Career Change Teachers: Bringing Work and Life Experience to the Classroom 9811660379, 9789811660375

Table of contents :
Foreword
Preface
Author’s Impetus for Writing This Book—Meera
Author’s Impetus for Writing This Book—John
Acknowledgements
Country Acknowledgements
Contents
About the Authors
Abbreviations
1 Introduction to the Book
1 Setting of the Book
2 Audience for the Book
3 The Teaching Profession: Local and Global Contexts
3.1 The Recruitment, Support, Retention and Attrition of Teachers in Australia
3.2 Future Work Landscape
3.3 Career Change Individuals in the Teaching Profession
4 “My Journey into Teaching”: Stories of Career Change Teachers in Australia
4.1 The Careers and Lives of Amy, Kamini, Jim, and Sharon
4.2 The Teaching Practices of Career Change Teachers: What Works and What Doesn’t Work?
4.3 A Phenomenological Approach to Understanding Career Change Teachers
5 Career Change Pre-service and In-service Teachers: The Journeys of Student Teachers and Classroom Teachers
5.1 Career Change Student Teachers: Lessons Learnt from their In-school Experiences
5.2 How do STEM Career Change Teachers Experience the Transition?: A Comparison Between Dutch and Australian Teachers
6 Re-imagining the Future of the Teaching Profession
6.1 21st Century Teachers and Beyond: The Way Forward
6.2 Can Career Changers be Game Changers in Classrooms?: Recommendations and Implications for the Profession
Part I The Teaching Profession: Local and Global Contexts
2 The Recruitment, Support, Retention and Attrition of Teachers in Australia
1 Introduction
2 The Career Change Teacher
3 Education in Australia: Shanghaied?
3.1 The Structure of Teacher Education in Australia
3.2 Entry into Teacher Education and Teaching
3.3 So, You Want to Be a Teacher?
4 Standards and Assessments
4.1 Australian Teacher Professional Standards
4.2 Teaching Professional Assessment
5 Curriculum Issues
6 Classrooms of Today
7 Concluding Comments—A Note of Hope?
References
3 Future Work Landscape
1 Introduction
2 Skills and Attributes of the Future Workforce
2.1 What Does Skills Mean for Students of the Future?
2.2 Implications for Teaching Staff
3 The Twenty-First Century School and Its Staff
3.1 What Does Quality Mean in Teachers and in the Teaching Profession?
4 The Career Change Teacher: Bringing Workforce Skills to Classrooms
5 The Way Forward
6 Conclusions—“Stop Dreaming and Get on with Your Work”?
References
4 Career Change Individuals in the Teaching Profession
1 Introduction
2 Changing Career Pathways
2.1 Why Do People Change Careers?
3 Introducing Career Changers in Teaching
3.1 Recent Global Trends
3.2 Challenges to Data Accuracy
3.3 How Are Career Changers Defined in Teaching? (Localand International)
3.4 Career Change Teachers in This Book
4 A Profile of Career Change Teachers (Localand International)
4.1 Reasons for Entering the Profession
4.2 Attributes and Characteristics
4.3 On Entry to the Teaching Workforce—Pitfalls and Challenges
4.4 Retention in the Profession
5 Conclusion
References
Part II “My Journey into Teaching”: Stories of Career Change Teachers in Australia
5 The Careers and Lives of Amy, Kamini, Jim, and Sharon
1 Introduction
2 Methodology of the Book—Author’s Overview
2.1 Why a Phenomenological Inquiry?
2.2 What is a Phenomenological Inquiry?
2.3 How is Interpretive Phenomenology Used in the Book?
3 Introducing Amy, Kamini, Jim, and Sharon
3.1 Methods of Inquiry
4 The Stories
4.1 The Story of Amy
4.2 The Story of Kamini
4.3 The Story of Jim
4.4 The Story of Sharon
5 Summing Up
References
6 The Teaching Practices of Career Change Teachers: What Works and What Doesn’t Work?
1 Introduction
2 Laying the Context for Career Change Teachers’ Teaching Practices
3 The Teaching Practices of Career Change Teachers
3.1 Connecting Prior Knowledge
3.2 Connecting Prior Skills
4 To What Extent Are Career Change Teachers able to Make Connections Between Past and Present
4.1 Entrenched Views and Impact on Teaching Practices and on Connections
5 Final Observations
References
7 A Phenomenological Approach to Understanding Career Change Teachers
1 Introduction
2 A Deeper Phenomenological Inquiry
2.1 Rationale for a Phenomenological Inquiry and Its Use in This Chapter
3 An Existential Perspective on Teachers’ Motivations
4 Prior Literature
5 Teachers’ Lifeworlds
5.1 The Theme of Lived Relation
5.2 The Theme of Lived Space
6 Challenges in a Phenomenological Inquiry
6.1 Striving for Openness and Rigor
7 Conclusion
References
Part III Career Change Pre-service and In-service Teachers: The Journeys of Student Teachers and Classroom Teachers
8 Career Change Student Teachers: Lessons Learnt from Their In-school Experiences
1 Introduction
2 In-school Professional Experiences of Teachers
2.1 Context
2.2 Literature
3 Research Design and Methodology
4 Findings and Discussion
4.1 Most Valuable Aspects of PE
4.2 Constraining Factors of PE
4.3 Lack of Recognition of Prior Experiences by the School
5 Recommendations
5.1 Recommendations for Host Schools
5.2 Recommendations for Teacher Education Providers
6 Conclusions
References
9 How Do STEM Career Change Teachers Experience the Transition?: A Comparison Between Dutch and Australian Teachers
1 Introduction
2 Context and Background Literature
3 The Current Study
3.1 Approach and Methodology
3.2 Data Collection and Analysis
4 Study Findings
4.1 Motivations for Changing Profession
4.2 Enablers
4.3 Barriers
4.4 Attracting More STEM Professionals
5 Discussion and Implications
References
Part IV Re-imagining the Future of the Teaching Profession
10 Twenty-First-Century Teachers and Beyond: The Way Forward
1 Introduction
2 The World We Are Preparing Our Children For
3 The (Twenty-First Century) School?
3.1 What Do We Do with This?
4 Teacher Supply, Attrition and Quality
5 The Role of Career Change Teachers: “Here’s One I Prepared Earlier”
6 Concluding Observations
References
11 Can Career Changers Be Game Changers in Classrooms?: Recommendations and Implications for the Profession
1 Introduction
2 Recommendations and Implications
2.1 Welcoming Teachers—The Schooling System
2.2 Preparing Teachers—Teacher Education Programs
2.3 Professional Experience
2.4 A Step Further Back: Attracting Career Changers to Teaching and Retaining them
2.5 For Prospective Career Changers
3 Recommendations for Future Research
3.1 Impact on Student Learning
3.2 Longitudinal Data
3.3 Contextual Understanding of the Cohort
4 Final Set of Recommendations
5 Final Remarks
References

