1

CHAPTER 1

The Problem and Its Setting

Out-of-field teachers may lack a deep understanding of the subject matter,

making it difficult to explain complex concepts clearly. They might struggle to

employ appropriate methods for subjects they are not trained in. it is difficult to

find ways to engage students in a subject that the teacher is less passionate or

knowledgeable about its content and strategy to employ the lesson. Giving

constructive feedback that helps students improve can be harder when the

teacher is not confident in their own understanding of the subject matter. Gaining

the respect and trust of students is more difficult when the teacher is not

perceived as an expert in the subject.

Balancing the demands of learning a new subject with existing teaching

responsibilities is challenging. The pressure to teach effectively without a strong

background in the subject can lead to significant stress and anxiety. Lower

confidence and higher stress levels can negatively influence job satisfaction and

overall morale. Lack of adequate support from colleagues who are specialists in

the subject can hinder the adaptation process.

Out-of-field teaching has been a worldwide phenomenon and issue. In

Australia, according to the report of the Australian Council for Educational

Research, twenty-six percent (26%) of the teachers who have been teaching

years 7–10 are teaching outside their expertise found difficulty in adapting
 2

teaching career. Similarly, in Washington, USA, the number of teachers assigned

to teach subjects that do not match their education keeps on escalating, although

almost all of them hold at least basic qualifications. In addition, out-of-field

teaching has worsened slightly in recent years, regardless of plenty of changes

focused on enhancing teacher quality.

In the Philippines, out-of-field teaching is an important but long-

unrecognized issue in schools and in the Department of Education in general.

This might be because the department might have practiced it over time and may

not have implemented reforms on the concerns of out-of-field teaching among

DepEd schools in the country. These teachers took years to adapt the skills and

strategy needed to improve teaching. Over the past decade, various studies,

commissions, and national reports have bemoaned the qualifications and quality

of teachers.

With the above-facts, the researcher would like to have an empirical

evidence based on scientific approach on the perceived adaptive skills to

developed for out-of-field teachers of public elementary teachers in the Division

of Davao City.

Review of Significant Literature

This section presents the literature, readings and articles that have

bearing on the present study as taken from books, journal articles, magazines

from the internet with reliable websites. The readings were carefully chosen as to

its significant contribution to the purpose of this study which was focused on the

out-of-field graduates who are currently teaching in terms of dealing with

 3

insecurities and anxieties, lack of content mastery, lack of teaching strategy and

techniques, being able to shape up and progress and coping mechanism and job

satisfaction terms of job security, compensation, interrelationship and

organizational culture.

Out-of-field teachers

Out-of-field teaching is defined as the scenario where teachers teach part

or all of their workload in one or more subjects for which they lack college

degrees or credentials (Ingersoll & Curran, 2004). Another explicit definition is of

NÍ Preordain & Hannigan (2011) which defines out-of-field teachers as

teachers assigned by school administrators to teach subjects which do not match

their training or education. The characterization of those teachers suggest that

they are likely to give inferior performances in those duties, lacking sufficient

disciplinary knowledge to render effective teaching.

Out-of-field teaching varies greatly across schools, teachers and

classrooms. For instance, recently hired teachers are more often assigned to

teach subjects out of their field of training than are teachers that are more

experienced. Low-income public schools have higher levels of out-of-field

teaching than do schools in more affluent communities. Particularly notable,

however, is the effect of school size: small schools have higher levels of out-of-

field teaching. There are also differences within schools (Cochran-Smith &

Lytle, 2006; Conners, 2008).

 4

Lower-achieving classes, according to Getkin (2009) are more often

taught by teachers without a major or minor in the field than are higher-achieving

classes. Junior high classes are also more likely to be taught by out-of-field

teachers than are senior high classes. No doubt some out-of-field teachers may

actually be well qualified, despite their lack of a minor or major in the subject.

Some may be qualified by virtue of knowledge gained through previous jobs,

through life experiences, or through informal training. Others may have

completed substantial college coursework in a field but not have gotten a major

or minor.

In Georgia, for instance, because school accreditation regulations require

teachers to have at least 120 hours of college credit (about four courses) in a

field in order to teach it, many of those in the state who are assigned to teach out

of field probably do have some background. However, the premise was that even

a moderate number of teachers who lack the minimal prerequisite of a college

minor signals the existence of serious problems in schools. Moreover, non-

education teaching is not an aberration; it happens in well over half of the

secondary schools in the U.S. in any given year - both rural and urban, affluent

and low-income. Shifting the definition of out-of-field does not lessen its severity

(Hobbs, 2013).

Looking at teachers without a major or minor or teachers without

certification in their assigned fields, the numbers are similarly alarming. Indeed,

when the definition of a "qualified" teachers includes only those who hold both a
 5

college major and a teaching certificate in the field, the amount of out-of-field

teaching substantially increases. Moreover, the problem does not appear to be

going away: levels of out-of-field teaching changed very little between the late

1980s and the mid 1990s. The negative implications of such high levels of non-

education teaching are obvious. The crucial question and the source of great

misunderstanding is why so many teachers are teaching subjects for which they

have little background (Loveys, 2011).

According to studies, teacher capability has a direct impact on student

achievement (Darling-Hammond, 2000; Higgins & Boone, 2011). Teacher

practice in the classroom is affected by the content knowledge and pedagogical

skills of the teacher, with the quality and the level of their qualification deemed

paramount (Ingvarson et al., 2004). Hence, the obvious impact of out-of-field

teaching among learners.

Teachers enter the education profession and are attracted to teaching as

a career because of what they view as the role of the teacher (Anhorn, 2008).

Educators experience contentment in their role as a teacher because of the

passion they have for teaching students and the subject matter (Loui, 2006).

Despite the fulfillment and satisfaction many teachers experience in educating

children in the classroom, Roulston, Legette, and Womack (2005)posited that 33

percent of teachers resign from the education profession within the first three

years of teaching. An abundance of past and current literature supports that 25 to

50 percent of novice teachers leave the education profession within the first five
 6

years, showing an ongoing trend of the problem (Bang, Kern, Luft, & Roehrig,

2007; Ingersoll, 2011; Massengill, Mahlios, & Barry, 2005; National Education

Association [NEA], 2006; Painter, Haladyna, & Hurwitz, 2007; Schulz, 2005;

Yost, 2006).

As opined by Bullock and Russell (2010), effective teaching, to achieve its

goals, has a number of vital elements and one of which is the teacher. The

students can be affected by what he says and how he says it. He believes that

the teacher is the ultimate key to educational change. The composition of

national and provincial curricula and the development of benchmark

assessments are of little value if they do not take the teacher into account. The

language teacher has a number of duties and responsibilities to guarantee

language learning success. He must have knowledge and skill in the language.

On one hand, the instructor must have the knowledge and skill to teach the

language. Also, the teacher must have the training, personality characteristics,

and ability to teach the fundamentals of the language to the students.

Decisions concerning the hiring and the allocation of teachers to course

and program assignments are primarily the responsibility and prerogative of

school principals (Ingersoll, 2011). The latter are charged with the often difficult

task of providing a broad array of programs and courses with limited resources, a

limited budget, and a limited teaching staff. Along with these limitations,

principals’ staffing decisions can also be constrained by numerous other factors,

such as teacher union work rules, teacher seniority issues, school district

regulations, class-size guidelines, and contractual obligations concerning the

 7

number and type of class assignments allocated to teaching employees.

Dealing with insecurities and anxieties

While teachers influence what happens in the classroom, they play the

“leading role” in the teaching and learning environment. Teachers who reflect

self-doubt about managing particular matters, displaying a lack of or a total

absence of engagement, influence what happens in the classroom (Lingard,

2010). This has also been consistently identified in the literature (e.g., Ahn, 2011;

Ghatage, 2009; Kuchah, 2009; Littlewood,2007). In the study of Steyn and Du

Plessis (2007), out-of-field teachers are said to experience emotional stress

when they feel they are not in control of their teaching situation and this

develops into behavioral concerns. As a result, teachers’ self-esteem suffers;

they become over-critical of their own teaching which in turn influences their

relationships with other stakeholders. It was also pointed out by Van Niekerk

(2003) that the disturbances in confident interaction and communication,

guidance, well-articulated objectives, suitable decisions, and classroom control

often result in social pressure within the classroom and school environment.

These may cause feelings of anxiety in teachers and students (Huberty, 2013).

On the other hand, classroom models where confident teachers partner

with students in constructive learning ventures and practice positive

interdependence, enhances social learning and integration (Joyce, Weil,

and Calhoun, 2000). In the case of out-of-field teaching, many teachers believe

that the demands are so high that they have to double their time and effort to
 8

learn everything which causes anxiety and leads to teachers’ questioning their

competence (Kuchah, 2009).

In addition, Levine (2006) contends that one of the most prominent

viewpoints in this debate holds that the problem of low-quality teaching can be

traced to inadequate and insufficient employment training and licensing or

certification of prospective teachers. In this view, the preparation of teachers in

college or university teacher education programs, and government certification

standards, all too often lack adequate rigor, breadth and depth, resulting in high

levels of under qualified teachers and low student performance. Continuous,

honest and effective reflection on classroom management skills are necessary

for success and depend on teacher dispositions and personality: a positive,

confident, expectant and relaxed strategy, which enhances teachers’

authoritative leadership in the classroom (Rogers and McPherson, 2008).

Moreover, passion for an out-of-field subject overcomes the lack of

suitable qualifications but self-doubt and lack of confidence impact teachers in

out-of-field positions. Emotions displayed by out-of-field graduate teachers

are often perceived as disturbing the stability of an effective learning

environment (Smith, 2008). As Jennings and Greenberg (2009) describes,

classrooms are learning spaces loaded with emotions and dispositions, often

mentioned as the atmosphere inside the classroom. Teachers’ dispositions

and emotional competence often set the classroom climate, with an

influence on student outcomes. These dispositions and emotions impact the

atmosphere of the learning space and develop specific classroom politics, for
 9

example, students are not allowed to ask too many questions or no time

allowance is made for in depth discussions.

Confident teachers do not avoid inherent classroom emotions, but develop

effective classroom management skills where emotions, tensions, personal

encounters and experiences are maintained while embracing subject-focused

pedagogies (Redmond, 2010). Teachers develop the classroom atmosphere as

the environment or space where teachers and students meet for meaningful

learning to take place, effective learning spaces are necessary (Bourdieu, 2010).

Moreover, Armstrong (2006) also adds that although teachers are the biggest

predictor of a student’s success, educational leaders do not accommodate

the challenges faced by teachers in specific schools environments or areas.

McConney and Price further explain how these schools, e.g. small urban

schools, rely on the practice to assign top-up subjects to teachers.

Groundwater-Smith, Ewing, and Le Cornu (2011) claim circumstances that have

an impact on a secure and constructive learning and teaching atmosphere can

cause constant anxiety and end in teacher burnout.

As explained by Hattingh and De Kock (2008), the effective transition of

graduate teachers into the teaching profession goes together with personal

transformation, abandoning profound belief structures which are often traumatic.

They further describe the experience as chaotic transformation of existing social

structures, personal identity, knowledge and competences. Du Plessis, Carroll,

and Gillies (2013) meanwhile discuss the significant meaning that different

leadership models have for the lived experiences of novice out-of-field

 10

graduate teachers in different settings.

Experienced teachers, according to the Australian Education Union (AEU)

(2009), are being moved from lower year levels to cover senior school

mathematics. The widespread occurrence and increase of out-of-field situations

cause these teachers to develop perceptions of unworthiness. Cochran-Smith

and Lytle (2006) discuss how extreme focus on content knowledge develops

perceptions that highly qualified teachers can fix everything, which leaves

unsuitably qualified teachers to question their effectiveness.

Studies (Boaler, 2002; Grootenboer & Zevenbergen, 2008)revealed that if

a out-of-field graduate teacher teaching mathematics is not able to develop an

appropriate identity and a set of good attitudes towards her profession, his or her

students will not do either. Gu (2011) also mentioned that diligence was one of

the true qualities of a teacher in different facets of their profession. As he said, in

order for teachers to successfully address the different challenges of their

profession, they themselves need to be practical, serious, diligent, rigorous,

responsible, and demonstrate a high moral and ethical code so as to act as role

models for their students.

Lack of Content Mastery

In addition, Ingvarson, Beavis, Bishop, Peck, & Elsworth (2004)

emphasize that teacher practice in the classroom is affected by the content

knowledge and pedagogical skills of the teacher, with the quality and the level of

their qualifications deemed paramount. Hence, teacher capability has a direct

 11

impact on student achievement (Darling-Hammond, 2000; Higgins and

Boone, 2011). Across the educational systems of the world, few issues have

received more attention in the recent years than the problem of ensuring that

elementary and secondary-school classrooms are staffed with qualified and

competent teachers. Even in nations were students routinely score high on

standardized exams, teacher quality is the subject of much concern. This is not

surprising. Elementary and secondary schooling is mandatory in almost all

nations and children are legally placed in the care of teachers for a significant

portion of their lives. It is widely believed that the quality of teachers and teaching

are among the most important factors shaping the learning and growth of

students. Moreover, the impact goes beyond student academic achievement

(United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 2014).

