International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (IJMR) - Peer Reviewed Journal

Volume: 8| Issue: 1| January 2022|| Journal DOI: 10.36713/epra2013 || SJIF Impact Factor 2021: 8.047 || ISI Value: 1.188

PHENOMENOLOGICAL APPROACH OF
OUT-OF-FIELD TEACHING: CHALLENGES AND
OPPORTUNITIES

Ivan E. Arendain1, Marilou Y. Limpot2

1
Master of Arts in Filipino, Professional Schools, University of Mindanao, Digos City, Philippines
2
Doctor of Education, Professor, University of Mindanao, Davao City, Philippines

Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.36713/epra9379

DOI No: 10.36713/epra9379

ABSTRACT
The goal of this study was to learn about the challenges and opportunities faced by out-of-field teachers in a public and
private school in Davao del Sur. A phenomenological qualitative research design was used in this study. The information
was collected from nine (9) out-of-field teachers in the province of Davao del Sur. On the other hand, data was gathered
through an in-depth interview with the participants. The result revealed that the out-of-field teachers had diverse
experiences, such as: assuring that they review the topic before teaching it, challenges of first time out-of-field teachers,
challenges, and struggles of choosing the right teaching strategy, challenges of having meaningful learning content,
studying and searching for the learning content, peer tutoring with co-teacher, use of English language for effective
teaching, use of suitable teaching strategies, difficult but you have to endeavor, being resourceful and optimistic in
teaching and it gives additional knowledge. Furthermore, results show that out-of-field teaching is a challenge for a
teacher. On the other hand, teaching-out-field subjects won’t make you less of a teacher. Instead, this opportunity will
widen your knowledge towards other subject matter as well as your pedagogical knowledge as a teacher.
KEYWORDS: out-of-field, out-of-field teacher, out-of-field teaching, challenges, opportunities, phenomenological
research, Philippines

INTRODUCTION institution requires teachers who can effectively teach

A teacher's knowledge of the subject matter language and mathematics (Hofmeyer, 2015).
is the heart of his or her teaching career (Breen et al., Meanwhile, due to the worsening problem of out-of-
2018). An effective teacher must have a vast field teaching in Korea, it is difficult for them to
knowledge of the subject matter that he/she teach. deliver quality teaching to their students. Students are
However, what if a teacher teaches a subject that he frequently taught by teachers who are unqualified or
has not even mastered? In the study of du Plessis have a limited understanding of the subject.
(2017), she confirmed that out-of-field teaching is According to the statistical analysis, there are 1,410
widespread and affects teachers' teaching efficacy. In secondary teachers in the sample across the country,
addition, teachers teaching unspecialized subjects and out-of-field teaching is common in Korea, which
tend to have low self-esteem (du Plessis, 2019). requires prompt action to address the worsening
Teaching unspecialized subjects is rampant situation (Kwak, 2019).
worldwide (du Plessis, 2015). In the study conducted Three theories support this research. The
at West Australia, they found out that in the year first is Edwards, Caplan, and Van Harrison's Person-
2007-2008, 28% of teachers taught subject matter Environment Fit Theory. According to this theory,
that was not related to their specialization (Weldon, workers will be more productive if their
2016). Moreover, a workforce report in Australia qualifications and abilities are matched to the work
found that 39% of principals inside the city and they are doing (Kristof-Brown, & Guay, 2011). The
between 42% and 66% of principals outside the city Social Constructivist Theory of Lev Vygotsky is the
struggle to look for applicants and placement second. This theory focuses on the effect of what
difficulties. Vygotsky refers to as "more knowledgeable others,"
On the other hand, in South Africa, a major or those who are knowledgeable enough to provide
issue is the inconsistency of new teacher guidance and information. Finally, Albert Bandura's
qualifications and specializations. Their educational self-efficacy theory (2010). Bandura & Adams 1997;

2022 EPRA IJMR | www.eprajournals.com | Journal DOI URL: https://doi.org/10.36713/epra2013

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 ISSN (Online): 2455-3662
EPRA International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (IJMR) - Peer Reviewed Journal
Volume: 8| Issue: 1| January 2022|| Journal DOI: 10.36713/epra2013 || SJIF Impact Factor 2021: 8.047 || ISI Value: 1.188