Citation preview

Meera Varadharajan John Buchanan

Career Change Teachers Bringing Work and Life Experience to the Classroom

Career Change Teachers

Meera Varadharajan · John Buchanan

Career Change Teachers Bringing Work and Life Experience to the Classroom

Meera Varadharajan Centre for Social Impact University of New South Wales Sydney, NSW, Australia

John Buchanan University of Technology Sydney Sydney, NSW, Australia

ISBN 978-981-16-6037-5 ISBN 978-981-16-6038-2 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-6038-2 © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. The registered company address is: 152 Beach Road, #21-01/04 Gateway East, Singapore 189721, Singapore

This book is dedicated to all career changers in the teaching profession: current and aspiring teachers, who have made or aspire to make the leap to teaching, making a valuable contribution to the profession.

Foreword

One of the most often stated realizations that parents experienced during the 2020 remote emergency teaching period brought on by lockdowns during periods of the COVID-19 pandemic regarded the importance of school teachers. I think it would be fair to say that parents developed renewed respect for the teaching profession after supporting their children to learn at home. The general public became aware of a fact that is central to the purpose and themes of this book: that teaching is complex, nuanced, multifaceted and far more than just the imparting of information and skills. Much has been written (admittedly before the pandemic) about the deprofessionalization of teachers. The compliance requirements and form-filling aspects of an already demanding profession seem to have increased enormously over the last decade. Many decry the numerous tasks that take teachers away from teaching and from their students, in order that they be seen to have met the many non-teaching requirements that are now part of a career as teacher. Additional to these tasks are the numerous complexities faced by teachers in increasingly diverse classrooms, with students, who have many varied needs, all rightfully demanding attention. It really is not enough to know the intricacies of the subject matter being taught any more (if indeed, it ever were). Teachers need to know the needs, motivations and capabilities of each of the charges in their classes. They also need to be skilled in contemporary approaches that include appropriate technological skills. Indeed, as I write this, new waves of respect wash over me for the sterling job that most teachers do, under often difficult, often challenging circumstances. But as a former teacher (admittedly many years ago), I also remember the joys and excitement of having breakthroughs with students, both intellectually and affectively. It was those moments that motivated me to teach. This book acts as an advocate and champion of the teaching profession. The heroes of the book are the career change teachers who participated in the research studies that are reported here. As they embark on their new journeys as teachers or on their studies in teacher education, it is their lived experiences, thoughts and actions that we learn about. In particular, these teachers’ stories allow us to understand the complexity of teaching and to value the contributions that career change teachers have brought to the profession. vii