Meanwhile, Eppley (2009) asserts that class size, which is clearly more

salient in public schools than in private schools where numbers are generally

lower, is often linked to behavior problems and also exacerbates issues arising

from out-of-field teaching. Ho (2003), Shamim (2012), and Wedgewood

(2007) also confirmed that large classes are a common challenge causing

teachers to believe it is difficult or impossible to introduce learner centered

teaching because, for example, they cannot closely monitor students. Effective

and competent teachers constantly re-commit to the fundamental principles

of teaching while they embrace pedagogies that support them in realizing

the specific needs of the students in their classrooms (Sayeski, 2009).

 12

Currently, teachers are expected to be highly qualified, act as content

experts, understand effective teaching methods, and document progress in every

student (Jones, 2011). Being assigned to teach outside their area of

specialization, teachers face considerable challenges in lesson preparation and

teaching the subject which is called pedagogical content knowledge (Shulman,

1986, 1987). First of all, they need to understand the structure and nature of the

discipline and learn unfamiliar content knowledge, which is known as subject

matter knowledge. Secondly, they need to transform the content knowledge into

suitable activities, analogies, demonstrations or simulations and adapt them to

the different students’ abilities to help them learn.

Studies show that lack of content mastery denies the students of the kind

of learning that they should be experiencing as identified from different studies

(Childs and McNicholl, 2007; Kind, 2009; Kind and Kind, 2011). Within their field

of expertise, teachers had a wide knowledge base of the subject, knew the

subjectin more depth and were able to draw links between different areas of

knowledge in the same subject discipline (Abell, 2008; Davis, Petish, & Smithey,

2007). Within effective school environments, knowledgeable teachers

successfully assist students to focus on learning new problem solving strategies,

understanding and mastering specific tasks, and exploring the use of deep

learning and reasoning strategies (McInerney & McInerney, 2006). Hence,

teachers’ knowledge base strongly influences all aspects of teaching like

preparation, planning and decision making regarding the choice of content to be

 13

learnt (De Jong, Veal, & Van Driel, 2002). The level of subject-matter knowledge

greatly influences how the subject is taught (Kind & Kind, 2011) and that when

teachers have a stronger subject matter knowledge, they are more likely to

engage in sophisticated teaching practices (Davis et al., 2007).

In the study of Childs and McNicholl (2007) where they explored

nonScience majors assigned to teach Science subjects, a picture of science

teaching outside a teacher’s subject specialism was pictured out as limited,

unadventurous and lacking cognitive challenge. However, some studies also

argue that when facing unfamiliar subject content, teachers resort to a range of

strategies to deal with these challenges (Childs & McNicholl, 2007; Kind, 2009).

These findings are consistent with the findings of another study conducted by

Sanders (2003) dealing with three experienced teachers teaching within and

outside their area of expertise. Experienced teachers sometimes act like novice

teachers when teaching outside subject specialism. They encounter

difficulties in planning lessons because they are uncertain of the time required

to develop different concepts, how to sequence the content, how concepts are

interrelated and have difficulties in deciding what was important. Lessons outside

the area of expertise did not flow as smoothly as within their area of expertise.

They make quick and frequent changes and are unable to build explanations in

response to students’ questions.

Similarly, in other studies (Kind, 2009; Kind & Kind, 2011) trainee teachers

are also concerned in answering subject-related questions and theability to

handle questions depended on their self-confidence. It was pointed out by Van

 14

Driel, De Jong and Verloop (2002) that when teachers with good content

knowledge are also more aware of the students’ difficulties and misconceptions

and make use of strategies to induce conceptual change. Unlike out-of-field

teachers, more knowledgeable teachers can make many subject-matter

knowledge. They could expand activities or generate their own activities, ask

higher-level questions, detect students’ misconceptions and deal effectively with

students’ difficulties. On the other hand, teachers teaching outside subject

specialization, with lower background subject-matter knowledge, followed the

textbook structure quite closely, could not generate new activities and asked

recall questions. They could not detect students’ misconceptions and in some

cases they reinforced these ideas.

Underlined also by Barber and Mourshed (2007) is the importance of

principals’ provision of pedagogical leadership in the best-performing countries,

and evidence isalso provided by White et al. (2006), Hustler et al. (2003),

Hobson et al. (2007) and Bryant, Linan-Thompson, Ugel, Hamff, & Hougen

(2001). This is obviously not a factor that can be built into externally provided

teacher development programmes, but it is worth thinking about by school

leaders when planning and implementing these programmes. On the other hand,

Haycock (2000) emphasized that school principals not only have the

responsibility for deciding who teaches which courses and programs, but

also have an unusual degree of discretion in these decisions. Although teachers

are subject to elaborate certification requirements to ensure their basic

preparation and competence, there has been little regulation of how teachers
 15

are employed and utilized once they are on the job. Teacher employment

regulations are weak or rarely enforced, and most cities routinely allow local

school administrators to bypass even the limited requirements. In this context,

assigning teachers to teach out of their fields is a useful and acceptable

administrative practice. A report of the Australian Government Productivity

Commission (2012) claimed that principals admitted they experience

difficulties in assigning suitably qualified teachers in some subjects.

There is however the expectation that these teachers will be as effective as

their suitably qualified colleagues. The source of out-of-field teaching lies not

in the amount of education teachers have, but in the lack of fit between

teachers' fields of training and their teaching assignments. Many teachers are

assigned by their principals to teach classes that do not match their training or

education.

Lack of Teaching Strategies and Techniques

In addition, out-of-field teachers, according to Kind (2009), are less

confident at trying out new things, are less creative and did not develop their own

ideas in preparing lessons outside their area of expertise but followed the

traditional methods. In a study by Childs & McNicholl (2007) with novice and

experienced teachers, it was reported that lessons outside subject specialism

were tightly controlled and included less discussions, open-ended questions,

anecdotes, illustrations and analogies. Practical work was closely directed and

textbooks were used more often. Lessons taught outside of subject specialization
 16

were perceived to be rigid and constrained. Different strategies are influenced by

the degree a teacher feels at home in a specific subject area or year group. The

classroom serves as a micro cosmos where social skills are practiced; the

teacher’s actions and reactions have implications for the part that students

play in the societal context of effective classroom management and their

understanding of the learning experience (Childs & McNicholl, 2007).

Teachers with a lack of pedagogical content knowledge are hesitant to explore

new pedagogical strategies for fear of a negative outcome on students’

performance and results and the possibility of damaging their own career

(Pintrich and Schunk, 2012). In support of this argument, Hall and Hord (2011)

explain how dissatisfied teachers develop into self-absorbed teachers, who place

focus on personal decisions and needs as a result of uncertainties while their

vision is usually set on short-term (day to day) goals with teaching for survival

dispositions.

In line with this, Rivers and Brackett (2011) recommend few techniques for

classroom management. Teachers may, for example, exchange instructional

materials and meet regularly with their co-teachers for discussions about

individual students. More sophisticated forms of cooperation among teachers

include collective learning activities such as observing others and providing

feedback and engaging in professional learning activities and joint activities. It is

also stated by Steinert et al. (2006) that in Germany and Switzerland, co

operative practices involving the definition of common goals and

communication and coordination of curricula, teaching practices and marks

 17

within grades and groups of teachers of a given subjectare more common than

comprehensive coordination of instruction, didactics and diagnostics across

grades and subject groups and systematic observation of instruction and the

learning development of students and collaborative professional development.

Furthermore, different kinds of collaboration may nothave the same

effects. Clement and Vandenberghe (2000) argue for examplethat, in order to

enhance “progressive professionalism”, cooperation has to encompass exchange

of ideas and attitudes at a deeper level, not simply collective practical problem

solving. Meanwhile, school and classroom management are meaningfully

influenced by individuals within the wider school context, e.g. parents, specialist

teachers and principals (Freiberg & Driscoll, 2010). Meaningful interactions are

essential for forming a link between the classroom, the school and the wider

school community (Lonsdale & Anderson, 2012). The development of a link

between the school and the community is also crucial to develop effective

learning and teaching environments. Meanwhile, Eppley (2009) asserts that

class size, which is clearly more salient in public schools than in private schools

where numbers are generally Being able to shape up progress lower, is often

linked to behavior problems and also exacerbates issues arising from out-of-field

teaching. Ho (2003), Shamim (2012), and Wedgewood (2007) also confirmed

that large classes are a common challenge causing teachers to believe it is

difficult or impossible to introduce learner centered teaching because, for

example, they cannot closely monitor students.

 18

A study by Steinert et al. (2006) contends that in order to achieve complex

objectives such as quality of education and school development, common goals

and cooperation among the staff are required, who facilitate the coordination of

resources and strategies of individual teachers, since no teacher can achieve

such goals alone. Furthermore, cooperation among staff creates opportunities for

social and emotional support, exchange of ideas and practical advice. It can thus

enhance professionalism and feelings of self-efficacy and prevent stress and

burnout (e.g. Rosenholtz, 1989; Clement & Vandenberghe,2000.

Being able to shape up and progress

Teachers’ professional identity stands at the core of the teaching

profession. It provides a framework for teachers to construct their own ideas of

‘how to be’, ‘how to act’ and ‘how to understand’ their work (Sachs, 2005).

According to Akkerman and Bakker (2011), boundaries and crossing of

boundaries mediate a deliberate target of change. All teachers accept the

challenge of teaching out-of-field willingly because they deem it possible to learn

the necessary content and teaching approaches. After some initial apprehension

and with support, coordination of boundary objects, and successful experiences,

they have broadened their identity to encompass the new role. Ibarra (2009) calls

provisional versions of a new self on her way to developing a fully elaborated

professional identity that includes an out-of-field graduate teacher. Teachers

play a central role in the concept development of students (Hattie, 2009).

Teachers bring knowledge into perspective for students, teachers guide students
 19

to make sense of the world around them and understand their place in history.

The influence of effective teachers on the quality of knowledge and social

interaction in classrooms has major implications for students’ performance

(Gillies & Boyle, 2011).

The impact sphere of teachers goes beyond the classroom. Teachers’

expertise, practices and dispositions toward transforming classrooms into

cooperative learning environments where individuals develop to complement,

support and stand together in reaching a common goal, are at the centre of their

impact sphere (Gillies & Boyle, 2011; Lingard, Hayes, Mills, & Christie, 2003).

Effective teachers improve the scaffolding of students’ construction of knowledge

by linking previous understanding to new information in a process where they

analyze, integrate and move to critical thinking and problem solving (Gillies,

2009). Teachers assigned to positions without necessary training or

qualifications can require complex management strategies (Darling-Hammond,

2010). There is no question that the teaching force could benefit from upgraded

education and training and that education degrees should include substantial

coursework in an academic discipline. A professional development program for

out-of-field graduate teachers should not only spend time on fostering subject-

related cognitive competencies. Of course, this is necessary and important; but in

addition to that, in-service training courses should have an eye on the teachers’

subject-related identity. Beauchamp and Thomas (2009) are convinced that

being able to explain out-offield teaching in such a holistic way leads to a better

understanding for designing effective and successful professional development.

 20

Studies indicate that when teachers engage in mentoring and coaching,

they become more focused in their aims and versatile in their approaches

(Harvey, 2009; Kohler, Ezell & Paluselli, 2009; Andrews, 2006); they benefit from

modelling (Kimmel, Deek, Farrell, & O’Shea, 2009) and become more confident

and enthusiastic (Wilkins, 2007; Hobson et al., 2006, 2007). Note that benefits

accrue to the mentor as well as to the mentee (Ganser, 2006; Furlong &

Salisbury, 2005). In the investigation of Day et al. (2006) among 300 UK

primary and secondary teachers as variables that correlated with their schools’

national value added, ratings revealed the existence of commitment and

resilience that both collaborative professional development and

mentoring/coaching develop in teachers. Another important feature of good

teacher development identified in the systematic review by Cordingley, Bell,

Thomason, and Firth (2005) is the sustaining of professional development

over time, which allows teachers to embed effective practices into their

classrooms. This is confirmed by Bryant et al. (2010).

Meanwhile, it was strongly suggested by Armstrong (2006) that teachers’

professional welfare, which includes developing confidence as competent

teachers, a positive self-concept and effective self-management, should be a

priority for school leaders. Suitably qualified and competent teachers are

successful in applying pedagogies in concord with specific course designs

informed by research (Dorman & McDonald, 2005) to form an integrated whole

between existing and new knowledge. Nielsen (2007) claims that functioning
 21

outside their field of qualification not only influences teachers’ skills and

deprofessionalizes them but also influences their vocational rights as employees.

Approving to the study of Scheerens and Bosker (2007) suggested that

maintaining the quality of instruction is fundamental to student learning. When

reviewing contemporary research on school effectiveness, they concluded that

instructional characteristics of instruction have a greater effect on student

achievement than the school environment. It is also argued that the practice of

out-of-field teaching has the potential to have negative and inequitable effects on

student outcomes, particularly for those students in poor communities and small,

rural or remote schools (Darling Hammond, 2000; Ingersoll, 2003; Ingersoll &

Curran, 2004). For instance, it has been suggested that there is a much higher

incidence of teaching out-of-field in poor communities, rural and remote

schools and metropolitan schools considered ‘hard to staff.’ The employment of

under-qualified teachers, including the requirement for teachers to teach out-of-

field, is argued to be one of the major contributors to the relative

underachievement of students in these schools (Darling-Hammond, 2010). Put

carefully, out-of-field graduate-teachers are faced with considerable

knowledge-gaps concerning different facets of their professional competence.

These gaps in turn affect their capability to act effectively in the classroom, to

provide high quality lessons, and to support sustainably students’ performances

(Richter, Kuhl, Haag, & Pant, 2013).

