This edited book is a compilation of research by the members of the Out-of-Field Teaching Across Specialisations (OOF-TAS) Collective, and is the second book by the Collective. It extends from the work begun in the 2019 book, Examining the Phenomenon of “Teaching Out-of-Field” by showcasing the broad range of research agendas and findings relating to this phenomenon internationally. This book provides research and commentary relating to the out-of-field teaching phenomenon in primary, secondary and tertiary education, and across different subjects. It provides snapshots of the effects, causes, measurement, and other characteristics of out-of-field teaching in and across contexts, including states and countries, school types and school levels, subjects and specializations. The different chapters provide commentary at different units of analysis, and focus on: the effects of out-of-field teaching for teachers and their students; the school contexts/cultures that do or do not support them; the leadership practices that assign the teachers to out-of-field subjects; and the systems that create/perpetuate the need for out-of-field teaching assignments. Chapter 15 is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

We live in challenging and uncertain times, with profound implications for the purpose and nature of education. The crises of the Anthropocene, with the related climate-related challenges, biodiversity loss, a global pandemic, and changes to the world of work driven by science and technology innovation and the ascendency of data and knowledge, pressure us to rethink how we prepare people for such futures. This, in turn, has changed the landscape of educational research, perhaps particularly in the areas of mathematics, health and environmental education research that are so central to responding to these global pressures and potential solutions. We need to think critically about education research design and practice as part of a considered and robust discussion of education research theory and practice that will inform and help shape education systems into the future. This volume responds to these challenges, casting fresh light on contemporary methodologies fit for reconsidering education into the future. Chapters explore post-qualitative inquiry, with overviews and practices, arts-based and interdisciplinary methodologies, self-study and auto-ethnography for the Anthropocene, co-design with teachers, researching for system change, the ethics of ‘netnography’, and principles and practices of literature review.

The methodological explorations offered in this book (and indeed the book series) enable considerations of how research practices have profound implications for the purpose and nature of education. Methodological complexity and context specificity, along with a need to ensure research participant consideration, are revealed through thirteen chapters. These considerations continue to change the landscape of educational research, particularly in the areas of mathematics, health and environmental education research. The authors featured in this volume think critically about education research design and practice as part of a considered and robust discussion of education research theory and practice that will inform and shape education systems in the future. Chapters explore co-design with teachers, researching for system change, the ethics of ‘netnography’, principles and practices of literature review, and post-qualitative inquiry, with overviews and practices, arts-based and interdisciplinary methodologies, self-study and auto-ethnography.

This is the first scholarly book to examine the UN Sustainable Development Goals from an indigenous perspective and, specifically, with reference to the right to self-determination. It refers to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and domestic instruments such as New Zealand’s Tiriti o Waitangi to suggest how the goals could be revised to support self-determination as a more far-reaching and ambitious project than the goals imagine in their current form. The book primarily draws its material from Australia, Canada, and New Zealand to support analysing the goals’ policy relevance to wealthy states and the political claims that indigenous peoples make in established liberal democracies.

This book is the first of its kind to showcase a range of fresh and expert perspectives on decolonising history education in Australia. The research-informed chapters by First Nations and non-Indigenous educators and scholars provide guidance on applying practical strategies for decolonising learning and teaching, and moving beyond the ‘history wars’. History has long been the most contentious area of education in Australia. This book tackles the narrow and overtly politicised ‘history wars’ debates and foregrounds the need to re-examine impacts of settler-colonialism on Australia’s history. First-hand knowledge and much-needed teaching practices are presented, demonstrating how decolonisation can be put into action through Australian history education. The chapters present a range of perspectives from the early years right through to higher education settings and argues that there is an increased need for greater awareness, appreciation, and willingness to explore and engage with multiple narratives of truth-telling that are so often contested. Readers are guided to discover how this translates to classroom practice through unique, provocative, and research-informed strategies that foreground applied decolonising approaches. Combining theoretical perspectives and practical ideas, this book is an essential resource to support pre- and in-service teachers, in all education contexts, in navigating the decolonisation of Australian history education. This makes it an important contribution to local, as well as global, decolonising efforts.

This open access book provides a comprehensive overview of education in China, covering 12 critical topics including basic education, higher education, professional education, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education, mental health education, and international education and excellence initiatives. Drawing from current research, theoretical literature, and real-life stories, this book examines the developmental trajectories, achievements, and best practices in the above-mentioned topics, to reflect realities of education transformation in China. It also incorporates a global comparison of key indicators to explore strengths of and gaps in Chinese education with its global counterparts. Setting its context in an ever-changing world, this book intends to explore conceptual support to develop “a modern education system with Chinese features and world standards”, to provide implications for further developing quality education in all sectors, and to promote understanding and inspire critical discussion on education development in China and around the world. This book serves as a valuable resource for students, scholars, and policy makers in the field of education studies, as well as for the general public who are interested in Chinese education.

This book focuses on the elusive out-of-field teaching phenomenon and its direct effects on quality education globally. Based on the experiences and concerns of teachers and school leaders, it investigates the phenomenon’s impact on everyday teaching and school practices, and offers insights into the challenges that out-of-field teachers face in maintaining their role as the “knowledgeable counterpart” in their teaching and learning environments. In this frame, it also highlights the often-overlooked importance of initial teacher education and its preparation of prospective teachers for employment in complex school contexts, subjects or year levels. The book emphasises the need to develop specific policy strategies to effectively address the global implications of out-of-field teaching, and explores the potential of micro-education policies as targeted support resources for teachers in these challenging positions. Through this new policy lens, which renegotiates the discourse of education policy as a quality education improvement framework, the book offers readers a comprehensive understanding of the urgent need for policy to uphold all stakeholders involved in these unique and complex environments. Accordingly, the book is a valuable resource for academic advisors, decision-makers, policy-makers, and educational and school leaders in developing new approaches to improving school outcomes that promote the retention of teachers for a strong and stable teaching workforce.

This book identifies and surveys the major themes around ‘out-of-field teaching’, that is, teaching subjects or year levels without a specialization. This has been an issue in many countries for some time, yet until recently there has been little formal research and poor policy responses to related problems. This book arises out of collaborations between members of an international group of researchers and practitioners from Australia, Germany, Ireland, England, South Africa, Indonesia and the United States. Cross-national comparisons of ideas through case studies, descriptions of practice and research data interrogates the experiences, practices, and contexts relating to out-of-field teaching. In particular, the book considers the phenomenon of out-of-field teaching in relation to national policy contexts, local school leadership practices, professional development. The book represents an essential contribution on a highly topical issue that has implications for quality and equitable education around the globe.