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Foreword

The book is based on the doctoral and subsequent research conducted by Dr. Meera Varadharajan, which focuses on the lived experiences of this special cohort of teachers, career change teachers. These teachers have come to teaching, not directly as school-leavers, but from other professions. Often, they are teachers who are “coming home” to a profession they have always wanted to be part of but have been unable to join earlier due to a variety of circumstances. Others have come to teaching because they felt it was time to give back to society or because they sought more meaning for their daily lives. In all cases, Varadharajan shows her compassion and respect for this cohort in her study of their lives as early career teachers and student teachers and ensures that she highlights their contributions. She is ably assisted in the telling of their tales by her colleague and co-author, Associate Professor John Buchanan, whose research on teaching and teacher education offers additional insights into both how teachers are perceived in society and how complex and nuanced their roles are. Buchanan brings his knowledge of policy, professional requirements and teacher education to provide added insights into the contexts in which the teachers operate. He, like Varadharajan, is a strong supporter and advocate for these new teachers and their new profession. The first part of the book allows us to understand the passions and interests of Varadharajan and Buchanan and assures us that this book will contribute to our understanding of teachers and the contexts in which they work. The tone is quite hard-hitting concerning the challenges of the external environment, and the numerous difficulties teachers may encounter in the classroom. The hoops and loops of accountability and protocols are identified and critiqued. After this initiation into the complexities and challenges of teaching, the tone softens and we are introduced to the heroes of the book, the career change teachers. In particular, we are given clear insights both into how career change teachers approach their teaching careers and into what they believe that they can to bring to the profession. It can be seen in this discussion that the authors have a deep respect and appreciation for the contributions that these teachers offer as well as an understanding of the motivations and experiences these teachers might have on entering the profession. We are provided with insights into their journeys as beginning teachers and access to their voices as they navigate the twists and turns of a new career. We see how these career change teachers are determined to provide students with the benefits of their experiences in their previous careers and how their teaching practices and methods reflect their beliefs and own learning. The pathway for career change teachers through their teacher education programs is another topic of research reported in the book. The topic provides insights for teacher educators on the different requirements this cohort may have, compared to other student teachers. The students’ experiences and difficulties as they embark on their in-school experiences are reported and recommendations are made for teacher education institutions to consider the varied needs of their students and support career change teachers appropriately. Underlying all the evocative experiences of career change teachers that are reported here is a strong theoretical perspective. The use of phenomenology to understand the lived experiences of the teachers in this book is highly appropriate and

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allows their experiences to come to life for the reader. The numerous case studies of early career teachers, together with the research on career change teacher education students, illuminate both how career change teacher can contribute to teaching and how teacher education can work to better support career change student teacher groups. This book is timely. Writing this foreword in early 2021, when we are reflecting on changes wrought by a pandemic, the book allows readers to reconsider a profession that has deservedly (if belatedly) won the respect of many, over the past few months. At a time when people in other occupations are realizing that there is more to being a teacher than meets the eye, a discussion of the lived experiences of teachers assists in this recalibration of views of teaching and teachers. A focus on career change teachers is useful as numbers of people are considering new careers as a result of the many changes wrought by the pandemic. What better a way to gain an understanding of what the teaching profession may offer than to read this book? Varadharajan and Buchanan are to be congratulated on providing these well-researched and theoretically strong insights into the cohorts of career change beginning teachers and student teachers and the contexts of the teaching profession into which they are entering. I anticipate that the book will both inspire and challenge newcomers to the teaching profession, especially if you are coming to teaching from another career. I anticipate that this book will affirm those readers already in the profession. I anticipate that this book will provoke and guide teacher educators to better support their career change student teacher cohorts in ways that better match their characteristics and needs. And I anticipate that all who read this book will come away from it with a renewed respect for the profession of teaching and with admiration for all who teach, but perhaps especially for career change teachers and their contributions. Sandy Schuck Adjunct Professor of Education, School of International and School Education University of Technology Sydney Sydney, Australia

Preface

I really hope we can come together with a strategy that will get people into teaching, the right people and retain them … we [career change teachers] have got a lot to offer and I think it is something that should be encouraged. —Career change teacher (Varadharajan 2014).

As the world seeks to move beyond the current crisis of COVID-19, the theme of “build back better” appears to gain momentum with the hope that we can change things for the better. In the education sector, remote learning has created both opportunities and barriers to student learning with an increasing recognition that learning is a partnership between teachers, learners, families and communities. Flexibility, adaptability and agility are often discussed during these changing times. They are considered to be essential skills that better prepare learners of today to face an uncertain and evolving future. With present-day classrooms being increasingly diverse, we need educators from different backgrounds, contexts and experiences who recognize the importance of “future preparedness” in learning and education contexts. One such group of educators are career change teachers. Yet, we know little about them as a cohort. As individuals who come to teach in schools from different walks of life, career changers are quite different from teachers we may normally think of or know of. Career change teachers have the potential to make unique and significant contributions to student learning and engagement in and beyond school. As the education sector considers and explores various paths for building back better beyond the pandemic, one important focus of any teacher recruitment and retention policy should be about bringing diversity and experience to the classroom. We hope this book goes some way in helping to better understand career changers and inspires individuals from other careers to consider becoming a teacher.