Türkolu et al. 2017 define self-efficacy as a person's experiences and focuses on their perceptions
belief in his or her capacity to perform a task (Gerring, 2017).
assigned to them. These theories prompted me to The researcher searched for nine (9) BSED
investigate the influence and impact of teachers Filipino graduates who were teaching a subject they
teaching students in disciplines in which they were have not mastered. Teachers chosen as participants
not proficient. may work in both public and private schools in
Out-of-field teaching is also common in the Region XI. However, to ensure the learning limit, the
Philippines, and teachers have challenges when researcher should only include BSED Filipino
teaching a subject they do not mastered (Bayani & graduate teachers who teach secondary from 2020 to
Guhao, 2017. On the other hand, our country today 2021, rather than only BSED Filipino graduate
faces a teacher shortage as a result of the Department teachers who teach Elementary.
of Education's K-12 program. Approximately 60,000 A purposive sample strategy was adopted in
teachers are required to address the country's teacher this study. Purposeful sampling is a qualitative
deficit (Asian Development Bank, 2014). Bayani and research technique developed by Palinkas et al.
Guhao (2017) stated that this program implemented (2015) to find and select available information from
by the Department of Education is one of the reasons cases with limited data sources.
for the worsening of the problem of out-of-field The researcher used interview guide
teaching in the country. Teaching a low-skilled topic questions in his interview with the participants.
can have a negative impact on a teacher's Through the interview guide questions, there will be
psychological well-being, which can hinder his unity of the questions used by all the interviewees. In
students' learning and teaching (Akram et al., 2017). addition, this instrument is essential so that the
Out-of-field teaching is a problem that needs to be researcher will not forget in the interview.
addressed for the professional development of With the effect of UMERC approval 2021-
teachers, particularly those who teach non- 76, this research was conducted in private and public
specialized subjects. This research will focus on the schools in the province of Davao del Sur. The
challenges and opportunities that teachers face when selected participants in this research are teachers who
teaching a subject that they are unfamiliar with. The have graduated from BSED Filipino and teach a
phenomenon of out-of-field teaching has received subject they have not mastered in the school year
less research. As a researcher, I have yet to find 2020-2021.
research regarding BSED Filipino graduate teachers The researcher conducted in-depth
teaching a subject they have not mastered. This has interviews with nine (9) participants to determine
been my motivation for this study to be conducted their experience in teaching the subject they had not
immediately, which will help our teachers, especially mastered. Additionally, the researcher will use KII or
the teachers who teach the subject they have not Key Informant Interview to obtain this study's data.
mastered. Before interviewing with the participants, they will
first be shown the consent letter to inform the
OBJECTIVES purpose of the research.
This research aims to discover the The data collected from out-of-field teachers
challenges and opportunities faced by teachers were analyzed using thematic analysis. According to
experiencing out-of-field teaching. Braun and Clarke (2014), thematic analysis is a
foundational method of analysis that uses
METHODS interpretation and description to examine the
A qualitative-phenomenological design was relevance of the cohesive learning and the theme that
adopted in the study. It highlights people's unique can be applied to the data.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
Table 1
The formulated theme and central ideas on the experiences of out-of-field teachers.

Themes Central Ideas

Assuring that they review the topic It is challenging for the teacher to teach an unmastered subject, and
before teaching it therefore, you need to study the lesson thoroughly.
Challenges of first time out-of-field In the beginning, there was difficulty with the teachers teaching the
teachers subject they did not master.
Challenges, and struggles of choosing One challenge that has given teachers concern is the difficulty in
the right teaching strategy developing effective strategies for teaching.
Challenges of having meaningful Having teachers fear that the content they will teach is not
learning content meaningful.