Being perceived as competent in the classroom is important for teachers

(Hattie, 2009) and being in an out-of-field situation where they experience a lack
 22

of subject knowledge hampers a positive outlook about the out-of-field

experience. Some teachers try to cover their gaps in content knowledge in order

to uphold an image of being in control of their subject.

Coping mechanism

This is similar with the observations of Bourdieu (1979), that most non

education teachers are able to cope eventually. As he added, expectations of

audiences are powerful and that adjustments and omissions take place

afterwards to create an expected space for progress. However, the expectation

that teachers in out-of-field graduate situations will learn from their experiences

are contradicted by Darling-Hammond (2010) in which he mentioned that

unsuitably qualified teachers might not learn the right thing from their

experiences. Teachers and school leaders with positive dispositions develop

meaningful learning and teaching environments to the advantage of all students

(Bondesio and De Witt, 2004). The opposite happens when already vulnerable

teachers are constantly exposed to changes in the subjects and year levels they

teach while lacking the necessary support (Du Plessis, 2010).

Darling-Hammond (2010) also mentions that unsuitably qualified teachers

might not learn the right thing from their experiences. Out-of-field graduate

teachers value their school-based experience more highly than any other aspect

of their training (Hobson et al., 2006). For teachers to become more effective,

Barber and Mourshed (2007) provide compelling evidence of the value of teacher
 23

development that is concrete and classroom-based. When development takes

place in the classroom, teachers build practical skills both during initial teacher

education (ITE) and in the course of continuing professional development (CPD)

(Fleer and Robbins, 2003; White, Lim and Chiew, 2006; Meeus, van Petegem

and Meijer, 2008; Andrews, 2006; Bryant, Linan-Thompson, Ugel,Hamff, and

Hougen, 2010).

Teachers’ critical self-reflection of who they are as professionals has

meaning for their identity development, according to Day, Kington, Stobart, and

Sammons (2006). Moreover, Hobbs (2013) explains how teachers’ identities are

influenced by out-of-field graduate teaching, while focusing on their

commitment and beliefs about their roles as teachers. Dispositions are more

noticeable depending on specific circumstances and times. Focus turns then to

the environment and circumstances in which non education graduate teachers

function and on what stage of their teaching career they function in these

positions. The practical implications of emotional experiences and dispositions

in relation to the out-of-field experience showed a concern with support;

disposition is grounded in what teachers identify as necessary to become

effective at a specific time in a specific educational setting and their beliefs about

what they have to offer (Freeman, 2007).

As suggested by Ashman and Gillies (2013), effective mediation and

facilitation within the learning environment are fundamental for meaningful

teaching to take place as it guides and enables the construction of new

knowledge and learning strategies. The level to which students might understand
 24

their own behavior depends on how teachers characteristically exercise and

adjust classroom management strategies and skills (Rogers & McPherson, 2008)

according to the specific needs in the classroom situation. It was highlighted by

McConney and Price (2009) that school management is often reluctant to

make the extent of out-of-field teaching at their public schools because of the

impact it might have on the reputation and image of their schools; this influences

the accuracy of reports on the situation, underlining the secrecy Ingersoll

(2003) discusses. Although out-of-field graduate teachers cause a major

distraction for subject coordinators because of their specific needs such as extra

support, mentoring and specific resources (McConney & Price, 2009), school

leaders still find it difficult to openly acknowledge the occurrence of the out-

of-field situation in their schools.

As cited by Zepeda (2006), there are also pro-active approaches whereby

the expertise of colleagues supports the out-of-field graduate teacher and

assists these teachers to cope with their teaching position.Zepeda further noted

that it is short sighted not to focus on individual teachers’ needs and differentiate

professional development according to these needs. Emotional experiences in

relation to out-of-field teaching call on parents to play a more prominent

supportive role in the learning and teaching environment. Darling-Hammond

(2010) claimed that key educational resources inside and outside school, such as

parents, can also influence outcomes.

 25

Adaptability of Teachers

Teaching work is that it involves novelty, change, and uncertainty on a

daily basis. Being able to respond effectively to this change is known as

adaptability (Collie and Martin, 2016). Adaptability is a person’s skill to change

his actions, course, or approach to suit a new situation. People are changing

their lifestyles constantly because our world is always changing. When there is a

shortage of a commodity in the market, they switch their demand to substitute

goods. It is not only about adjusting to a situation or changing something. It

covers being able to effect changes during action with smoothness and

timeliness, without any significant setbacks. It is necessary to acquire this skill if

there are many uncontrollable factors in our environment, such as laws and

economic factors (cleverism.com, 2018; Munda, 2019).

It appears that adaptable workers are more highly valued than highly

skilled workers but may not be as open to change. Solutions must be open to

alternatives when the first concept does not work. Other than that, he must be

prepared to undertake new activities even if they are outside of his training,

flexible enough to find solutions or conceive of ideas, and appreciative of

unexpected developments. In addition, he must maintain his composure when

things are happening quickly or in a state of stress and demonstrate the

competence to perform even while adjusting. Trades, factories, factories, and

mining will exist, and technical skills will be required to maintain their
 26

employment. Nonetheless, soft skills are becoming increasingly important for

workers in all occupations (Munda, 2019).

Adaptability is vital for teachers Collie and her colleagues (2018)

underlined that just as public life is full of fluctuations, uncertainties, working life

is full of new situations for men. The term “just as working life’s path is

changeable, public service has to them” for instance, in the workplace, teachers

come across many learners to whom they must adapt, and respond to changing

requirements, as well as unexpected scenarios in the classroom, and colleagues,

as well as well as meet, and students, and parents, and all at the same time.

These situations call for teachers to be handled in an adaptive manner.

Increasing student attention might be done by keeping the lesson on schedule,

tolerating failure when a lesson does not go as planned, or adjusting teamwork

with new coworkers. The authors further explained that instructional content must

be tailored to students’ varying needs, which should be accompanied by changes

in learning support as student’s advance in their understanding of content, and

classroom management strategies adjusted as the students’ level of expertise

develops. Teachers also need to keep up with changes in the entire school by

effectively responding to the demands of their students. Teachers must be able

to make changes to their work settings if they are to perform optimally at work

(Collie and Martin, 2016; Munda, 2019).

Researchers stressed that adaptability is something teachers require

regularly, and it likely plays a vital role in helping them navigate the demands of

their work. Collie and Martin’s (2017) prior research found support for this. They
 27

found that when teachers are more adaptable, they tend to report better well-

being. They also examined whether there were additional connections with

students’ achievement. Results showed that when teachers were more adaptable

and had better well-being, their students had higher achievement (Collie &

Martin, 2018). Thus, teachers’ adaptability is very significant and much needed in

typical situations and pandemic times.

Likewise, Jiggs et al. (2014) asked more than 1,100 employers and

educators what they thought about the state of employability skills in the UK. The

results show that adaptability and communication skills were seen by employers

as having grown in importance over the last ten years. More than 60 percent of

employers felt adaptability had become more critical over the previous decade.

When asked about the importance of skills right now, employers ranked problem-

solving as the most important of the seven skills; 19 percent of those surveyed

put problem-solving in the first place. Creativity follows (ranked as most important

by 17 percent of employers), leadership, and adaptability (both with 16 percent).

It suggests that when employers look back over a decade of labor market change

or look forward to future changes, communication and adaptability are at the

forefront of their minds.

Further, study of Collie and Martin (2017) revealed that perceived

autonomy support was positively associated with teachers' adaptability, and that

both constructs were positively associated with teachers' well-being and

organizational commitment. In addition, there were several associations between

the teacher constructs and students' numeracy achievement. Findings have

 28

implications for understanding teachers' responses to the inherently changing

demands of their work.

Furthermore, study of Collie, Granziera, Martin, Burns, and Holliman

(2020) showed that schools with greater disruptive student behavior in science

scheme tended to have lower school-average science teacher adaptability.

Schools with more adaptable science teachers tended to have greater school-

average science teacher self-efficacy, and in turn, greater school-average

student self-efficacy for science learning.

Moreover, Collie and Martin, (2018) asked 164 secondary school teachers

in Australia to rate their adaptability, their experiences of labor disengagement,

and their job commitment. The results showed that teachers tended to report

lower work disengagement and, in turn, more outstanding job commitment when

they were more adaptable. Adaptable teachers can effectively navigate the

constant change, novelty, and uncertainty that occur in teaching. It may aid the

teachers avoid the outlooks of helplessness that lead to disengagement. They

also asked teachers about the extent to which they felt the principal listens to

teachers’ perspectives and supports their initiative and innovation. The findings

showed that when teachers reported principal support, they tended to be more

adaptable.

Self-awareness

Self-awareness has been defined as the ability to observe and identify

one’s own thoughts, feelings, mental states, actions, reactions, and interactions
 29

in any present situation (Hanson, 2000 in Fung, 2011). Self-awareness

represents the capacity of becoming the object of one’s own attention. In this

state one actively identifies, processes, and stores information about the self.

Main effects and functions of self-attention consist in self-evaluation, escape from

the self, amplification of one’s subjective experience, increased self-knowledge,

self-regulation, and inferences about others’ mental states (Theory-of-Mind). A

neurocognitive and socioecological model of self-awareness is described in

which the role of face-to-face interactions, reflected appraisals, mirrors, media,

inner speech, imagery, autobiographical knowledge, and neurological structures

is underlined (Morin, 2011).

In study of Fung, (2011) sought that the construct of self-awareness has

endured without much criticism. Hansen (2009) noted that self-awareness rests

on four core assumptions: (a) the self must exist, (b) this self must be available

for introspection, (c) the self must have an enduring essence, and (d) the self

must be able to be represented by language. Hansen (2009) argued that

awareness errantly suggests finality and accuracy; therefore, he suggested using

the term self-storying. Hansen elaborated that one’s self-knowledge develops

from ongoing, internal narratives. Consequently, the self is not final and people

may not be able to accurately know themselves. Similarly, stories are not final,

objective truth. They can change as the individual changes. Storying also

encourages active generation of new narratives on a continuing basis. The

storying concept bears some similarity to the human’s “constant state of

recreating the self” (Hanson, 2000, p. 98) and Adler’s (1964) concept of the
 30

creative self, wherein humans strive to achieve their full potential through self-

awareness. Nevertheless, Hansen’s suggestion to change the term from self-

awareness to self-storying is fairly recent and has not received much attention,

whether as praise or criticism, although Weis, Hanson, and Arneson (2009)

echoed that all of self-awareness, no matter how accurate, is ephemeral and

transitory, meaning it will be different in 2 hours than it is now.

Deikman (1983) in Fung (2011) coined the term observing self to describe

the self-taking on the role of a witness noticing what is going on inside oneself

without judgment or evaluation. Thus, self-awareness involves thinking about

one’s own thoughts and affective processes. It also involves being simply aware

of oneself in the moment—absent any judgment or analysis. Although Lindsay

(1978) agreed that self-awareness is recognition of one’s own behavior, he did

not comment on whether judgment or analysis is present. However, he did add

that self-awareness involves identifying attitudes, feelings, and values that

accompany the behavior. In other words, the inner source of behavior is

recognized. This presents a somewhat deeper definition than that of Hanson

(2000).

Further, Goukens, Dewitte and Warlop (2009) defined self-awareness

somewhat differently. In their article, self-awareness is general attention focused

on oneself. This attention can be classified as public and private self-awareness.

Public self-awareness involves “the awareness of oneself from the imagined

perspective of others” (p. 683). Private self-awareness refers to “awareness of

oneself from a personal perspective” (p. 683). Attention to the private self
 31

normally produces behaviors that stem from personal attitudes, whereas the

public self generates actions that meet societal expectations. Hanson (2000)

presented yet another way of thinking about self-awareness. He briefly explained

that the early roots of awareness stem from Freudian theory about conscious

versus unconscious thought. Freud held that awareness of self-resides in the

unconscious and is usually inaccessible (Fung, 2011). Meanwhile, Adler, a

former student of Freud, rejected these theories and posited that rather than self-

awareness requiring the movement of thoughts from unconsciousness into

consciousness, self-awareness is an ongoing process of education from

obscurity to clear understanding (as cited in Ansbacher & Ansbacher, 1956).

Adler’s theories imply that increasing self-awareness is possible (Fung, 2011).

Furthermore, self-awareness also has been discussed in the literature on

emotional intelligence (EI). Goleman (1995) defined self-awareness as knowing

oneself and being aware of one’s emotions as they occur. It is through the

knowledge of emotions that individuals are able to have empathy and

compassion for others. Similarly, Akers and Porter (2003) argued that self-

awareness consists of emotional awareness, the ability to recognize one’s own

emotions, and self-confidence, a feeling of certainty about self-worth and

capabilities. Expanding on the private and public definitions of the author,

Roysircar (2004) conceptualized cultural self-awareness. He explained that a

culturally self-aware individual is one who has the ability to become aware of his

or her own values, pre-conceived notions, basic values, limitations, and

assumptions about human behavior. In this sense, cultural self-awareness is

 32

similar to self-awareness as described by other scholars. However, cultural self-

awareness emphasizes the derivations of the source of behavior. In other words,

this description takes self-awareness to an even deeper level, identifying cultural

heritage as the source of values, assumptions, and feelings that in turn produce

outward behavior Fung (2011).