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Preface

Author’s Impetus for Writing This Book—Meera This book was borne out of passion, knowledge sharing and motivation—passion for the work of teachers, interest to share with the community about a lesser known group of teachers, and motivation to make a contribution to the teaching profession. I was drawn to this group of teachers in strange but coincidental ways. Career change was part of both my personal and professional life. In my previous professional life, I was once an accountant. A combination of reasons including disillusionment in my work, soul searching and an interest in education and in schooling led me to change careers and pursue a doctorate in education. The reasons for choosing my research topic, “Understanding the lived experiences of career change teachers,” may seem obvious considering my own career journey of changing professions. In fact, choosing the area of research did not come naturally and like any other would-be researcher, it took time to settle comfortably on the topic. The strong urge to learn more about teachers, to build a career as an educational researcher; and to conduct research in an area where there is a potential gap to contribute, featured strongly in my decision-making processes. Before long, it occurred to me that my personal experience became my professional research. Having completed my doctorate six years ago and then working in the social sciences discipline in various capacities, I felt close to my newly found career—yet there was something missing. Whether one might label it as irony or a strange coincidence, my path regularly crossed with someone who was, is, or knew of a teacher—a career change teacher. Every new conversation or story I heard rekindled my passion for this group and reinforced the knowledge that I had gained through my research. Though my thesis and subsequent research publications on career change teachers did contribute to building knowledge about this cohort, there was still much more to be told. In a sense, it felt like a “calling” to write a book on career change teachers, to let people know about this little known cohort, why they joined the profession, what they thought of teaching, and their journey as a career changer. Career change teachers as a cohort, nationally and globally, continue to be under represented in educational research, policy and practice, and it is our hope that this book will go some way in telling their story. The pragmatic and philosophical dimensions of my own career change journey enabled me to recognize the relevance of understanding career change teachers and their construction of meaning in contexts, relationships and situations. Our hope is also that this book will give a voice to the teaching profession. Teachers have always had a strong presence on students’ lives, both within school and beyond school. Each of us can remember at least one teacher who made an impression on us in some way. Despite this, as a society, we still have a long way to go in acknowledging their impact in the same way we may acknowledge significant figures in our lives, for instance, our parents. At a time when the profession continues to come under increasing scrutiny, it feels important to write about teachers and their work. The challenge is to shift societal perceptions so there is a collective recognition of the profession. With COVID-19, the tide might have slightly shifted in favor of our

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educators as the community may have started to realize their value, grit, contributions and complexity of their work. In that sense, the timing of the book seems about right to build on the current momentum of public sentiments to bring much needed awareness about this cohort of teachers.

Author’s Impetus for Writing This Book—John I sometimes wish I had taught kindergarten. That way, I would know the answer to one security question for many of my ex-students. The point is, our teachers stick with us. We remember them long after we have forgotten most of what they taught us. Teachers are so often our unsung heroes; we fail to recognize at the time how they shape us. As a society, I think we often fail to recognize the complexity of teaching, and to support our teachers. Most of us can teach something to someone. But to tailor a suite of learning experiences to meet the needs of, and maximize the potential of, a group of maybe 30 or so learners, is much more demanding, particularly when also taking responsibility for their safety and well-being, and remaining faithful to syllabus documents. We perhaps believe we can all do the work of a teacher, having witnessed much teaching during our school years. I have watched a lot of golf, listened to a lot of music and flown in many planes. But let me loose near a golf club, microphone or joystick at your own peril. It is so easy to mistake watching for learning. Some parents have learnt this lesson during recent COVID lockdowns, having had to tackle the complexities of facilitating associated schoolwork for their children. Even this is the work of a teacher’s aide, rather than of a teacher. Such parents are not required to devise activities to help their children to meet syllabus outcomes. An important part of what motivates me is support for teachers. Teaching was hard. It consumed everything I had, intellectually and emotionally, and still wanted more. Australia has recently introduced a set of Professional Standards. Standard 1 of the 2017 Australian Professional Standards for Teachers requires them to know their students and how they learn. This is a noble quest, but it begs questions as to how educational jurisdictions, parents and the community more broadly, know how teachers learn and how to support them accordingly. One of the “givens” of teaching is to understand learners’ starting points, so as to best build upon existing knowledge, mental models and the like. Those entering teaching from other professions come ready-equipped with associated content and procedural knowledge, as well as an acquired maturity and sense of responsibility. We do well to recognize this prior learning. Sydney, Australia

Meera Varadharajan John Buchanan

Acknowledgements

Many people have contributed to the writing of this book in unique and inspiring ways. First and foremost, we would like to acknowledge all current and prospective career change teachers and career change student teachers who have been a constant source of inspiration in the writing of this book. In particular, we would like to acknowledge all those individuals who gave up their valuable time to participate in the research which led to publications and the writing of this book. Secondly, the research work on career change student teachers and STEM career change teachers in Australia was made possible through funding from Australian Teacher Education Association (ATEA) and we would like to acknowledge their support. Meera’s thesis work and further research on career change teachers would not have been possible without the resolute faith and guidance from her PhD supervisors Professor Sandy Schuck and Dr Helen Russell. John and Meera are grateful to our co-authors of Chap. 7 (Dr. Don Carter and Prof. Sandy Schuck) who gave permission to reproduce/adapt the published article on career change student teachers’ in-school experience. Our sincere thanks to Assistant Professor Lesley de Putter from Eindhoven Institute of Technology who was a key contributor to Chap. 8 on the international research conducted on STEM career change teachers. A special thank you to Dr Carroll Graham who immensely helped with proof reading and chapter editing. As always, many thanks to our families, as without their understanding and support, we would not be able to pursue these writing opportunities in our work.

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Country Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the Darug and the Gadigal people, the traditional custodians of the lands in Australia where we, the authors, currently live and work. We acknowledge and give thanks to the contributions they and their Elders make to our society and recognize their unceded sovereignty over their land. We would also like to acknowledge and pay our respects to the original custodians of the lands where everyone else who is reading this book are living and working.

