Exploring the Education Mismatch: A Phenomenological Study of Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE) Teachers Assigned Outside Specialization
Abstract
Purpose of the study: This study investigates the experiences, challenges, job performance, financial and professional impact, coping strategies, and perceptions of Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE) teachers who are assigned outside their area of specialization.
Methodology: This study utilized a phenomenological approach. Twelve public school TLE (Technology and Livelihood Education) teachers were purposively selected based on their years of teaching outside their specialization and their willingness to participate. Data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews. The interview guide included open-ended questions designed to elicit detailed descriptions of the participants’ experiences, challenges, and coping strategies. The data gathered from the interviews were transcribed and thematically analyzed to identify emerging themes.
Main Findings: The findings indicate that TLE teachers are often assigned to subjects like Filipino, MAPEH (Music, Arts, Physical Education, and Health), Values Education, Social Studies, English, and Science, mainly covering MAPEH and Filipino. This leads to challenges such as anxiety and questions about pursuing further education, hindering their professional growth. While the financial impact is negligible due to the provided materials, the mismatch affects teaching performance and student trust. Teachers often collaborate, use multimedia, and engage in self-directed learning to cope.
Novelty/Originality of this study: This study presents a comprehensive analysis of how TLE teachers teaching outside of specialization impact the quality of education provided to students. It recommends implementing free retooling programs, offering scholarship grants, and providing teacher training. The study emphasizes the need for teachers to teach within their specialization and for strengthening community partnerships to address the shortage of specialized educators.
References
[2] B. U. Guiaselon et al., “Mismatch of Teachers’ Qualifications and Subjects Taught: Effects on Students’ National Achievement Test,” Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Dec. 2022, doi: 10.5281/zenodo.7494892.
[3] M. Piracha and F. Vadean, “Migrant educational mismatch and the labor market,” in Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks, 2013. doi: 10.4337/9781782546078.00017.
[4] S. McGuinness, K. Pouliakas, and P. Redmond, “SKILLS MISMATCH: CONCEPTS, MEASUREMENT AND POLICY APPROACHES,” Journal of Economic Surveys, vol. 32, no. 4, pp. 985–1015, Jan. 2018, doi: 10.1111/joes.12254.
[5] I. Marinescu and R. Rathelot, “Mismatch Unemployment and the Geography of Job Search,” American Economic Journal Macroeconomics, vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 42–70, Jul. 2018, doi: 10.1257/mac.20160312.
[6] S.-J. Kim and S. O. Choi, “The Effects of Job Mismatch on Pay, Job Satisfaction, and Performance,” Journal of Open Innovation Technology Market and Complexity, vol. 4, no. 4, p. 49, Oct. 2018, doi: 10.3390/joitmc4040049.
[7] H. Battu and K. A. Bender, “Educational mismatch in developing countries: A review of the existing evidence,” Elsevier eBooks, pp. 269–289, Jan. 2020, doi: 10.1016/b978-0-12-815391-8.00020-3.
[8] D. Carothers, H. Aydin, and M. Houdyshell, “Teacher shortages and cultural mismatch: District and university collaboration for recruiting,” Learning & Technology Library (LearnTechLib), Sep. 23, 2019. https://www.learntechlib.org/p/216455/
[9] A. M. H. Chen, S. Brown, K. Mark, and S. McBane, “An overview of Instructional approaches and decision-making strategies to curtail curricular overload,” American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, vol. 87, no. 8, p. 100013, Apr. 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.ajpe.2022.12.001.
[10] A. Popova, D. K. Evans, M. E. Breeding, and V. Arancibia, “Teacher Professional Development around the World: The Gap between Evidence and Practice,” The World Bank Research Observer, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 107–136, Apr. 2021, doi: 10.1093/wbro/lkab006.
[11] B. Serikbayeva and K. Abdulla, “Education-Job Mismatch: Implications for Individual Earnings and Aggregate Output,” Social Indicators Research, vol. 163, no. 2, pp. 723–752, Apr. 2022, doi: 10.1007/s11205-022-02912-x.
[12] M. Toprak, “Mismatch between teachers’ need for change and change in practice: what if what they see is not what they want?,” International Journal of Leadership in Education, vol. 21, no. 6, pp. 669–689, Feb. 2017, doi: 10.1080/13603124.2016.1272720.
[13] “Phenomenology (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy),” Dec. 16, 2013. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/phenomenology/
[14] R. Salvador et al., “Exploring Technical-Vocational Education Teachers’ Challenges and Adaptation Strategies in Teaching Courses Outside their Specializations,” Sep. 29, 2022. https://publisher.uthm.edu.my/ojs/index.php/JTET/article/view/11084
[15] D. Zahavi, Phenomenology The Basics. 2018. doi: 10.4324/9781315441603.