Still, Taylor, and Leslie (1993) in Fung (2011) defined self-awareness as

self-rater agreement, given that this has been the accepted definition by the

many multi-source, multi-rater systems (e.g., 360- degree feedback) that have

gained popularity in recent years. In these systems, the rater (called the target)

rates oneself on a number of dimensions and then receives feedback on those

same dimensions from several different sources. The more similar the target’s

ratings to the aggregated ratings of the raters, the more self-aware the target is

said to be. In other words, the target is self-aware if his or her self-perceptions

are consistent with others’ perceptions of him or her. Although self-rater

agreement provides a concrete method for measuring self-awareness, it yields

an incomplete picture of what self-awareness is and what it encompasses.

Moreover, Higgs and Rowland (2010) found that self-awareness in senior

leaders was a good predictor of managing change in high stress environments.

The researchers found that self-awareness helped the leader work in the

moment and know when his/her ego was affecting decision making. Their study

provides a good narrative of the experiences of organizational leaders, but the

qualitative design and a lack of a standardized self-awareness measurement

makes it difficult to generalize these findings outside of the study. Likewise, in a

 33

quantitative study, Bratton, Dodd, and Brown (2011) researched self-awareness

and Emotional Intelligence in a North American business population. The

research found that self-awareness was positively correlated to higher ratings in

job performance for leaders that underestimated their leadership ability. Also,

Dane and Brummel (2013) conducted quantitative research to study aspects of

awareness and job performance and engagement in a dynamic service industry.

Performance was assessed by immediate supervisors in a survey and found that

there was a relationship between mindfulness (in the moment awareness) and

performance. The study showed the importance of self-awareness in workplace

performance. The employees did not receive any self-awareness training, but

were tested and assessed on innate (trait) self-awareness competencies, Franz

(2020).

On the other hand, for educators, study of Vadivel and Saedian (2021)

revealed that the majority of the teachers showed self-awareness towards

professional development and believed in collaborative work as a path to

improve their skills creatively and continuously. They believed that self-

awareness grows them professionally, activities, and the challenges that inhibit

the growth or development of their teaching skills. Also, study of Llurda and

Huguet (2003) sought that primary and secondary teachers clearly differ in

their self-awareness regarding language proficiency and teaching views.

In addition, study of Hassan, Robani and Bokhari (20215) revealed the

important role of self-awareness specifically the newly-founded sub-domain i.e.

intent, in enhancing teachers’ emotional intelligence in relation to teaching

 34

efficacy and satisfaction. Teachers need to understand the role of emotions in

teaching and learning and how to use and regulate it productively in the process

of teaching and learning. Teachers who demonstrate interpersonal skills and

emotional intelligence in teaching and learning are able to handle conflicts and

solve problems in class regardless of the students’ diverse ethnic, socio-

economic status or different skill levels. This will definitely contribute to positive

and productive student-teacher relationship in turn, positive educational

outcomes.

Moreover, study of Park, Riley and Branch (2020) posited that

mindfulness offers a pathway for preservice teachers to develop self-awareness,

which is an essential part of personal and professional growth. They suggested

that educators need to provide meaningful learning experiences and activities,

which could help their students develop the personal qualities necessary to teach

with high self-confidence.

Personal Management

Personal management or self-management skills involve your ability to

control your feelings, thoughts and actions. With this skill, you can set

independent goals and take action to realize them. In the long run, personal

management skills help direct your career trajectory, Indeed Editorial Team

(2019). Self-Management is the ability to effectively manage your emotions,

thoughts, and behaviors in different situations. This includes managing stress,

delaying gratification, motivating yourself, and setting and working toward

 35

personal and academic goals, Transforming education (2018). Self-

management as the ability to manage one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors

effectively in different situations and to achieve goals and aspirations. In other

words, having self-management means to be able to conduct yourself

appropriately in a variety of situations so you can participate fully. You may also

hear it referred to as: self-regulation (Peyton, 2020).

Personal management is our ability to manage our behaviors,

thoughts, and emotions in a conscious and productive way. Someone with

strong self-management skills knows what to do and how to act in different

situations. For instance, they know how to control their anger when the

umpire unfairly calls their child out at a little league game. They know how to

avoid distractions while working from home, so they can maintain focus and

stay productive. They know what they need to do to achieve their fitness

goals— and they follow through. Personal or self-management definition has

its roots in emotional intelligence theory, where this capability may also be

referred to as self-regulation. Self-regulation is supported by our capacity for

self-awareness, which helps us create conscious access to our thoughts,

desires, and feelings. Only once we are aware of these things, can we begin

to control and express them appropriately, Munro (2021).

According to the study of Indeed Editorial Team (2019), here are some

examples of the personal management skills you need to achieve your goals and

boost career development. First, communication skills which are vital to effective

collaboration. Communication involves four aspects: written, verbal, nonverbal

 36

and visual communication skills. They're a crucial part of every interaction as

they help you express your message clearly and receive vital information to help

you excel in your role. You can request information from team members,

delegate tasks and share ideas and learn new strategies. Communication skills

also support you in building strong professional relationships with your

colleagues, customers and clients. Second, the ability to work under pressure.

Staying calm and working well under stress helps you stay focused on the task at

hand. Being organized, multitasking and effective communication are all ways to

prepare yourself to manage busy days or tight deadlines. Third, time

management skills which are vital to successful career development. Developing

or improving these skills ensures you can prioritize tasks, maintain focus and

avoid distractions. This then enables you to meet deadlines, delegate tasks when

necessary, and achieve company goals. Keeping a to-do list and monitoring what

you need to get done every day is one way to manage your time. Aim to

complete work before the deadline, so you have plenty of time to make revisions

and don't need to rush.

Additionally, organization skills should apply to every aspect of your life.

They're an essential part of career development and highly valued by employers.

Well-organized people can schedule their time more efficiently, prioritize tasks

and manage their responsibilities to ensure they can deliver in the workplace.

The fifth skill is goal setting which involves the ability to identify what you intend

to achieve in a well-defined and clear manner. This is vital to your workplace and

career development as it helps you determine what is important and take steps
 37

towards achieving them within a specified time. This keeps you motivated and

focused on achieving your goals. Setting short- and long-term goals is a great

way to start. Sixth, versatility refers to being proficient or knowledgeable in

various areas. Companies now consider versatile people indispensable as they

bring multiple options to a team. When you're versatile, you can easily fit into new

teams and improve their overall performance. Seventh, Teamwork involves

relating well with your colleagues and sharing equal responsibility to work

towards a common goal. Even roles that are largely independent involve some

level of teamwork, so a positive attitude and the ability to work with others is vital

to your career development. Companies value team players and those with

interpersonal skills. Eighth, accountability involves taking personal responsibility

for your actions and thoughts. It ensures that you can evaluate your decision

objectively and confidently make decisions. Accountable people are also

dependable and are happy to learn from their mistakes and improve

continuously. The last skill to improve personal management is self-motivation.

Self-motivated people push themselves through their passion and desire for

success, ensuring that they can remain productive in the face of external factors.

It's a vital aspect of making progress in various projects and activities that you

engage in, Indeed Editorial Team (2019).

On the other hand, Lorig, and Holman (2003) revealed the five core self-

management skills by Robert Wood Johnson. By definition self-management

education is problem based. Thus, it is logical that problem solving is a core self-

management skill. This does not mean that people are taught solutions to their
 38

problems. Rather, they are taught basic problem-solving skills. These include

problem definition, generation of possible solutions including the solicitation of

suggestions from friends and health care professionals, solution implementation,

and evaluation of results. A second self-management skill is decision making.

When this decision making is part of problem solving, it is part of the D’Zurilla

model. Decision making is based on having enough and appropriate information.

The formation of these key messages to foster appropriate decision making is

central to self-management education. A third core self-management skill is how

to find and utilize resources. Many programs tell participants about resources but

do not teach participants how to use the phone book, 800 numbers, the Internet,

the library, and community resource guides. In addition to teaching people how to

use resources, self-management includes helping people seek these out from

many sources. When looking for a resource, most people will call only one at a

time and wait for information. If that does not work, they try another. However, for

best results, it is important to contact several potential resources at the same

time as if casting a net for information.

The fourth self-management skill is helping people to form partnerships

with their health care providers. A little historical perspective is necessary to truly

understand this skill. When dealing with a long-term illness, the role of the health

care provider becomes that of teacher and partner as well as professional

supervisor. The final skill is taking action. This can be acquainted with solution

implementation in the D’Zurilla model and with skill mastery in the self-efficacy

model. Taking action may seem more like a decision than a skill but, in fact, there
 39

are skills involved in learning how to change a behavior. The most important of

these is probably making a short-term action plan and carrying it out. Making an

action plan is a little like making a New Year’s resolution but of shorter duration

and much more specific.

Agreeing to the study of Munro (2021) self-management means you

understand your personal responsibility in different aspects of your life, and

you do what you need to fulfill that responsibility. Those with well-developed

self-awareness and self-regulation are well-positioned to develop a set of

self-management skills that support them on their work and personal

journeys. Those with well-developed self-awareness and self-regulation are

well-positioned to develop a set of self-management skills that support them

on their work and personal journeys .

Likewise, Bhasin (2019) posited personal management is a managerial

function that is concerned with the people and their relationship within an

organization. Remember a satisfied workforce can take the company to

unimaginable heights, and this is why a business entity creates a separate

personal management department. It plays a significant role in a company as it

can plan and organize its manpower to utilize both human and material

resources admirably. The personal management team selects and hires

employees as per the requirement of its company, offers them the necessary

training to become better and develop their working, ensures proper working

conditions and encourages a harmonious relationship between workforce and

management. Personal management offers effective incentives to motivate and

 40

encourage full co-operation. It stimulates the workings of its workforce to

increase competency and potential.

From an organizational perspective, self-management is even more

important when we talk about empowering employees across the organization

to be more innovative and resourceful. The ability of team members to self-

manage is critical to the effective functioning of an organization. When every

team member understands their responsibilities, goals, and what it takes to

achieve them, they can make better decisions and do their part to achieve

the team and organization objectives. Part of effective self-management with

empowerment is that employees make good decisions about when to seek

additional help or input, Munro (2021).

Similarly, personal management skills increase productivity and

workplace performance. As a result, companies look for candidates with

exceptional personal management skills when hiring. Improving your personal

management skills will help you be more employable and stay relevant in your

chosen industry. In this article, we explore what personal management skills are

and offer insightful tips on how to improve them to advance your career (Indeed

Editorial Team, 2021).

In education, self-management is a key enabler for all learning (for

children and adults!) whether for academic subjects, other content areas, or skills

like playing a musical instrument. Self-management allows students to follow

through on plans to complete assignments, study for tests, and stay focused in

class. In adults, it is critical to reaching goals related to learning or life, like

 41

developing a new professional skill or keeping to a diet. Transforming education

(2018)

Self-management is an essential skill for effective teaching and learning. It

will help both teachers and students benefit from organization, clarity,

transparency and meaningful reflection. Teachers and students need to have a

range of different skills and attributes that are critical to be able to manage time,

communicate effectively, to make decisions, to maintain effective relationships

and to manage all requirements associated the learning process. For this reason,

it is important to be aware of some self-development techniques Transforming

education (2018)

Study of Peyton (2020) viewed for teachers, practicing self-management

yourself then makes it easier to teach these skills to your class. There are other

tangible things a teacher can implement to support self-management efforts in

the classroom, too. First, set up an achievable daily schedule or routine. Avoid

planning 9 hours’ worth of lessons in a 7 hour day. Second, break big tasks down

into smaller steps. Third, come up with a mantra that you can repeat to yourself

when “that student” is giving you a hard time (and don’t forget that they aren’t

trying to give you a hard time, they are just having a hard time themselves!).

Next, take mindful breaks with your students when you need a minute to breathe

or a moment of silence. Then, keep a journal to reflect on parts of your day that

felt “out of control” and come up with action steps for what you could do next

time. Finally, make time for yourself.

 42

Problem-Solving and Decision-Making

According to Mayer (2006), a problem happens when in any given

situation, a goal or objective state needs to be fulfilled, and there is no

predictable or regular method of solution available. In simple language, problem

can be defined as any state in any area of life where a person wants to reach a

destination or complete a task within a certain amount of time but doesn’t know

how to reach that desired location or reduce the gap between their current

condition and where they want to reach in an efficient way. A problem is

considered to occur, “when a living creature has a goal but does not know how

this goal is to be reached. Whenever one cannot go from the given situation to

the desired situation simply by action, then there has to be recourse to thinking

(Rahman, 2018).

Problem solving theory and practice suggest that thinking is more

important in solving problems than knowledge and that it is possible to teach

thinking in situations where little or no knowledge of the problem is needed. Such

an assumption has led problem solving advocates to champion content-less

heuristics as the primary element of problem solving while relegating the

knowledge base and the transfer or application of conceptual knowledge to

secondary status. Yet if one analyzes the meaning of problem solving, the

knowledge base and the transfer of that knowledge are the most essential

elements in solving problems. Problem solving is only one type of a larger

category of thinking skills that teachers use to teach students how to think

(Carson, 2007).
 43

The problem solving process includes also cognition of progress. If the

solution ought to be successful, the individual has to perceive the aftermaths of

his/her own acting in the individual phases of the problem solving, he/she has to

verify if the action had a positive effect on the problem solving itself, if he/she

gets closer to the expected aim or whether he/she gets more distant from it. The

unexpected events can intervene in the way of the solving that change the

problematic situation and can have an influence on the solving process. The

resolution of the problem can be described as a state characterized as the

removal, disappearance or fading of the difficulties, conflict, unrest, feeling of

uncertainty, or a concern. The two possible ways of reaching the resolution were

already discussed as these are internal and external ways. The solving does not

have to be based on the individual who experiences the problem and feels it -

another individual or a group of cooperating individuals can contribute to those

before-mentioned ways. In extreme cases does not the individual experiencing

the difficulty or a conflict have to perform any action and the problem can be

solved as a result of the spontaneous change of the acting circumstances or the

change caused by another person, (Dostal, 2015).