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Contents

1

Introduction to the Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Setting of the Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Audience for the Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 The Teaching Profession: Local and Global Contexts . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.1 The Recruitment, Support, Retention and Attrition of Teachers in Australia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.2 Future Work Landscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.3 Career Change Individuals in the Teaching Profession . . . . . . . 4 “My Journey into Teaching”: Stories of Career Change Teachers in Australia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.1 The Careers and Lives of Amy, Kamini, Jim, and Sharon . . . . . 4.2 The Teaching Practices of Career Change Teachers: What Works and What Doesn’t Work? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.3 A Phenomenological Approach to Understanding Career Change Teachers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Career Change Pre-service and In-service Teachers: The Journeys of Student Teachers and Classroom Teachers . . . . . . . . . . . 5.1 Career Change Student Teachers: Lessons Learnt from their In-school Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.2 How do STEM Career Change Teachers Experience the Transition?: A Comparison Between Dutch and Australian Teachers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Re-imagining the Future of the Teaching Profession . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.1 21st Century Teachers and Beyond: The Way Forward . . . . . . . 6.2 Can Career Changers be Game Changers in Classrooms?: Recommendations and Implications for the Profession . . . . . . .

Part I 2

1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 4

4 5 5 5

The Teaching Profession: Local and Global Contexts

The Recruitment, Support, Retention and Attrition of Teachers in Australia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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3

4

Contents

1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 The Career Change Teacher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Education in Australia: Shanghaied? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.1 The Structure of Teacher Education in Australia . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.2 Entry into Teacher Education and Teaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.3 So, You Want to Be a Teacher? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Standards and Assessments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.1 Australian Teacher Professional Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.2 Teaching Professional Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Curriculum Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Classrooms of Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Concluding Comments—A Note of Hope? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

9 10 11 12 13 13 17 17 18 21 22 25 26

Future Work Landscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Skills and Attributes of the Future Workforce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.1 What Does Skills Mean for Students of the Future? . . . . . . . . . 2.2 Implications for Teaching Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 The Twenty-First Century School and Its Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.1 What Does Quality Mean in Teachers and in the Teaching Profession? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 The Career Change Teacher: Bringing Workforce Skills to Classrooms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 The Way Forward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Conclusions—“Stop Dreaming and Get on with Your Work”? . . . . . References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

31 31 31 33 34 35

Career Change Individuals in the Teaching Profession . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Changing Career Pathways . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.1 Why Do People Change Careers? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Introducing Career Changers in Teaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.1 Recent Global Trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.2 Challenges to Data Accuracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.3 How Are Career Changers Defined in Teaching? (Local and International) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.4 Career Change Teachers in This Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 A Profile of Career Change Teachers (Local and International) . . . . 4.1 Reasons for Entering the Profession . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.2 Attributes and Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.3 On Entry to the Teaching Workforce—Pitfalls and Challenges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.4 Retention in the Profession . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

36 37 39 41 43 47 47 47 48 50 51 53 54 55 56 56 59 63 65 66 66

Contents

Part II

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“My Journey into Teaching”: Stories of Career Change Teachers in Australia

5

The Careers and Lives of Amy, Kamini, Jim, and Sharon . . . . . . . . . 1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Methodology of the Book—Author’s Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.1 Why a Phenomenological Inquiry? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.2 What is a Phenomenological Inquiry? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.3 How is Interpretive Phenomenology Used in the Book? . . . . . . 3 Introducing Amy, Kamini, Jim, and Sharon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.1 Methods of Inquiry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 The Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.1 The Story of Amy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.2 The Story of Kamini . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.3 The Story of Jim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.4 The Story of Sharon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Summing Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6

The Teaching Practices of Career Change Teachers: What Works and What Doesn’t Work? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Laying the Context for Career Change Teachers’ Teaching Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 The Teaching Practices of Career Change Teachers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.1 Connecting Prior Knowledge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.2 Connecting Prior Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 To What Extent Are Career Change Teachers able to Make Connections Between Past and Present . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.1 Entrenched Views and Impact on Teaching Practices and on Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Final Observations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7

A Phenomenological Approach to Understanding Career Change Teachers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 A Deeper Phenomenological Inquiry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.1 Rationale for a Phenomenological Inquiry and Its Use in This Chapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 An Existential Perspective on Teachers’ Motivations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Prior Literature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Teachers’ Lifeworlds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.1 The Theme of Lived Relation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.2 The Theme of Lived Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Challenges in a Phenomenological Inquiry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

73 73 73 74 75 76 77 79 79 80 84 88 91 96 97 99 99 100 101 102 105 106 108 111 113 115 115 115 117 118 120 121 121 127 130

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Contents

6.1 Striving for Openness and Rigor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 7 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 Part III Career Change Pre-service and In-service Teachers: The Journeys of Student Teachers and Classroom Teachers 8

9

Career Change Student Teachers: Lessons Learnt from Their In-school Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 In-school Professional Experiences of Teachers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.1 Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.2 Literature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Research Design and Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Findings and Discussion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.1 Most Valuable Aspects of PE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.2 Constraining Factors of PE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.3 Lack of Recognition of Prior Experiences by the School . . . . . 5 Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.1 Recommendations for Host Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.2 Recommendations for Teacher Education Providers . . . . . . . . . 6 Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

