The relation of infield / out-of-field teaching to learner achievement: an introductory study

1. SAAEA 2018 Umalusi Mapaleng Lekgeu and Agnes Mohale The relation of infield / out-of-field teaching to learner achievement: an introductory study

2. Outline of the presentation • Background and introduction • Umalusi legislative mandate • Accreditation and Evaluation • Introducing this study • Research purpose and question • Theoretical framing • Methodology • Findings • Discussion of findings • Recommendations 2

3. Background: Umalusi legislative mandate • Umalusi was established by General and Further Education and Training Quality Assurance (GENFETQA) Act No. 58 of 2001 as aquality assuring body • The name ‘Umalusi’ is derived from the Nguni ‘uMalusi’ meaning ‘shepherd’ or in the African context, ‘guardian of the family assets’ • The National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Act No. 68 of 2008 constitutes Umalusi as one of the three Quality Councils (QCs) • As a QC, Umalusi is mandated to develop and manage General and Further Education and Training Qualification Sub-Framework (GENFETQSF) on the NQF 3

4. Legislative mandate continues... • In terms of the GENFETQA Act, Umalusi is mandated to • quality assure assessments at exit points & certify learner achievements • Moderate, monitor and standardise examinations at exit points • Quality assure qualifications and associated curricula • Accredit providers of education and training, and assessment • Develop and maintain sub-framework of qualifications • Set standards and evaluate qualifications • Undertake research to enhance the quality and standards of qualifications, curricula and assessments • Use research findings to advise the relevant Minister of Education 4

5. Evaluation, Accreditation and Monitoring • Accreditation is a status that is granted to independent schools found to have met accreditation criteria. • Accreditation criteria comprise of: Leadership, Management and Communication; School Ethos; Teaching and Learning; and School Results . • Umalusi acknowledges through accreditation, • the school’s capacity to deliver a qualification and its supporting curriculum, and • the quality of the implementation of such, at the required standard. • Once accredited, institutions go through post-accreditation monitoring. 5

6. Contextualisation of the study • Learners do not perform to their optimum potential; huge problem in SA today (Silva, 2010) • Dropouts and high failure rate • Only 610 178 of the estimated 1.3 million learners who enrolled for grade 10 in 2014 sat for NSC exam in 2016 (Stats SA, 2017) • Amongst others, out-of-field teaching is cited as a cause of learner underachievement • Out-of-field teaching takes place when qualified teachers are assigned to teach subjects they are not qualified to teach 6

7. Contextualisation continued…. • Possible reasons for out-of-field teaching: • Inadequate pre-service training • Shortage of qualified teachers • Poor school management • Unstructured in-service programmes • Constrained funding models, and • Interference by teacher unions 7

8. Research purpose and question • The purpose of this study is to understand the relationship between out-of-field teaching and learner achievement • Research question • What is the relationship between out-of-field teaching and learner achievement in some Grade 12 subjects? 8

9. Literature Review • The bulk of literature, as identified in Hobbs (2013), ACER (2013), Coetzee and Coetzer (2015), Silva (2010), Stats SA (2017), Mtapuri (2014) and Shepherd (2013), is of the view that out-of-field teaching negatively influences learner achievement. • These studies further acknowledged that teaching subjects not qualified to teach is a worldwide phenomenon. 9

10. Literature review continues….. • In Australia, for example, ACER reported • that 40% of grade 7 to 10 learners were taught by an out-of-field mathematics teacher in 2012, and • that 20% of mathematics teachers had received no formal training in the subject. • In South Africa, Silva (2010) stated • that over 1 700 Science teachers, for example, were not qualified to teach at secondary schools in SA • “meaning that at least 50 000 learners were not receiving adequate teaching from appropriately qualified teachers” (Silva, 2010:1) 10

11. Theoretical framing • This study is underpinned by the Open Systems Theory, which advocates that organisations interlink and cannot exist in isolation from their environment • Schools are perfect examples of an open systems perspective because in a school • Non-linearity interactions and interdependent relationships of stakeholders (i.e. school community) exist • The success of the school depends on the school community interacting with the external environment • People are at the centre and pursue change in their world • Socio-cultural, economic, political and government regulations are some of the external factors 11

12. Methodology • Secondary data was used in this study • This is archived data collected through document perusals, interviews, observations and anecdotes by Umalusi officials • Quantitative analysis of the secondary data was performed • Sampling: • convenient sampling of 25 independent high schools in Gauteng • In each school, Geography, Accounting and Mathematics were purposefully selected to represent subjects from Humanities, Commerce and Mathematics • This meant that in total 75 semi-structured questionnaires and reports per subject were analysed 12

13. Table 2: Distribution of in-filed and out-of-field teaching in Accounting, Mathematics and Geography Findings: Infield vs Out-of-field 13

14. Findings continued…….. • Average performance of learners in relation to infield or out-of-field teaching 14

15. Findings continued………. • Number and percentage of teachers in terms of type of teacher development received 15

16. Findings continued……. 16

17. Discussion of findings • None of the three subjects mentioned has more than 20% of its teachers teaching out- of-field. This means there were more infield than out-of-field teachers • In all three subjects the highest pass rate appeared in classes of infield teachers. • In all three subjects the lowest pass rates appeared in classes of out-of-field teachers • However, some of the out-of-field teachers performed better than infield teachers 17

18. Discussion of findings continues….. • Capacity of out-of-field teachers is enhanced through • in-service training programmes that are intensive • mentoring • supply is increased to meet the demand; • teacher-centres are established 18

19. CONCLUSIONS • Establish a system of tracking demand and supply of teachers • Establish Teachers’ Centres per district to monitor demand and supply • Improved funding and incentives • Mentoring, support and continuous retraining of teachers to enhance capacity and confidence • Though it was an introductory study, the application in a bigger sample could impact positively on learning and teaching 19

20. THANK YOU