Problem-solving skill is defined as a person's ability to engage in cognitive

processes when understanding and solving problems for which the method of

solving is not readily available. Problem-solving skill is one of the important skills

provided to prospective teacher students because, in addition to developing

thinking skills, it also trains students' ability to manage learning to develop

thinking skills. Problem-solving is an important skill for students so that it should

 44

be an important element of learning design at every level of education (Ismet,

2019).

Similarly, Rahman (2019) viewed problem-solving is an intellectual

process of the brain, which explores the explanation to a specified problem or

discovers a technique to comprehend the given goal. The brain uses the

maximum cognitive functions like analytical thinking, generalization, and

synthesis in problem-solving, which involves features such as the scientific way,

critical thinking, decision-making, and reflective thinking. PISA (2012) defined

problem-solving competence as an individual’s capacity to engage in cognitive

processing to understand and resolve problem situations where a method of

solution is not immediately obvious. It includes the willingness to engage with

such situations in order to achieve one’s potential as a constructive and reflective

citizen.

Study of Rahman (2019) sought that problem-solving is a process, which

involves systematic observation and critical thinking to find an appropriate

solution or way to reach the desired goal. Problem-solving consisted of two

major skills: observation and critical thinking skill. Observation skill refers to

collecting data, understanding and interpreting the meaning of the information

using all the senses. Critical thinking involves the individual’s ability to do the

following: conceptualizing, logical reasoning, applying strategy, analytical

thinking, decision making and synthesizing to solve any problem.

In education perspective, study of Ismet (2019) posited that teachers plays

an important role in providing life skills to their students, including problem-

 45

solving skills. Teachers' perceptions and knowledge will influence the way they

provide these skills to students. In research on the perceptions of teachers as

practitioners and experts on problem-solving skills, it was found that 100% of

practitioners and experts agreed on the importance of providing problem-solving

skills to students for their future life. The importance of these skills is also

recognized by several curriculum standards in various countries in the world.

However, the reasons for the importance of problem-solving skills for both sides

are slightly different. The opinion of experts is the same as found by regarding

the perception of preservice teachers in Turkey about problem-solving learning.

Meanwhile, teachers as practitioner’s view problem solving as important for the

future of students, and it also makes learning more interesting, is closely related

to decision-making skills, and trains students' thinking processes. Practitioners

and experts perceive that problem solving skills should be taught to students, but

the methods and strategies are significantly different depending on their

knowledge, belief, teaching context, and personal background.

Similarly, study of Carson (2007) posited that problem solving is only one

type of a larger category of thinking skills that teachers use to teach students

how to think. Problem solving would be more effective if the knowledge base and

the application of that knowledge were the primary principles of the theory and

practice. In other words, teachers must not only teach students the heuristic and

set their students free upon the problems of everyday life. Rather, teachers must,

in addition to teaching students sound thinking skills, teach them what knowledge

in the past has been successful at solving the problems and why.
 46

Decisions about what to buy, whom to vote for, or where to live shape

many aspects of our lives, (Shafir, Tversky, Smith and Osherson, 2002).

Decision-making is the process whereby an individual, group or organization

reaches conclusions about what future actions to pursue given a set of objectives

and limits on available resources. This process will be often iterative, involving

issue-framing, intelligence-gathering, coming to conclusions and learning from

experience, (Shoemaker and Russo, 2014).

Decision making is part of problem solving because, in the problem-

solving process, decision-making skills are needed. Thus, some researchers

argue that these two skills can be the same and can be used together.

Meanwhile, others consider that these skills are different. Problem solving means

preparing an action plan to eliminate the gap between the current situation and

the desired situation while decision-making means defining a solution because it

requires goals or targets from various available solutions. In other words,

alternative solutions are required to choose the best. It can be concluded that

experts perceive that decision-making skills are different from problem-solving

skills while 9%of practitioners perceive that both skills are the same, (Ismet,

2020).

Decision making is an intellectual process of selecting optimal and best

option among many alternative choices. It results in an outcome which can be in

form of action. Decision making is an important process in any business

organization. Lots of resources are involved in it. Decision making process

involves the existence of a decision problem which have be understood by the

 47

decision-maker and accurately defined to find opportunities to solve it. Incorrect

decisions may lead to downfall of the organization, that‘s why the process

followed needs to be correct (Suraj Panpatt and Takale, 2019).

Study of Mast (2012) viewed that decision making is a broad topic

providing many possible angles from which to view any one situation. For the

context of this case study, decision making processes will be examined from a

planning perspective. Planning, as a type of decision making, will be conceived

as parallel concept to decision making in this study. As a discipline, planning is

often considered a rational, step-by-step process using protocols and relevant

information that lead planners to logical products. In the same way, the concept

of decision making presents evidence as an arrow pointing in the correct

direction. Collaborative planning models and research in evidence based

decision making illuminate messier processes and murkier decision making rules

that may or may not link solidly to evidence. Each area is governed by social,

cultural, and political realities situated in unique and fluctuating contexts. Making

sense of all the information and context within any decision making situation is a

complex process.

Decision making process requires thinking process, time, resources and

past experiences. Thinking process plays an important role in this process.

Decision plays important role as they determine both organizational and

managerial activities. Decision is made at every level of management to ensure

organization or business goal are achieved. Every organization needs to make

effective decision at one or other as part of managerial process. Decision made

 48

by the organization is to lighten the way forward. The most of the management

decisions are taken under the influence of external and internal environmental

constraints. As the environment is constantly changing and the information is not

always complete and available, management decisions can be made in certain,

uncertain and risky conditions (Suraj Panpatte and Takale, 2019).

Study of Mast (2012) found out that there are times when the decision

outcome would be the same if made by an individual or a group behind closed

doors in short periods of time, or made with the benefit of some sort of input

gathering process. This case highlights the effects of using an initial decision

making process which did not match the contextual environment. The decision

itself was not the most important outcome in this case. Rather, the importance of

considering the political and social dynamics of any given situation when

designing a decision making process, and ensuring the process includes a

variety of viewpoints, either at every step, or within aspects of evidence search,

evidence incorporation, and synthesizing evidence and context toward a

decision.

The study of decision making is an interdisciplinary enterprise involving

economics, political science, and psychology, as well as statistics and

philosophy. One can distinguish two approaches to the analysis of decision

making, the normative and the descriptive. The normative approach, which

underlies much of economic analysis, assumes a rational decision maker, who

has well-defined preferences that do not depend on the particular description of

 49

the options or on the specific methods for eliciting preference, (Shafir, Tversky,

Smith and Osherson, 2002).

ation (e.g. good or bad) of a person,

object, or
issue. Attitudes can be based on
affective, cogni-
tive, or behavioral information and
can vary in their
strength (e.g. how enduring, how
resistant to
change, and how predictive of
behavior they are) AttitudeAttitude can be defined as the way
in which a person views and evaluates something or someone, a predisposition or a
tendency to respond positively or negatively toward a certain idea, object, person, or
situation. It is traditionally structured along three dimensions: cognitive (perceptions and
beliefs), affective (likes and dislikes, feelings, or evoked emotions), and behavioral
(actions or expressed intentions toward the object based upon the “cognitive” and
“affective” responses), (Vargas, Plaza and porras, 2016). Attitude is a global and
relatively enduring evaluation (e.g. good or bad) of a person, object, or issue. Attitudes
can be based on affective, cognitive, or behavioral information and can vary in their
strength (e.g. how enduring, how resistant to change, and how predictive of behavior
they are), (Bizer, Barden, Petty (2006).
Attitudes

Attitudes are involved in practically every other area of the discipline,

including social perception, interpersonal attraction, prejudice and discrimination,

 50

conformity, compliance, and so on. Attitudes are formed by a number of

mechanisms. In classical conditioning, attitudes form when a previously neutral

attitude object comes to evoke an attitude response by being paired with some

other object that naturally evokes the attitude response. Another powerful way in

which attitudes are formed is through instrumental conditioning, using reward and

punishment contingencies. Some attitudes are also formed via observational

learning by vicariously experiencing rewards and punishments given to others.

Finally, genetic factors play a role in shaping some attitudes. The functional

approach says that we hold attitudes that fit our needs. All attitudes, regardless

of any other needs that they fulfill, also serve an object appraisal function. Early

functional theorists proposed four psychological functions that attitudes may

serve: utilitarian, knowledge, ego defensive, and value-expressive. A social-

identity function of attitude was added later (Baron, Branscombe and Byrne

2009).

Moreover, study of Sarnoff (in Sarwono, 2000) viewed the attitude of

willingness to respond (disposition to react) positively (favorably) or negatively

(unfavorably) to the object - a particular object. D.Krech and RS Crutchfield (in

Sears, 1999) found that the attitude of the organization that is settled from the

motivational, emotional, perceptual, and cognitive aspects of the world of the

individual. While La Pierre (in Anwar, 2003) gives the definition of attitude as a

pattern of behavior, tendencies or anticipatory readiness, predisposition to adapt

in social situations, or simply, the attitude is a response to social stimuli that have

been conditioned. Further Soetarno (1994) gives the definition of attitude is the
 51

view or feelings that accompanied the tendency to act on a particular object. The

attitude is always directed to something means nothing without an attitude.

Attitude is directed to objects, people, peritiwa, views, institutions, norms, and

others. Although there are some differences in terms of attitudes, but based on

the opinions of the above it can be concluded that the attitude is a state in which

man moves to act or do in social activities with certain feelings in response to a

situation or condition of the objects in the surrounding environment. In addition it

also provides readiness posture to respond to the positive or negative nature of

the object or situation.

Meanwhile, study of Singh (2016) revealed that positive attitude of

teachers towards their profession is crucial for effective teaching and learning

process and for the professional growth of teachers also. Attitude being a

dynamic entity gets influenced by variables like age, previous experience, beliefs,

gender and stream of education. The study further revealed that the effect of four

variable gender, stream of education, educational qualification and types of

school on the attitude of primary school teachers towards teaching profession

and found significant difference. Positive attitude of teachers towards their

profession is crucial for effective teaching and learning process and for the

professional growth of teachers also. So in order to improve the attitude of

primary school teachers towards teaching profession, teachers should be

involved in decision making process related to teaching learning process.

Administration should also create conducive work climate to reduce stress and

improve the attitude and work commitment among teachers. There should be an
 52

ample of opportunities for all the teachers in order to show their talents, creativity

etc. leading to job satisfaction which is one of the major factor which affect

attitude of teachers.

Further, Singh (2016) found several studies related on teacher’s attitude in

his study. First, Cornelius (2000) entitled, “Teacher competence associated with

intelligence, attitude towards teaching profession and academic achievement of

teacher trainees” and found out that intelligence, attitude towards teaching and

academic achievement of teacher trainee cast impression on their competence.

Second, Trivedi (2001), “Assessing Secondary School Teachers’ attitude towards

teaching profession,” and found that most of secondary school teachers

irrespective of their gender, medium or subject stream don’t have favorable

attitude towards teaching profession. The life of male and female teachers differ

significantly in their professional attitude as female possess more favorable

professional attitude than male. The Arts subject stream teachers are more

positive in their attitude towards teaching profession and differ significantly from

than their counterparts i.e. Science stream teachers. Third, Bhalla, A, Jajoo, U.

N. & Kalantri, S. P. (2002) entitled, “Attitude of teachers towards teaching,”

revealed that the study group has predominantly positive attitude for teaching

act. This positive attitude helps the teachers to be role model for the future

generation of students. Fourth, (Oral, 2004; Bozdogen et al, 2007) posited that

gender and type of training are the paramount factors influencing the attitude of

the teacher.
 53

Fifth, Devi (2005) found that success in teaching field depends upon two

prime factors attitude towards profession and job satisfaction. Next, Suja (2007)

conducted a study on Interaction effect of attitude towards teaching, interest in

teaching and teaching experience of job commitment of primary school teachers.

He reported that attitude towards profession, interest in profession and teaching

experience influence job commitment of the teacher. Then, Barwal (2011) in her

study revealed that there exists significant difference in the attitude of male and

female, graduate and post graduate, rural and urban secondary school teacher s

towards their teaching profession are correlated to each other. Finally, Theresal

and Benjamin (2011) conducted a study on attitude towards teaching profession

and self-esteem among student-teachers and revealed that male student

teachers and female student teachers had no significant difference their attitude

towards teaching profession as well as self-esteem.