137 137 138 138 139 140 141 142 145 149 150 150 151 152 153

How Do STEM Career Change Teachers Experience the Transition?: A Comparison Between Dutch and Australian Teachers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Context and Background Literature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 The Current Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.1 Approach and Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.2 Data Collection and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Study Findings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.1 Motivations for Changing Profession . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.2 Enablers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.3 Barriers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.4 Attracting More STEM Professionals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Discussion and Implications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

155 155 156 161 161 163 166 166 168 174 178 180 184

Part IV Re-imagining the Future of the Teaching Profession 10 Twenty-First-Century Teachers and Beyond: The Way Forward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 2 The World We Are Preparing Our Children For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

Contents

3 The (Twenty-First Century) School? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.1 What Do We Do with This? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Teacher Supply, Attrition and Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 The Role of Career Change Teachers: “Here’s One I Prepared Earlier” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Concluding Observations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Can Career Changers Be Game Changers in Classrooms?: Recommendations and Implications for the Profession . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Recommendations and Implications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.1 Welcoming Teachers—The Schooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.2 Preparing Teachers—Teacher Education Programs . . . . . . . . . . 2.3 Professional Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.4 A Step Further Back: Attracting Career Changers to Teaching and Retaining them . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.5 For Prospective Career Changers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Recommendations for Future Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.1 Impact on Student Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.2 Longitudinal Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.3 Contextual Understanding of the Cohort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Final Set of Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Final Remarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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194 194 195 196 196 198 199 199 202 202 204 205 206 208 208 209 209 210 210 212 214

About the Authors

Meera Varadharajan I have been privileged to work on the area of career changers in the teaching profession for more than a decade now and consider myself fortunate to be one of the handful of education researchers in Australia to have conducted a consistent and systematic research on this cohort. This has enabled me to understand them closely as well as recognize the potential impact that this group can have on the profession and more importantly on students. My doctoral thesis examined the lived experience of career change teachers using an interpretive and phenomenological approach. My subsequent research work involved examining the experiences of career change student teachers in teacher education programs and career change teachers who came from Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) backgrounds. My central contribution has been to raise awareness and highlight qualities of commitment and expertise career changers bring to the profession, suggest ways of improving teacher education (TE) programs for this cohort and contribute to the development and retention of a high-quality teacher workforce. Throughout the course of all my research work, I have been privileged to speak to current and future teachers about their past and present lives and hopes for the future of the teaching profession. Working with colleagues, like John, has been extremely important in my development and personal growth as a researcher, and I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to learn and be inspired by his knowledge and passion for the profession. My research work on career change teachers and career change student teachers has been recognized through successful research grants, peer-reviewed publications and more importantly in the several encounters I have had with current and potential career changers who have inspired me to continue with my passion. I currently work at The Centre for Social Impact at The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia in the areas of education inequity and improving social outcomes for marginalized and disadvantaged groups. Publications and research interests can be found at https://www.researchgate.net/ profile/Meera-Varadharajan/research.

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About the Authors

John Buchanan I am a teacher educator of more than 20 years’ experience, and prior to that, a teacher. I have published in areas of teacher recruitment, quality, retention and attrition, as well as the content areas of social and environmental education, including intercultural education, and language and linguistics, the areas in which I teach. My own philosophy of learning resonates with Meera’s. I am driven by a quest to understand how others make sense of the world in the ways that they do, why these sense-makings differ from mine and how theirs might be remedied. Just kidding about the remedied bit, but I confess it is a default I need to identify, to own and to interrogate. Having worked with Meera on several projects, my understanding and appreciation of the contributions has grown considerably. Publications and research interests can be found at https://scholar.google.com.au/ citations?user=BZ9zHdUAAAAJ&hl=en.

Abbreviations

AATE ABS ACARA ACER ACOLA ACOSS AIHW AITSL AMSI ATAR CCST CCT CTE HSC ICT LANTITE NAPLAN NESA NSW OECD PCK PCP PE PIRLS PISA PWC SDT STEM TAS TEMAG TEQSA

Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering Australian Bureau of Statistics Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority Australian Council for Educational Research Australian Council of Learned Academies Australian Council of Social Service Australian Institute for Health and Welfare Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership Australian Mathematical Science Institute Australian Tertiary Admission Rank Career Change Student Teacher Career Change Teacher Career and Technical Education Higher School Certificate Information and Communications Technology Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education National Assessment Program for Literacy and Numeracy NSW Education Standards Authority New South Wales Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Pedagogical Content Knowledge Professional Conversion Program Professional Experience Progress in International Reading Literacy Study Programme for International Student Assessment Price Waterhouse Coopers Self-Determination Theory Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology Technology and Applied Studies Teacher Education Ministerial Advisory Group Tertiary Education Quality Standards Authority xxvii

xxviii

TIMMS TPA TPACK TPRACK TtT TTT UAC UK UNESCO USA

Abbreviations

Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study Test Teaching Performance Assessment Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge Technological Pedagogical, Relationship and Content Knowledge Troops to Teachers (UK) Troops to Teachers (USA) Universities Admission Centre United Kingdom United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation United States of America

Chapter 1

Introduction to the Book

1 Setting of the Book This book is about career changers in the teaching profession. The book is set in Australia. The research work on career change cohort which informed the writing of this book is primarily based on data collected from participants in Australia. International research work covered in Chap. 8 is informed by the joint AustralianNetherlands career change STEM study. The literature informing each chapter has an international focus. Because most of the challenges faced by teachers and the teaching profession are common to many developed countries, we anticipate the stories captured in the book, including suggested solutions, speak to audiences worldwide.