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 ISSN (Online): 2455-3662
EPRA International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (IJMR) - Peer Reviewed Journal
Volume: 8| Issue: 1| January 2022|| Journal DOI: 10.36713/epra2013 || SJIF Impact Factor 2021: 8.047 || ISI Value: 1.188

Experiences of Out-of-Field Teachers thoroughly before teaching it to the students, and it

From the data collected, four (4) themes also causes them to lose the will to teach.
emerged: (1) assuring that they review the topic
before teaching it, (2) challenges of first time out-of- Challenges, and struggles of choosing the right
field teachers, (3) challenges, and struggles of teaching strategy
choosing the right teaching strategy, and (4)
challenges of having meaningful learning content. Research has shown that teachers who teach
non -specialized subjects find it difficult to use
Assuring that they review the topic before appropriate teaching strategies. A teacher’s lack of a
teaching it good teaching strategy affects his or her lower self-
In teaching, a teacher must have sufficient esteem and self-efficacy (Hobbs, 2013; du Plessis,
preparation before teaching a concept or a lesson. 2020). According to Sharplin (2014), out-of-field
Lack of content knowledge is a challenge in teaching teachers feel a sense of innovation in the subject to be
a subject (Kim et al., 2018). In this research, out-of- taught, which has become a barrier to using their
field teachers are initially found to be unsatisfactory ability. This is confirmed by the theory of self-
in teaching, and they spend much time studying a efficacy (self-efficacy). Some of the factors why
lesson (KII1,KII4,KII6 at KII8). Out-of-field teachers teachers feel out-of-field are self-efficacy and the
spend much time preparing the lesson they are going commitment to teaching the subject not mastered
to teach (Ramli et al., 2017). In addition, they still (Kenny et al., 2020).
need to understand the structure of a lesson,
especially the unfamiliar contents of a subject (Ramli Challenges of having meaningful learning content
et al., 2017; Nixon et al., 2017).
It was discovered in this research that
teachers who teach a non -specialized subject face a
Challenges of first time out-of-field teachers challenge in finding meaningful lesson content (KII1,
KII2, KII3, and KII4). This is in line with the
This research shows that teachers who teach statement of du Plessis (2019); teachers who teach a
a subject they have not mastered have difficulty at subject they have not mastered are afraid that the
first. This was confirmed in the study by Napier et al. knowledge they share with students is not enough to
(2020), who revealed that out-of-field teachers are affect their future. In addition, a teacher needs to be
having difficulty in their first year in the way they proficient in the subject he or she will teach for good
teach. In addition, the teacher knows the limit of his quality teaching and education. In the 21st century, it
knowledge in the subject being taught (Kola, & is expected that all professionals will be highly
Sunday, 2015). Nixon et al. agreed (2017), teachers skilled in their field and be able to demonstrate
do not have a good experience in teaching the subject excellence in their specialization (Cinkir & Kurum,
they have not mastered because they have to study it 2015).

Table 2
The formulated themes and central ideas on coping mechanism of out-of-field teachers
Themes Central Ideas
Studying and searching for the learning content Alocating time to research and study the content to
teach students.
Peer tutoring with co-teacher Seek help from teachers who have sufficient
knowledge of the subject to be taught.
Use of English language for effective teaching Uses English in teaching to make teaching effective.
Use of suitable teaching strategies Using appropriate and effective teaching strategies to
easily capture students' attention and have meaningful
learning.

Coping mechanism of out-of-field teachers Studying and searching for the learning content
From the data collected, four (4) themes Out-of-field teachers take the time to
emerged: (1) studying and searching for the learning research valid information in the subject they will
content, (2) peer tutoring with co-teacher , (3) use of teach (KII1, KII2, KII3, KII4, KII5, KII6, KII7, KII8,
English language for effective teaching,and (4) use of and KII9). According to Ingersoll et al. (yr), students
suitable teaching strategies. ’learning is the first consideration and goal of a
teacher for effective teaching and learning. To do