Furthermore, Kozikoglu and Albayak (2022) study found out that teachers'

attitudes towards the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process are at a

high level, in other words, teachers generally have positive views about the IEP

process. It was found that according to teachers the IEP process improves the

development of both academic and social skills of children with special needs. It

was revealed that all of the teachers found the IEP process is useful and almost

all of them thought IEP is an essential application. In parallel with the results of

this study, Öztürk (2009) found that classroom teachers seem IEP as essential,

and IEP is beneficial for both the family and the teacher. Similarly, in the study of

Öztürk and Eratay (2010), five of the teachers reached the conclusion that IEP is
 54

essential, and four teachers stated that IEP is beneficial for both students and

families. In this case, it can be said that teachers have a positive attitude towards

the IEP process. As emphasized by the teachers on this result, it can be thought

that IEP application positively improves the development of both academic and

social skills of children with special needs. Based on these results, it is possible

to say that IEP application is a useful application in meeting both the educational

and social needs of students with special needs. However, the study suggested

that teachers should receive in-service training, physical conditions should be

improved, the class size should be reduced, and cooperation should be provided

between the family, classroom teachers and guidance counselor in order to

conduct IEP in a healthier way.

In the inclusive education perspective, study of Wanderi (2015) sought

that gender is not important in determining the attitude of teachers towards

inclusive education. There is no significant relationship between gender and

teachers attitude towards inclusive education. Thus, being male or female does

not matter as far as attitude towards inclusive education is concerned. In

addition, teachers’ affective commitment is not determined by the gender

orientation of the teacher. The study also found that there is no significant

relationship between gender and affective commitment leading to the conclusion

that affective commitment of teachers towards inclusive education is not

influenced by gender. It was further revealed that professional status does not

influence teachers’ attitude towards inclusive education nor does it have any

significant relationship with teachers’ attitude. On the other hand, professional

 55

status is important in determining teachers’ affective commitment towards

inclusive education. an average positive significant relationship exists between

teacher’s professional status and affective commitment indicating that

professional status of the teacher influences their affective commitment on

inclusive education. Teaching experience was found not to influence teachers’

attitude towards inclusive education. There was no significant relationship

between teachers teaching experience and their attitude towards inclusive

education. Therefore, the years of teaching experience are not important

determinants of teachers’ attitude towards inclusive education. Additionally,

teaching experience does not influence teachers’ affective commitment towards

inclusive education. There was no significant relationship between experience

and affective commitment of teachers.

Similarly, in the view of teaching with disability, study of Perez, Rodríguez,

Mateo, and Gutiérrez (2021) in relation to knowledge and general attitude

towards disability, the teachers showed a generally positive perception regarding

the interaction of students with those students with disabilities. Despite this, the

teachers acknowledge that, in general, students are not aware of the limitations

and capacities of their classmates with disabilities. Teachers gave importance to

the inclusion of content related to disability in the curriculum, affirming that it

enriches the knowledge of the students and favors positive attitudes towards

disability. Highlighted the importance of being aware of essential aspects about

disability and about strategies to improve the relationship and interaction with

disabled students, thus improving the perception towards it and the inclusion
 56

process of the students. Young teachers valued the acquisition of skills and

knowledge more positively. As reflected, younger teachers feel better prepared to

serve students with disabilities due to the training received, which is why they

value more positively the acquisition of knowledge and skills to give an adequate

response to diversity. In this sense, the teachers who had received training in

their studies valued the acquisition of the necessary general and specific

competencies more positively, they considered that they had knowledge,

strategies, and resources to respond to disability. Further, teachers with previous

training have more positive attitudes towards inclusion. Furthermore, it was

revealed that teachers showed affection and empathy towards the students with

disabilities. However, they pointed out that the presence, in class, of these

students generated uncertainty and concern. This fact coincides with the lack of

training and its low quality. In this sense, it is essential to train teachers in the

field of diversity to improve inclusive processes and promote positive attitudes.

Knowledge of competencies

To teach is to first understand purposes, subject matter structures, and ideas

within and outside the discipline. Teachers need to understand what they teach and,

when possible, to understand it in several ways (Rod Library, 2019). To teach all

students according to today’s standards, teachers need to understand subject matter

deeply and flexibly so they can help students create useful cognitive maps, relate one

idea to another, and address misconceptions. Teachers need to see how ideas connect

across fields and to everyday life. This kind of understanding provides a foundation for
 57

pedagogical content knowledge that enables teachers to make ideas accessible to

others (Shulman, 1987; Rod Library, 2019)

Pedagogical knowledge refers to the specialized knowledge of teachers

for creating effective teaching and learning environments for all students.

Pedagogical knowledge is base of teachers and the knowledge dynamics in the

teaching profession in order to examine their implications for the instructional

process and to derive evidence-based suggestions for educational policy.

Teacher quality is an important factor in determining gains in student

achievement, even after accounting for prior student learning and family

background characteristics. Predictors of teacher quality have typically included

factors such as class size, certification, type of qualification, degrees earned, or

years of experience (Guerriero, 2019).

To teach effectively, however, teachers do not only need to be content

knowledge (CK) and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), but also an ability to

apply this knowledge in teaching situations, for instance to give students adaptive

learning support, explanations and constructive feedback (McNamara,

1991; Blömeke et al., 2015; Jeschke C, Kuhn C, Heinze A, Zlatkin-

Troitschanskaia O, Saas H and Lindmeier AM (2021)). An understanding of not

only what teachers need to know, but also what enables them to apply

knowledge in the classroom is required for teacher education (Kersting et al.,

2016; Jeschke C, Kuhn C, Heinze A, Zlatkin-Troitschanskaia O, Saas H and

Lindmeier AM (2021)).
 58

The pedagogical ‘knowledge base’ of teachers includes all the required

cognitive knowledge for creating effective teaching and learning environments.

Identifying the content of this knowledge base, however, is a complex issue.

Most studies use the distinction between declarative (‘knowing that’) and

procedural knowledge (‘knowing how’) from cognitive psychology as a theoretical

basis. This approach is relevant as it focuses on understanding how knowledge

is related to behaviour, or in other words, the quality of teaching performance

(Guerriero, 2019). The first key study on teacher knowledge (Shulman, 1987:

(Guerriero, 2019) categorized teacher knowledge into 7 categories, among which

were the concepts of: general pedagogical knowledge (principles and strategies

of classroom management and organization that are cross-curricular) and 

pedagogical content knowledge (the knowledge which integrates the content

knowledge of a specific subject and the pedagogical knowledge for teaching that

particular subject.

According to the theory of Shulman (1986) who introduced the

phrase pedagogical content knowledge and sparked a whole new wave of

scholarly articles on teachers' knowledge of their subject matter and the

importance of this knowledge for successful teaching. In Shulman's theoretical

framework, teachers need to master two types of knowledge: (a) content, also

known as "deep" knowledge of the subject itself, and (b) knowledge of the

curricular development. Content knowledge encompasses what Bruner (as cited

in Shulman, 1992) called the "structure of knowledge"–the theories, principles,

and concepts of a particular discipline. Especially important is content

 59

knowledge that deals with the teaching process, including the most useful forms

of representing and communicating content and how students best learn the

specific concepts and topics of a subject. "If beginning teachers are to be

successful, they must wrestle simultaneously with issues of pedagogical content

(or knowledge) as well as general pedagogy (or generic teaching principles)"

(Grossman, as cited in Ornstein, Thomas, & Lasley, 2000, p. 508; Rod Library,

2019).

Study of Guerriero, (2019) viewed teaching as a knowledge-rich

profession with teachers as ‘learning specialists.’ As professionals in their field,

teachers can be expected to process and evaluate new knowledge relevant for

their core professional practice and to regularly update their knowledge base to

improve their practice and to meet new teaching demands. By investigating the

knowledge underlying effective teaching and learning, we are studying how to

improve teacher quality. Teacher quality itself is an important factor in

determining gains in student achievement. In fact, the main motive for

investigating teacher knowledge is to improve student outcomes. On the other

hand, to improve teacher quality, it is crucial to understand what teacher

professionalism involves. Thus, this study focuses on teacher knowledge as a

key factor in teacher professionalism. In other words, the two main themes

underlying the study of teacher knowledge are improving student outcomes and

teacher professionalism.

Smilarly, study of Jeschke C, Kuhn C, Heinze A, Zlatkin-Troitschanskaia

O, Saas H and Lindmeier AM (2021) beheld that to teach effectively, teachers

 60

need subject-specific knowledge, such as content knowledge and pedagogical

content knowledge, but also an ability to apply that knowledge to master

demanding classroom situations. However, there is no consensus in research

whether this ability should be modeled as a subject-specific ability or as a generic

ability. This question is important for effective teacher training and especially for

out-of-field teaching. The results of the study favor a subject-specific

conceptualization of teachers’ ability to apply subject-specific knowledge in

instructional settings. This implies for teacher training that learning opportunities

for promoting teachers’ ability to apply their subject-specific knowledge in

instructional settings should be designed specifically for the subject that will be

taught. Our study also suggests that out-of-field teachers require training in both

knowledge and an ability to apply this knowledge in teaching another subject, as

their ability to apply knowledge may not transfer from their field of expertise.

Likewise, Shulman, 1992; Rod library (2019) also viewed that to help all

students learn, teachers need several kinds of knowledge about learning. They

need to think about what it means to learn different kinds of material for different

purposes and how to decide which kinds of learning are most necessary in

different contexts. Teachers must be able to identify the strengths and

weaknesses of different learners and must have the knowledge to work with

students who have specific learning disabilities or needs. Teachers need to know

about curriculum resources and technologies to connect their students with

sources of information and knowledge that allow them to explore ideas, acquire

and synthesize information, and frame and solve problems. And teachers need to
 61

know about collaboration–how to structure interactions among students so that

more powerful shared learning can occur; how to collaborate with other teachers;

and how to work with parents to learn more about their children and to shape

supportive experiences at school and home.

Moreover, Shulman, 1992; Rod library (2019) believed that

comprehension of purpose of knowledge of competencies is very important. We

engage in teaching to achieve the following educational purposes: to help

students gain literacy, to enable students to use and enjoy their learning

experiences, to enhance students’ responsibility to become caring people, to

teach students to believe and respect others, to contribute to the well-being of

their community, to give students the opportunity to learn how to inquire and

discover new information, to help students develop broader understandings of

new information, to help students develop the skills and values they will need to

function in a free and just society.

In Mathematical perspective, study of Walshaw (2012) posited that

mathematics pedagogical knowledge, that is, teachers’ knowledge of how to

teach the content, is critical for effective teaching. Teachers’ conceptual

understanding and knowledge is critically important at any level. Teachers who

are unclear in their own minds about particular mathematical ideas may struggle

to teach those ideas and may resort to examples that prevent, rather than help,

student development. Teachers’ limited knowledge may lead them to

misunderstand their students’ solutions and may lead them to give feedback that

is inappropriate or unhelpful. In short, teachers’ fragile subject knowledge often

 62

puts boundaries around the ways in which they might develop students’

understandings. On the other hand, teachers with sound knowledge make good

sense of mathematical ideas. They develop the flexibility for spotting

opportunities that they can use for moving students’ understandings forward.

When teachers use their knowledge to enhance student learning, they are

engaging in effective practice. Not only are they advancing students’

understandings, they are also, ultimately, adding value to the wider community of

individuals.

Recent studies complemented the research on teachers’ knowledge by

emphasizing that a teacher’s competence should not be reduced to knowledge,

but rather manifests in the ability to master the specific teaching demands in the

classroom (Blömeke et al., 2015; Jeschke C, Kuhn C, Heinze A, Zlatkin-

Troitschanskaia O, Saas H and Lindmeier AM (2021). Also, Guerriero (2019)

revealed that while teacher knowledge is certainly a component of teacher

professionalism, professional competence involves more than just knowledge.

Skills, attitudes, and motivational variables also contribute to the mastery of

teaching and learning.

Further, study of (Blömeke et al., 2015; Jeschke C, Kuhn C, Heinze A,

Zlatkin-Troitschanskaia O, Saas H and Lindmeier AM (2021) found that pre-

service teachers who acquired substantial knowledge in two subjects may be

able to apply teaching knowledge related to one subject and fail to apply their

knowledge in another subject (although both subjects are closely related). Their

findings shed further light on how the ability of teachers to apply knowledge in
 63

instructional situations can be modelled. With respect to teacher training, the

results suggest that a course to prepare pre-service teachers for practice should

be designed specifically for teaching one subject (e.g., mathematics) instead of

addressing pre-service teachers of different subjects. This is especially relevant

for training out-of-field teachers: If teaching a subject requires not only subject-

specific knowledge but a subject-specific ability to apply knowledge, it might not

suffice to provide an experienced teacher of one subject with learning

opportunities for (declarative) knowledge in another subject.

Furthermore, study of Carol Murphy in Walshaw (2012) found that

although two of the prospective teachers had some understanding of the

inexactness of area measures, none of the four teachers fully conceived of area

as dynamic. Explanations from three of the teachers were influenced by their

own knowledge of area. The fourth and least confident and less procedurally

accurate of the four teachers planned an inquiry approach in which students’ own

strategies were intended to help them develop understandings of the concept.

These findings from a small-scale study have led Murphy to question, tentatively,

earlier findings that claim that teachers who are confident in their own knowledge

of the content are likely to teach in a way that conforms to the principles of

inquiry teaching.

Moreover, study of Guerriero (2019) found that decision-making is a factor

influencing teachers’ decisions include antecedent conditions such as students,

the nature of the instructional task, the classroom, and the school environment.

Further, the study showed that how teacher knowledge is used in decision-
 64

making seems to be suggesting that in order to make informed pedagogical

decisions, teachers must be able to analyse and evaluate specific learning

episodes, in combination with contextual and situational factors, and to be able to

connect all this information to their specialist knowledge of the teaching-learning

process in order to guide subsequent teaching actions. Thus, making good

pedagogical decisions hinges on the quality of the pedagogical knowledge held

by the teacher.