2 Audience for the Book It is our belief that this book will make sense and, in good school bell fashion, “ring true” not just for career change teachers, but for all teachers. We hope the book finds its way to inspire prospective career changers, whatever sector or field of activity they might be involved in, to pursue their teaching dreams. We also hope that it will assist parents and the community more broadly to understand the worth that our teachers bring to their children’s, and the next generation’s, lives. Teachers need all the support and all the allies they can muster. They will do their job more effectively, as well as more joyfully, in such circumstances. Most crucially, we hope that the book will provide some useful evidence and associated implications for educational jurisdictions; just as teachers are charged with “getting the best out of” their students, their employers have a humanitarian- and efficiency-driven responsibility and mandate to get the best from their teachers and to engineer circumstances in which this will happen. Our hope is that current, past and prospective career changers come forward to share their stories to continue the journey that this book has started. © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021 M. Varadharajan and J. Buchanan, Career Change Teachers, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-6038-2_1

1

2

1 Introduction to the Book

3 The Teaching Profession: Local and Global Contexts The book begins by examining the teaching profession in local and global contexts. This is covered in Chaps. 2–4.

3.1 The Recruitment, Support, Retention and Attrition of Teachers in Australia Chapter 2 begins with introducing career changers in the teaching profession and their significance in the current global landscape of education. The chapter then takes a step back to present an overview of the current overall issues governing the provision of teacher workforce and school education in Australia, with a focus on the state of New South Wales. Career change teachers are part of the larger landscape of the state of education, and Chap. 2 sets the scene to describe this larger picture. The increasing regulatory nature of the teaching profession, the various organizations overseeing teachers and the profession, student assessments, teacher education entry requirements and teacher professional standards are discussed as part of the current state of play relating to the recruitment, support, retention and attrition of Australian teachers. Chapter 2 ends with examining the role of career changer teachers in the current landscape.

3.2 Future Work Landscape Continuing to provide the backdrop for the book, Chap. 3 examines the future work landscape—the skills and attributes required by students who are the workforce of the future in a globalized society, the implicitly associated qualities demanded of our school staff and an argument for bringing in career change teachers as part of a diverse and qualified teacher workforce are discussed. The chapter concludes with how schools, teachers and leadership can act as agents of change in providing real and purposeful education to their citizens of the global future.

3.3 Career Change Individuals in the Teaching Profession Chapter 4 begins by examining some of the reasons why people change careers and what factors might play a role in career change decisions. This prelude will set the scene for the remainder of this chapter where we examine career change individuals in the teaching profession, what we know about this cohort from the local and global literature and studies that have been done so far in terms of who they are, where

3 The Teaching Profession: Local and Global Contexts

3

they come from, why they choose teaching, what they bring to the profession and difficulties faced upon entry. Some of the challenges associated with defining this cohort and gathering accurate data on their numbers are also discussed in this context. We will examine in what way COVID has impacted the teaching profession, making it less or more attractive for career changers.

4 “My Journey into Teaching”: Stories of Career Change Teachers in Australia Chapters 5–7 introduces a group of career change teachers in Australia to hear their stories and journey into teaching. The three chapters flow from one another, with Chap. 5 acting as a steppingstone to Chaps. 6 and 7.

4.1 The Careers and Lives of Amy, Kamini, Jim, and Sharon Chapter 5 begins by introducing the methodology that has guided the book. The significance and the rationale of the chosen methodology—phenomenology and interpretive inquiry—are discussed together with the way in which the approach is used in various chapters. Part two of Chap. 5 introduces the four career change teachers (Amy, Jim, Kamini and Sharon) exploring their prior careers, motivations to join teaching, their challenges and aspirations. The chapter highlights glimpses of their journeys as teachers, what stood out in those journeys, including ways in which they related to students and other colleagues and how they perceived school as a work environment.

4.2 The Teaching Practices of Career Change Teachers: What Works and What Doesn’t Work? The journeys of career change teachers continue in Chap. 6, focusing on understanding their teaching practices that are idiosyncratically informed by their own learnings, beliefs, understandings and prior career influences. Examples of career change teachers’ classroom teaching methods and teaching practices are provided to demonstrate their ability to make the theory–practice connections. Furthermore, the chapter examines some of the challenges that exist in career change teaching practices and the reasons why they may or may not draw upon their past work skills and knowledge in their current teaching role. The chapter highlights that transfer of competencies may not always occur smoothly during career transition.

4

1 Introduction to the Book

4.3 A Phenomenological Approach to Understanding Career Change Teachers Chapter 7 takes the reader on a mindful engagement journey paving the way for a deeper phenomenological understanding of teachers. The inquiry focuses on an existential understanding of the teacher participants’ lifeworlds using the chosen methodology, with a view to highlighting the transformation that occurs in these individuals as they change their working environment and form new relationships in their new workplace. Taken together, Chaps. 5, 6 and 7 provide a holistic picture, revealing the personal journeys, trials and tribulations and aspirations of career change teachers who are part of this book.

