The papers presented in the first part of this symposium explore various elements of the very complex issue relating to out-of-field teaching in Europe and Australia. Teaching out-of-field arises for many and varied reasons, and there are a variety of effects that are manifested differently throughout the world. There is national and international variability in its extent, effects and contributing factors (cf. Hobbs & Toerner, 2014). This variability can hamper international comparisons of TAS; if we are to learn from each other, we need to take this variability into account. At present, Governments are mostly influenced by the numbers: who is teaching what and in what numbers. While the extent of the out-of-field phenomenon differs across different nations, Paper 1 explores some of the difficulties involved when establishing the extent of out-of-field teaching nationally and internationally. But the issue is complex and not just a matter for the statisticians. All the key stakeholders should be considered when understanding the issue. Papers 2, 3 and 4 explore some of this complexity.

The teacher stands to be impacted on by out-of-field teaching, although this impact may not always be acknowledged by governments, leadership or other members of the school community. Teacher identity, self-efficacy, attitudes and motivations, well-being, knowledge and practice, are key variables that must be scrutinized in order to understand the complex and individual experience of what it means to teach out-of-field. Paper 2 argues that content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge provide only part of the picture and that it is only when we look at teacher identity that we can understand how teachers stand in relation to mathematics and mathematics education.

The issue of teacher quality in many countries has emerged as an issue partly because of international testing regimes. In recent years, student achievement, teacher qualifications, and broader issues relating to the teaching and learning experience can be scrutinised can be compared across nations. The problem with such testing is that there are many factors, some qualitative in nature, that contribute to a student’s experience at school and possibility of participating in society. A data driven approach to education can fail to acknowledge these qualitative factors; it also funnels the curriculum. While at the one hand it has the potential to reflect the extent and effect of out-of-field teaching, there are ethical issues if such testing is used to measure the performance of an out-of-field teacher. Use of a balance between high stakes testing, local school data, and other qualitative measures that are encompassing of school contexts and supply/demand issues is therefore needed when imposing accountability measures.  Paper 3 presents some of the latest TIMSS findings for Germany and explores links between being out-of-field and teacher self-efficacy, as well as how being taught by an out-of-field teacher affects student self-concept.

The students are on the receiving end of decisions about out-of-field teaching. Affected can be student learning outcomes and achievement, and students’ engagement with and attitudes towards the subject. In addition, Paper 4 raises serious doubts about out-of-field teachers’ abilities to create inclusive learning environments and a lack of preparedness to accommodate the learning needs of all students. These difficulties arise as teaching practices are not informed by strong disciplinary and subject knowledge.

The research question explored in Part one of the symposium is: In what ways does out-of-field teaching influence the quality of teacher practice, teacher’s experiences of teaching, and students’ experience of learning; and how can we compare these factors across international borders?

Hobbs, L. & Törner, G. (Eds.) (2014). Taking an international perspective on "Out-of-field" teaching: Proceedings and agenda for research and action from the 1st Teaching Across Specialisations (TAS) Collective Symposium. TAS Collective. Online www.uni‐due.de/TAS