Theoretical/Conceptual Framework

Three theories support this research. The first is Edwards, Caplan, and

Van Harrison's Person Environment Fit Theory. According to this theory, workers

will be more productive if their qualifications and abilities are matched to the work

they are doing (Kristof-Brown, & Guay, 2011). Henceforth, PE fit defined as the

compatibility that occurs when individuals match the characteristics of the work

environment they inhabit. The notion that individuals with personal needs, values,

goals, abilities, and personalities and organizational environments with distinctive

demands, supplies, values, and cultures are differentially compatible and that

“fitting in” is an evolving process that triggers behavioral, cognitive and affective

responses has been well accepted since PE fit was introduced as an

independent theory in the mid-1970s.From an individual (i.e., employee)

perspective, fit theories suggest that fit is a sought-after and rewarding

experience in and of itself, especially when multiple types of fit (e.g., fit with the

job and with the organization) co-occur.

 65

The Social Constructivist Theory of Lev Vygotsky is the second. This

theory focuses on the effect of what Vygotsky refers to as "more knowledgeable

others," or those who are knowledgeable enough to provide guidance and

information. Finally, Albert Bandura's self-efficacy theory (2010). Bandura &

Adams 1997; Türkolu et al. 2017 define self-efficacy as a person's belief in his or

her capacity to perform a task assigned to them. These theories prompted me to

investigate the influence and impact of teachers teaching students in disciplines

in which they were not proficient.

Out-of-field Teachers

● Dealing with
insecurities and
anxieties
● Lack of Content
 Drafting of Survey,
Mastery
● Lack of Teaching
Strategies and Validation &
Techniques Proposed high
● Being able to shape Reliability
up and progress adaptability of out-of-
● Coping Mechanism  Data Gathering
Input Process Output
field teachers program
Adaptability  Statistical Analysis

● Self-awareness
● Personal
Management
● Problem-solving and
Decision-making
● Attitude
● Knowledge of
Competencies
 66

Figure 1. Conceptual Framework

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this mixed method study was to determine the extent of

out-of-field teachers in terms of dealing with insecurities and anxieties, lack of

content mastery, lack of teaching strategies and techniques, being able to shape
 67

up and progress, coping mechanism and adaptability in terms of self-awareness,

personal management, problem-solving and decision-making, attitude and

knowledge of competencies; as well as to know the relationship of the variables

mentioned. Additionally, the study dug deeper to determine what quantitative

results need further explanation to determine what school program will be

suggested to develop high adaptability of out-of-field teachers program of

Binugao District, Davao City Division for the past three school years.

Statement of the Problem

This study aimed to determine the level of out-of-field teachers of Binugao

District.

Specifically, the study sought to answer the following questions:

1. What is the level of out-of-field teachers in terms of:

1.1 Dealing with insecurities and anxieties

1.2 Lack of content mastery

1.3 Lack of teaching strategies and techniques

1.4 Being able to shape up progress

1.5 Coping mechanism

2. What is the level of adaptability in terms of?

2.1 self-awareness

2.2 personal management

 68

2.3 problem-solving and decision making

2.4 attitude

2.5 knowledge of competencies

3. Is there a significant relationship between the performance of out-of-field

teachers and adaptability (Quantitative)?

4. What school program should be created to uplift adaptability of out-of-field

teachers (Qualitative)?

Hypotheses

The null hypotheses of this study were formulated and tested at 0.05

alpha level of significance:

HO1. There was no significant relationship between the performance of

out-of-field teachers and adaptability.

The research findings of the study have made a valuable contribution to

the following beneficiaries included:

The Department of Education. This could have important implications for

policy. This can be basis for policy solutions to the dilemma such as how to

ensure sufficient supply without lowering the bar, which would

simultaneously upgrade the quality and attractiveness of the job and many other

educational policies. This study could provide additional information on the

effects of employing out-of-field teachers to teach among elementary

 69

learners. Moreover, core curricula for educators too often fall short of the depth

and detail needed to successfully serve learner populations. Hence, the study

could be a benchmark for further enhancement of the curriculum.

School Administrators. The findings of the study will provide the school

administrators a better understanding as to assist, support and give technical

assistance to out-of-field graduate teachers, thus this will be the basis for policy

academic planners of the school in redirecting their school plan giving more

emphasis on uplifting the performance out-of-field graduate teachers.

Teachers. The findings of the study would hear their experiences and

sentiments in relation to their profession. This would give them a chance to voice

out the daily issues they face as well as the difficulties they encounter in their

teaching career. The knowledge gained from this study would offer a clear

understanding of why teachers experience disparities between expectations of

teaching and realities of the classroom, and how such disparities affect their

performance and the quality of education they serve to the students.

Learners. The findings of the study will help learners to actively participate

to the discussions and activities of their teacher even if there is not an education

graduate.

Future Researchers. This finding of the study provide baseline data who

will conduct the same field of study but could focus on different variables as

presumably , there will other issues be worthy of further research.

The following operational definitions are provided to ensure that all terms

used in this study are to be understood:

 70

Out-of-field teachers. Out-of-field teachers refer to a person who is a

graduate of non-education degree, has been earning education units, has

passed the licensure examination, and is currently employed as a teacher in an

educational institution.

Dealing with insecurities and anxieties. Insecurity is a feeling of

inadequacy (not being good enough) and uncertainty. It produces anxiety about

your goals, relationships, and ability to handle certain situations. Anxiety

describes an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and

physical changes like increased blood pressure. Everybody deals with insecurity

and anxiety from time to time. It can appear in all areas of life and come from a

variety of causes. It might stem from a traumatic event, patterns of previous

experience, social conditioning (learning rules by observing others), or local

environments such as school, work, or home.

Lack of content mastery. A teacher who is incompetent in general

pedagogical knowledge includes the principles and strategies of classroom

management and organization that are cross-curricular and pedagogical content

knowledge comprises the knowledge which integrates the content knowledge of

a specific subject and the pedagogical knowledge for teaching that particular

subject.

Lack of teachings strategies and techniques. Teaching strategies refer to

the methods, techniques, procedures and processes that a teacher uses during

instruction. It is generally recognized that teaching strategies are

 71

multidimensional and their effectiveness depends on the context in which they

are applied.

Being able to shape up and progress. To shape up is to improve or

develop. Shaping-in to a situation, if in other words is, as good as adapting to the

situation, tune the approach and make necessary amends to align with the

requirement; Shape-up, is the assertion of the readiness to progress to the next

level. However, shaping-up to next level in the desired manner isn't possible,

without shaping-in to succeed from the previous situation or level. To grow and

develop it’s obvious that one need to challenge oneself, get uncomfortable, and

try to do something different. Remember all progress takes place outside the

comfort zone. Thriving individuals are growing, energized, developing rather than

stagnating or feeling depleted. Shaping-up is all about the passion, energy

through the excitement of work and constant learning.

Coping mechanism. Coping mechanisms are the strategies people often

use in the face of stress and/or trauma to help manage painful or difficult

emotions. Coping mechanisms can help people adjust to stressful events

while helping them maintain their emotional well-being.

Adaptability. A defining feature of teaching work is that it involves novelty,

change, and uncertainty on a daily basis. Being able to respond effectively to this

change is known as adaptability. The teachers who are more adaptive, find each

day as a learning opportunity to learn, relearn and discover what they don’t know.

The teachers who possess adaptability, learn from peers and finds out ways to

improve their pedagogy and teaching practices. They build the schools into a
 72

small-world with a great amount of growth. They are flexible with students,

parents, and peers. And when they go back home, they feel accomplished.

Self-awareness. Self-awareness is your ability to perceive and understand

the things that make you who you are as an individual, including your personality,

actions, values, beliefs, emotions, and thoughts. Essentially, it is a psychological

state in which the self becomes the focus of attention. self-awareness is a key

component for managing stress, avoiding burnout, and thriving in the classroom.

Self-awareness also involves an understanding of how our thoughts, feelings, and

behaviors impact our interactions with our students.

Personal Management. Personal Management or self-management is the

act of taking responsibility for your behaviour, health and happiness, or for the

organization of your work activities. Self-management is our ability to manage

our behaviors, thoughts, and emotions in a conscious and productive

way. Self-management means you understand your personal responsibility

in different aspects of your life, and you do what you need to fulfill that

responsibility.

Problem-solving and Decision-making. Problem solving is the process of

identifying a problem, developing possible solution paths, and taking the

appropriate course of action. Why is problem solving important? Good problem

solving skills empower you not only in your personal life but are critical in your

professional life.

Decision making is the process of making choices by identifying a

decision, gathering information, and assessing alternative resolutions. Using a

 73

step-by-step decision-making process can help you make more deliberate,

thoughtful decisions by organizing relevant information and defining alternatives.

Attitude. Attitude is a manner, disposition, feeling, position, etc., with

regard to a person or thing; tendency or orientation, especially of the mind. A

teacher’s attitude generally refers to her disposition, though there are other

factors as well. Attitude encompasses a teacher's level of enthusiasm,

resourcefulness, willingness to help and knowledge of the content. All of these

play an important role in overall classroom performance. A teacher must have a

positive attitude when around his or her students to give them motivation, build

their confidence, and most importantly their well-being.

Knowledge of Competencies. Knowledge of Competencies or pedagogical

knowledge refers to the specialized knowledge of teachers for creating effective

teaching and learning environments for all students. Pedagogical knowledge is

base of teachers and the knowledge dynamics in the teaching profession in order

to examine their implications for the instructional process and to derive evidence-

based suggestions for educational policy.

CHAPTER 2

Method

This section discussed the study’s techniques, such as the research

design, research respondents, research instrument, data gathering procedure,

ethical considerations, data analysis and sequence, emphasis and procedures.

 74

Research Design

This research study employed explanatory sequential mixed method

design. This study combined quantitative and qualitative approaches to gain a

comprehensive understanding on the performance of out-of-field teachers and

adaptability. This study used survey or questionnaire to gather quantitative data

and interviews to gather qualitative insights. This study made use of two distinct

phases: quantitative followed by qualitative (Creswell et al. 2003). In this design,

a researcher first collects and analyses the quantitative (numeric) data. The

qualitative (text) data are collected and analyzed second in the sequence and

help explain, or elaborate on, the quantitative results obtained in the first phase.

The second builds to follow the results on the first, quantitative phase, and the

two phases are connected in the intermediate stage in the study for the

interpretation. The rationale for this approach is that the quantitative data and

their subsequent analysis provide a general understanding of the research

problem. The qualitative data and their analysis refine and explain those

statistical results by exploring participants’ views in more depth (Rossman and

Wilson 1985; Tashakkori and Teddie 1998; Creswell 2003). In the first

quantitative phase of the study, the quantitative research questions focused on

out-of-field graduate teachers served as predictors in influencing their job

satisfaction. Moreover, since the views and feelings of these students were

crucial in this analysis, the researcher used a qualitative research design to

 75

document the experiences of the teachers with regards to the variables of the

study.

Research Respondents/Participants

The purpose of this mixed-methods sequential explanatory study was to

identify the level of the out-of-field teachers and adaptability by obtaining

quantitative results from a survey of 10 out-of-field graduate teachers and then

following up with five (5) purposefully selected non-education graduate teachers

to explore those results in more depth through an in-depth interview. For this

study, certain inclusion criteria were implemented in determining the teacher

respondents of the study. The primary consideration of this study was to choose

teacher respondents who could provide information to achieve the purpose of

this study. Hence, only those teachers who were officially hired in Binugao

District. Moreover, the study was delimited only to the nature of the problem

based on the research questions and thus it did not consider performance of the

teacher.

Research Instrument

In order to gather the quantitative data, on adapted survey questionnaires

were used. The tools were subjected to content validity by panel of experts and

pilot tested to obtain its reliability. The first part of the instrument was the out-of-

field teachers, which was adapted from the study of Patalinghug (2018). The
 76

questionnaire is composed of 5-item statements for each indicator of out-of-field

graduate teachers. The adapted questionnaire has a Cronbach alpha value

of .865, which means that it has a good reliability.

Range of Descriptive
Interpretation
Means Equivalent

4.20 – 5.00 Very High Performance of out-of-field teachers is always

evident.

3.40 – 4.19 High Performance of out-of-field teachers is

oftentimes evident.

2.60 – 3.39 Moderate Performance of out-of-field teachers is

sometimes evident.

1.80 – 2.59 Low Performance of out-of-field teachers is seldom

evident.

1.00 – 1.79 Very Low Performance of out-of-field teachers is never

evident.

Indicated above is the numeric and descriptive interpretation of the extent

of performance of out-of-field teachers.

The second adopted questionnaire was developed by (Munda,

2021) was used to measure the adaptability of teachers. The adapted

questionnaire has a Cronbach alpha value of .967 which means that it has a

good reliability.

Indicated below is the numeric and descriptive interpretation of the extent

adaptability.

Range of Descriptive
Interpretation
Means Equivalent
 77

Adaptability of teachers in terms of self-

4.20 – 5.00 Very High awareness, personal management, problem-
solving and decision-making, attitude and
knowledge of competencies is always evident.

Adaptability of teachers in terms of self-

awareness, personal management, problem-
3.40 – 4.19 High
solving and decision-making, attitude and
knowledge of competencies is oftentimes
evident.