2022 EPRA IJMR | www.eprajournals.com | Journal DOI URL: https://doi.org/10.36713/epra2013

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 ISSN (Online): 2455-3662
EPRA International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (IJMR) - Peer Reviewed Journal
Volume: 8| Issue: 1| January 2022|| Journal DOI: 10.36713/epra2013 || SJIF Impact Factor 2021: 8.047 || ISI Value: 1.188

this, the identity of the teachers must be clear. It Use of English language for effective teaching
suggests that shaping teacher identity is necessary for Language is the main instrument to convey
teachers teaching a subject they have not mastered. the essential knowledge that students need. This
Out-of-field teachers are confident that they have research shows that out-of-field teachers loved to use
conveyed the knowledge that students need (Kenny English as a medium of instruction and
et al.,2020). communication (KII6, and KII7). The result is in line
with the study of Haidar & Fang (2019), the use of
Peer tutoring with co-teacher English in teaching helps to understand better the
No one is the monopoly of knowledge. The relationship and difficulty of concept in the study of
teacher teaching a subject they have not mastered language and use its. Moreover, the second language
makes a way to overcome the challenges they face by also helps develop various teaching strategies in the
seeking help from their fellow teachers who are curriculum (Leung, 2016).
knowledgeable in a specific subject (KII3, KII4,
KII7, KII8, and KII9). In fact, in the study of Gillies Use of suitable teaching strategies
(2019), having collaborated with fellow teachers in In the teaching and learning process it needs
teaching was of great help. Teachers work together to develop appropriate strategies that will be used to
when they collaborate and share their knowledge make the teaching and learning of the students
with other teachers, and on the other hand, they meaningful. This research suggests that out-of-field
correct the wrong teaching methods. Stigmar (2016), teachers think of meaningful and appropriate
that having a teacher-to-teacher collaboration is teaching strategies (KII1, KII6, and KII7). According
helpful in learning and teaching. In Lev Vygotsky’s to Nuangchalerm (2020), having an appropriate
theory of Social Constructivism (1978), the teacher strategy in his teaching is important so that he
importance of having people with sufficient can share the knowledge that students need to know
knowledge (MKO) in an object to be guided and in the 21st century.
assisted with the knowledge needs has been
explained.

Table 3
The formulated themes and central ideas on the insights of out-of-field teachers
Themes Central Ideas
Difficult but you have to endeavor
Being resourceful and optimistic in teaching
It gives additional knowledge.
Insights of out-of-field teachers
From the collected three (3) themes being resourceful and optimistic in teaching, and (3)
emerged : (1) difficult but you have to endeavor, (2) it gives additional knowledge.

Difficult but you have to endeavor It gives additional knowledge.

Study shows that they do everything to This research found that teachers who teach
fulfill the role of a teacher even if they have not a subject they have not mastered gain more
mastered the subject they are teaching (KII1, KII2, knowledge, especially in the subject they teach (KII4,
KII3, KII6, and KII9). This is supported by the study KII5, KII6, KII7, and KII8). Du Plessis(2020),
of Hobbs (2013), love of profession makes the way to agreed, teachers in out-of-field subjects are also
learn and thrive in teaching. Moreover, the creativity interested in their teaching. They also see the
of out-of-field teachers helps to be effective teachers opportunity to gain new knowledge and believe that
(Bayani & Guhao, 2017). teaching a subject not mastered can help their future
as a teacher.
Being resourceful and optimistic in teaching
It is clear from this research that teachers CONCLUSION
who teach a subject they have not mastered develop a Teaching is both a difficult and rewarding
cheerful disposition in life and become resourceful as profession. Teaching an unmastered subject,
a teacher (KII1, KII2, KII5, KII6, and KII9). Proof of according to this research, is a challenging task for a
this is the study of Kenny et al. (2020), teachers teacher. On the other hand, teaching a subject that
continuing their professional development need to you do not master does not make you a bad teacher.
identify what needs to change and identify what they Instead, it's an opportunity to deepen your
do not yet know needs to know more. understanding of a particular subject as well as your
pedagogical knowledge as a teacher.

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 ISSN (Online): 2455-3662
EPRA International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (IJMR) - Peer Reviewed Journal
Volume: 8| Issue: 1| January 2022|| Journal DOI: 10.36713/epra2013 || SJIF Impact Factor 2021: 8.047 || ISI Value: 1.188

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