[16] M.-T. Tang, “S. Käufer and A. Chemero: Phenomenology – An Introduction – Phenomenological Reviews,” Nov. 05, 2015. https://reviews.ophen.org/2015/11/05/s-kaufer-chemero-phenomenology-introduction/
[17] V. Brouskeli, V. Kaltsi, M. Loumakou, Democritus University of Thrace, University of Thessaly, and National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, “Resilience and occupational well-being of secondary education teachers in Greece,” journal-article, 2018. https://www.iier.org.au/iier28/brouskeli.pdf
[18] S. Campbell, L. Macmillan, G. Wyness, A. Bryson, L. Stokes, and D. Wilkinson, “Mismatch in higher education: prevalence, drivers and outcomes,” Dec. 2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Wyness-42856-MPO-Final-Nov19.pdf
[19] B. E. Neubauer, C. T. Witkop, and L. Varpio, “How phenomenology can help us learn from the experiences of others,” Perspectives on Medical Education, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 90–97, Apr. 2019, doi: 10.1007/s40037-019-0509-2.
[20] A. Puente-Martínez, Z. Prizmic-Larsen, R. J. Larsen, S. Ubillos-Landa, and D. Páez-Rovira, “Age differences in emotion regulation during ongoing affective life: A naturalistic experience sampling study.,” Developmental Psychology, vol. 57, no. 1, pp. 126–138, Dec. 2020, doi: 10.1037/dev0001138.
[21] C. Maden-Eyiusta, “Role conflict, role ambiguity, and proactive behaviors: does flexible role orientation moderate the mediating impact of engagement?,” The International Journal of Human Resource Management, vol. 32, no. 13, pp. 2829–2855, May 2019, doi: 10.1080/09585192.2019.1616590.
[22] A. G. E. Co, C. R. G. Abella, and F. S. De Jesus, “Teaching Outside Specialization from the Perspective of Science Teachers,” OALib, vol. 08, no. 08, pp. 1–13, Jan. 2021, doi: 10.4236/oalib.1107725.
[23] F. M. Schnepfleitner and M. P. Ferreira, “Transformative Learning Theory – Is It Tıme to Add A Fourth Core Element?,” Journal of Educational Studies and Multidisciplinary Approaches, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 40–49, Mar. 2021, doi: 10.51383/jesma.2021.9.
[24] F. Jacob, S. John, and D. M. Gwany, “TEACHERS’ PEDAGOGICAL CONTENT KNOWLEDGE AND STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT: A THEORETICAL OVERVIEW,” Sep. 02, 2020. https://ikprress.org/index.php/JOGRESS/article/view/5405
[25] D. Irving-Bell, “Influence of teachers’ perceptions of subject knowledge on pedagogical approaches,” in Routledge eBooks, 2022, pp. 165–177. doi: 10.4324/9781003166689-15.
[26] I. A. Neville, L. A. Petrass, and F. Ben, “Cross disciplinary teaching: A pedagogical model to support teachers in the development and implementation of outdoor learning opportunities,” Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education, vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 1–21, Nov. 2022, doi: 10.1007/s42322-022-00109-x.
[27] K. Aldrup, B. Carstensen, and U. Klusmann, “Is Empathy the Key to Effective Teaching? A Systematic Review of Its Association with Teacher-Student Interactions and Student Outcomes,” Educational Psychology Review, vol. 34, no. 3, pp. 1177–1216, Mar. 2022, doi: 10.1007/s10648-021-09649-y.
[28] N. Dvir and O. Schatz-Oppenheimer, “Novice teachers in a changing reality,” European Journal of Teacher Education, vol. 43, no. 4, pp. 639–656, Aug. 2020, doi: 10.1080/02619768.2020.1821360.
[29] J. Alvehus, N. Avnoon, and A. L. Oliver, “‘It’s complicated’: Professional opacity, duality, and ambiguity—A response to Noordegraaf (2020),” Journal of Professions and Organization, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 200–213, Jun. 2021, doi: 10.1093/jpo/joab006.
[30] S. Ahmmed, J. Saha, and M. A. Tamal, “Effectiveness of Need-Based Teacher’s Training Program to Enhance Online Teaching Quality,” Education Research International, vol. 2022, pp. 1–13, Oct. 2022, doi: 10.1155/2022/4118267.
[31] K. Balasubramanian, “Teacher Roles in Facilitating Effective Peer-To-Peer Learning: Strategies and Guidelines,” Thiagarajar College of Preceptors Edu Spectra, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 1–5, Aug. 2023, doi: 10.34293/eduspectra.v5i2.01.
[32] A. S. Munna and M. A. Kalam, “Teaching and learning process to enhance teaching effectiveness: literature review,” International Journal of Humanities and Innovation (IJHI), vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 1–4, Feb. 2021, doi: 10.33750/ijhi.v4i1.102.
Copyright (c) 2024 John Paul Demapendan
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and acknowledge that the Indonesian Journal of Education Research (IJoER) is the first publisher licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges and earlier and greater citation of published work.