Adaptability of teachers in terms of self-

awareness, personal management, problem-
2.60 – 3.39 Moderate
solving and decision-making, attitude and
knowledge of competencies is sometimes
evident.

Adaptability of teachers in terms of self-

1.80 – 2.59 Low awareness, personal management, problem-
solving and decision-making, attitude and
knowledge of competencies is seldom evident.

Adaptability of teachers in terms of self-

1.00 – 1.79 Very Low awareness, personal management, problem-
solving and decision-making, attitude and
knowledge of competencies is never evident.
Additionally, a team of experts validated the content of these

questionnaires. These experts come from various institutions. Based on criteria,

the experts evaluated the questionnaire. The researcher considered the advice

and comments of the experts. The instrument underwent pilot testing prior to its

final administration.

Meanwhile, in the qualitative phase, a semi-structured in-depth interview

was used. The researcher interviewed each participant using a validated

interview guide in this study. With the participants’ permission, the interviewer

jotted down notes. According to Guion (2002) An in-depth semi-structured

 78

interview is described as a positive discussion of a specific topics taking to

individuals with a similar background and common interest.

Data Gathering Procedures

On the quantitative phase, necessary steps were undertaken in the

conduct of the study. These steps were indicated below to gather the quantitative

data needed:

1. Asking Permission to Conduct a Study. The researcher submitted a

survey request to the Dean of the Graduate School of Rizal Memorial Colleges

and to the Office of Division Superintendent asking permission to conduct a

study. After the approval, the approved letter was presented to the principals of

the respondent-schools where the teachers are teaching.

2. Content Validation and Pilot Testing. Prior to the administration of

the questionnaire, the questionnaires were subjected to content validation by

panel of experts. They were given a validation sheet to assess the items which

were based on certain criteria. This was conducted via face-to-face setup. The

experts had affixed their signature in the form and indicated their responses and

comments.

After the conduct of validation test, pilot testing was administered to

selected teachers who were not covered in the study. A total of 30 teachers were

subjected to pilot testing. These teachers were not part of the official

respondents. The purpose of pilot testing was to assess the reliability of the
 79

instrument. The pilot testing was conducted face-to-face. Each questionnaire

registered good and excellent reliability.

3. Administration and Distribution of the Questionnaire. Survey

questionnaires were administered and distributed via face-to-face set up to the

respondents of the study. Enough time was given to them to answer the survey

form. Another way of accomplishing the survey was to personally hand the

questionnaire or place it in a dropbox where the identified respondents picked the

form and return it after they answer to the same dropbox.

4. Retrieval of the Questionnaire. Questionnaires were retrieved after

the respondents completely answered the items. These responses were

personally handed or placed in a drop box.

5. Analysis and Interpretation. Results were analyzed and interpreted

using statistical treatments. The statistical tools used were Mean and Pearson r.

In the qualitative side of the study, the researcher conducts the interview

with the respondents in a conducive, quit environment. The interview was

initiated individually for about 10-20 minutes. One-on-one in depth interview was

conducted to gather the live experiences of the participants with regards to the

school program that they may suggest to enrich the performance of out-of-field

teachers to rise adaptability. On the conduct of the one-on-one in-depth

interview, the researcher used the validated interview protocol and gave follow

up questions to ensure saturation of answers. In addition, the researcher

discussed thoroughly the ethical considerations to the participants. Also, the

participants’ perspective on the phenomenon of interest was unfolded according

 80

to how he/she viewed it and not as the researcher viewed it. The interview

involved a personal interaction where cooperation was essential (Creswell,

2007). During the in-depth interview, the participants were informed first that the

process is going to be recorded. The responses were recorded with the

permission of the participants and they were saved in a flash drive.

Ethical Considerations

The researcher observed the ethical principles set forth by RMC’s

Research Ethics. These principles were social value, informed consent, risk,

benefits and safety, privacy and confidentiality of information, justice,

transparency, qualification of researcher, adequacy of facilities, and community

involvement.

Social Value. The goal of this study is to determine the influence of

students’ anxiety in second language learning and absenteeism. Certainly, this

study would be beneficial to several stakeholders. To the School Administrators,

this will provide relevant data to teachers who are teaching in the post pandemic.

The school administrators may send their teachers to professional engagement

activities to acquire valuable skills. To the learners, this will enable them to

engage in programs that will help to motivate themselves in avoiding absences.

Informed consent process. The study questions are clear of technical

words, making them easier to interpret for the respondents. It offers them a clear

picture of their advantages due to undertaking the study. The notion of respect

for the individual who may seek consent how and when it will be done is applied
 81

to this study's informed consent approach. The researcher will ask permission

from the respondents through written consent. Approved letter from the Schools

Division Superintendent will be attached. The respondents will be informed on

their duties and responsibilities while participating in the study. However, they

could withdraw anytime if they feel inconvenience.

Risks, Benefits, and Safety. The study will not involve high risks of

situations that the respondents may experience in physical, psychological, or

socio-economic concerns. The researcher believes that this research entails little

risk, with the probability and extent of any damages resulting from involvement in

the study is no more than those they could experience in their daily lives.

However, the researcher has a high risk of getting harmed physically due to

traveling to different locations as the research locale of the study. To lessen the

probability of occurrence, the research will evaluate the risk and decides on the

precautions on health and safety. Meanwhile, the result of the study will benefit

the learners in motivation to go to school every day.

Privacy and Confidentiality of Information. The researcher will ensure that

the respondents' personal information, which is essential for the study, will be

kept private and secured. At all times, the data acquired for this study will be kept

safe. Further, the researcher will adhere to the principles of transparency,

legitimate purpose, and proportionality in the collection, retention, and processing

of personal information (Data Privacy Act of 2012). This move will protect the

identities of the respondents and ensures that the data cannot be traced back to

the respondents. The manner of storage of data will be done in electronic saving.
 82

The data will be kept to the researcher's email so that it could be retrieved

anytime when needed for the benefit of the research respondents.

Justice. In this study, the researcher will treat all respondents equal. The

researcher will provide tokens to compensate the time spent by the respondents.

Additionally, this study will ensure that the rights of the respondents are

respected and honoured.

Transparency. In carrying out this study, the researcher will orient the

respondents on their roles and responsibilities. Also, the respondents will be

oriented on the methods utilized in this study. All the necessary documents that

will support the data analysis and will give the readers access to read to gain a

better understanding of the study's results and findings will be included. In the

presentation of findings, the researcher is objective in presenting the real results.

The results will be disseminated in a bigger forum either in conference, forum or

in a LAC session.

Qualification of Researcher. Since the researcher is able to complete the

academic units, thus, he is qualified to pursue this study. Evidence is he passed

the comprehensive examination. Meanwhile, advance statistical tools make the

researcher not comfortable since this requires the knowledge of statistician thus,

he asks the assistance of his adviser and panel members. Additionally, he can

also ask the expertise of his peers for coaching and mentoring purposes only.

Adequacy of Facilities. In this study, the researcher is able to access the

needed facilities and resources since it is available in the area like internet

sources and library. In case the researcher will find difficulty in the analysis of
 83

data, he can tap a group of experts that will provide valuable feedbacks and

suggestions not only in conducting the study but also in communicating the

results.

Community Involvement. The success of this study will not only benefit the

researcher but it will also contribute big to the community members. The findings

of the study will be shared to the people in the community on the significance of

the adaptability of teachers and anxiety. In this regard, they will be more aware

that it can contribute to the overall cognitive development of their students or

children. Further, the dissemination of findings will require permission from

authorities so that bigger audience can acquire relevant information on the

findings and recommendations of this study.

Data Analysis

The following statistical tools were used to answer the research questions:

Mean. This was used to assess the extent of performance of out-of-field

graduate teachers and job satisfaction.

Pearson r. This was used to determine the relationship between

performance of out-of-field graduate teachers and job satisfaction.

Thematic Content Analysis. According to Anderson (2007), Thematic

Content Analysis (TCA) is a descriptive presentation of qualitative data.

Qualitative data mat take form of interview transcripts collected from research

participants or other identified texts that reflect experientially on the topic of the
 84

study. In this study, transcripts gathered from the interview or focus group

discussion will be analysed to produce meaningful themes.

The six steps prescribed by Braun and Clarke (2006) to carry out a

thematic analysis are guidelines and should not be used as prescriptive, linear,

and inflexible rules when analysing data. They should rather be used in relation

to the research question and the available data. The six steps are as follows:

1. Familiarizing yourself with your data – this step requires the

researcher to be fully immersed and actively engaged in the data by firstly

transcribing the interactions and then reading (and re-reading) the transcripts

and/or listening to the recordings. Initial ideas should be noted down. It is

important that the researcher has a comprehensive understanding of the content

of the interaction and has familiarized him-/herself with all aspects of the data.

2. Generating initial codes – Once familiar with the data, the researcher

must then start identifying preliminary codes, which are the features of the data

that appear interesting and meaningful. These codes are more numerous and

specific that themes, but provide an indication of the context of the conversation.

3. Searching for themes – The third step in the process is the start of

the interpretive analysis of the collated codes. Relevant data extracts are sorted

(combined or split) according to overarching themes. The researcher’s thought

process should allude to the relationship between codes, subthemes, and

themes.

4. Reviewing themes – A deeper review of identified themes follows

where the researcher needs to question whether to combine, refine , separate,

 85

or discard initial themes. Data within themes should cohere together

meaningfully, while there should be clear and identifiable distinctions between

themes. This is usually done over two phases, where the themes need to be

checked in relation to the coded extracts (phase 1), and then for the overall data

set (phase 2). A thematic ‘map’ can be generated form this step.

5. Defining and naming themes - this step involves ‘refining and

defining’ themes and potential subthemes within the data. On-going analysis is

required to further enhance the identified themes. The researcher needs to

provide theme names and clear working definitions that capture the essence of

each theme in a concise and punchy manner. At this point, a unified story of the

data needs to emerge from the themes.

6. Producing the report - Finally, the researcher needs to transform

his/her analysis into an interpretable piece of writing by using vivid and

compelling extracts examples that relate to the themes, research question, and

literature. The report must rely on the results of the analysis in a way that

convinces the reader of the merit and validity of the analysis. It must go beyond

an evidence that addresses the research question.

Sequence, Emphasis and Mixing Procedures

Sequence. Explanatory sequential mixed method design was used in this

study. This means that both the quantitative phase and qualitative phase were

concurrently conducted. For quantitative strand, one survey instrument having

 86

three (3) parts each variable composed of adapted questionnaires to measure

the variables in this study taken from previous researchers bearing similar topic

of the study were administered to the 10 out-of-field graduate teachers of

Binugao District, Division of Davao City. For qualitative strand, a researcher-

made interview guide was crafted to elicit information form the research

participants during the in-depth interview. The information was then transcribed

and analysed using coding and thematic analysis to determine the emerging

themes based on the responses of the learner participants.

Emphasis. The quantitative data and qualitative were given equal

emphasis in this study. The findings were integrated during the interpretation

phase of the study. The convergent design framework shows two strands with

the data collection and analysis from the quantitative and qualitative strands.

Mixing. The design required a substantial length of time to complete all

data collection given the two separate phases. The researcher typically

connected the two strands (Creswell, 2003). The rationale for this approach was

that the quantitative data and their subsequent analysis provided a general

understanding of the research problem. The quantitative data and their analysis

were used to explain those statistical results by exploring participants’ views in

more depth (Rossman and Wilson 1985; Tashakkori and Teddie 1998; Creswell,

2003).

It is shown in Figure 2, the systematic procedure of the study. It

demonstrated the use of convergent mixed methods design, where quantitative

data and qualitative data were corroborated to determine the performance of

 87

out-of-field graduate teachers to rise job satisfaction of teachers administered to

the participants who were selected through purposive sampling. Then, after

giving adequate time, the survey questionnaires were collected by the

researcher, responses of the participants were encoded and qualitative phase

were conducted simultaneously in the selected teachers of Binugao District

Davao City Division. In the quantitative strand, a validated survey questionnaire

was analysed using computer application and the answers of the participants

were numeric data as the output. In addition, in analysing the quantitative data,

appropriate statistical tools used were weighted mean and Pearson’s r product

moment correlation. After treatments, data will be presented according to the

sequence of the research problems.

In qualitative data strand, the researcher purposely selected the

participants based on the quantitative data findings for the in-depth interview.

Schedule of the interview was set at the convenience of the participants

considering that the participants have classes being learners. Every detail of the

responses was taken into consideration but those that were not relevant to the

study were not reflected. In addition, the interview proceedings were recorded

with the consent of the participants. In analysing the qualitative data, discourse

and narrative analysis were used. The results from qualitative strand were

compared with the quantitative data to determine if they corroborated. They

were discussed leading to the interpretation of phenomenon of the study.

 88

QUANTITATIVE DATA ● Asking Permission to Conduct a

COLLECTION AND Study.
ANALYSIS ● Content Validation and Pilot
Testing.
● Administration and Distribution
of the Questionnaire.
● Retrieval of the Questionnaire.
● Analysis and Interpretation
 89

FOLLOW-UP
WITH

● Familiarising yourself with your

QUALIITATIVE DATA data
COLLECTION AND ● Generating initial codes
ANALYSIS ● Searching for themes
● Reviewing themes
● Defining and naming themes
● Producing the report

QUALITATIVE
EXPLANATION ON
QUANTITATIVE
RSULTS

Figure 2. Flow of Procedure