| Projektbeschreibung |
Internationally, out-of-field teaching – teachers teaching subjects or grade levels for which they lack formal qualifications– has become an increasing concern. Evidence in this field highlights not only broader systemic challenges – such as teacher shortages and uneven distribution of qualified staff – as underlying causes of the phenomenon and shows, that insufficient subject-specific qualification is associated with reduced instructional quality and lower student learning outcomes, exacerbating educational inequality (Hobbs & Porsch, 2021; OECD, 2023).
Switzerland represents a distinctive case among German-speaking countries. While primary-level teacher education resembles Germany and Austria – where generalist preparation is also the standard – the Swiss system stands out at the lower secondary level, because teachers are typically qualified in three to four subjects and thus prepared more broadly than their counterparts in neighbouring countries. This distinctive structure of teacher education – mirroring the country’s federal organisation and emphasising breadth and flexibility rather than narrow subject specialisation – may explain why out-of-field teaching has received comparatively little attention in empirical educational research in or about the Swiss education system so far. Despite this structurally preventive setup, indicators of increasing out-of-field teaching have emerged. Already in 2002, up to 5 % of mathematics teachers lacked the required formal qualification (Graf et al., 2010). Media reports in 2022 suggested that nearly one-third of teachers were not formally qualified for the subject or grade level they were teaching (Klee, 2022). PISA 2022 data further indicated that about 18 % of Swiss mathematics teachers were uncertified (OECD, 2023). Preliminary information from cantonal education departments suggests that out-of-field teaching exists in Switzerland, mainly when teachers either lack a teaching diploma or work at a school level for which they are not formally certified. Yet, no official data documents the prevalence or distribution of such cases across subjects or levels. Given the risks associated with out-of-field teaching for instructional quality, student learning, and educational equity, it is of particular interest to investigate this phenomenon in more depth in Switzerland. Our planned exploratory interview study in three cantons aims to generate initial evidence by conducting interviews with representatives of cantonal education authorities (N = 3), school principals (N = 3), and out-of-field teachers (N = 3) at lower secondary schools. The planned study will focus on
- how both cantonal administrators and school principals manage and assess teaching by non-subject specialists;
- how teachers experience and cope with teaching subjects outside their area of certification, including the subject-specific challenges and opportunities that arise;
- which forms of support are perceived as effective and sustainable from the perspective of each stakeholder group.
This exploratory approach aims to contribute to a better understanding of teacher professionalism and system capacity in the face of structural teacher shortages, which may be more common in Switzerland than they appear at first sight. |