5 Career Change Pre-service and In-service Teachers: The Journeys of Student Teachers and Classroom Teachers Chapters 8 and 9 focuses on career change pre-service teachers and classroom teachers.

5.1 Career Change Student Teachers: Lessons Learnt from their In-school Experiences Based on research work conducted on Australian pre-service teachers, Chap 8 examines teachers’ in-school or professional experiences to understand their expectations, aspirations and experiences as a student teacher. The reader will be able to glean the characteristics of career change pre-service teachers that are somewhat different from “traditional” pre-service teachers. Recommendations are provided for both schools and teacher education providers with the needs of this particular cohort of student teachers in mind.

5.2 How do STEM Career Change Teachers Experience the Transition?: A Comparison Between Dutch and Australian Teachers Career changers come from different fields, and many of them have backgrounds in science, mathematics, engineering and technology (STEM). Recognizing the important role that STEM career change teachers can play in inspiring students to take up STEM subjects in schools, Chap. 9 focuses on this one group of career change

5 Career Change Pre-service and In-service Teachers: The Journeys …

5

teachers in order to examine their perspectives and contributions, and the barriers and enablers to student learning. The research is based on a joint study conducted in Australia and the Netherlands and investigates career change STEM teachers from both countries, thus providing an international perspective to the research.

6 Re-imagining the Future of the Teaching Profession Chapters 10 and 11 examine the future of the teaching profession in the context of the contributions made by career change teachers.

6.1 21st Century Teachers and Beyond: The Way Forward Chapter 10 returns to have a look at the complexity of the world for which we are preparing our school students and opens with a vignette from Sydney Australia, as a keyhole through which to examine this. While acknowledging some of the world’s current problems, as raised in earlier chapters, this chapter points to some of the steps forward the world has made in the past century or so, both technological and attitudinal, and at how education has prompted these advances. This forms a basis for discussing implications for education in twenty-first century schools. The chapter then proceeds to the premise that career change teachers, with their world and life experience, are well placed to complement existing staff in such schools.

6.2 Can Career Changers be Game Changers in Classrooms?: Recommendations and Implications for the Profession As the concluding chapter of the book, Chap. 11 suggests recommendations and implications for various stakeholders. The chapter adopts a strength-based forwardthinking approach to highlight how various education sectors can increase their awareness and knowledge about career change teachers to attract and retain them in the profession. Practical strategies that can be implemented by schools and senior executives and by teacher education providers worldwide are proposed. In addition, helpful suggestions for prospective career changers are also discussed to enable a smooth career transition. Finally, specific recommendations for future research on career change teachers are also provided to increase understanding and impact of their contributions. The chapter and the book concludes with optimism for the future workforce and the role career change teachers can play in achieving that hope, through bringing work and life experience to the classroom.

Part I

The Teaching Profession: Local and Global Contexts

Chapter 2

The Recruitment, Support, Retention and Attrition of Teachers in Australia

1 Introduction Global trends in the workforce, as well as life’s increasing complexity and uncertainty, have placed increasing demands on the education sector, particularly the schooling sector. COVID-19 has further shifted the global landscape of education and work into new uncharted territories and amplified existing unknowns such as future job trends. Flexibility, adaptability and agility are often discussed during these changing times and are considered to be essential skills that better prepare learners of today to face an uncertain and evolving future. Commensurate demands and responsibilities have imposed themselves on the teaching profession and its members. Career change teachers are a cohort worthy of attention. As individuals who come to teach in schools from different walks of life possessing different backgrounds, contexts and experiences, they are a group of educators who recognize the importance of “future preparedness” in learning and education contexts. We begin this chapter by introducing career change teachers—who they are and what they bring to the teaching profession. Recognizing that it is important to understand their role in the context of current overall issues governing the provision of teacher workforce and school education in Australia, the rest of the chapter takes a step back to provide a broad landscape of teacher recruitment, education and classrooms of today. The journey to understand the important role that career change teachers make in classrooms continues in this chapter, where we examine student attributes and corresponding teacher qualities required in the twenty-first century and beyond. Our deep dive into career changers and their contributions to the teaching profession begins in Chap. 3.

© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021 M. Varadharajan and J. Buchanan, Career Change Teachers, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-6038-2_2

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2 The Career Change Teacher Career changers are quite different from teachers we may normally think of or know of, having not come directly to teaching following a “traditional” pathway of school completion and initial teacher education program completion. They are older, likely to be specialized in a discipline area other than teaching and tend to have relevant work experience from a professional domain other than teaching. There are other ways of defining career change teachers. For the purposes of this book, we have been guided by Eifler and Pothoff to define a career change teacher (1998). This is someone “well over 25, possessing life experiences resulting either from previous careers and/or from parenthood, which potentially enables them to bring important assets, such as maturity and expertise to teaching” (1998, p. 193). Eifler and Pothoff’s definition encompasses a broad range of mature age participants, emphasizing the non-teaching background and their life experiences as a result of participation in the adult labor force. There are usually a combination of push and pull factors that impact the decision for a career changer to enter teaching later in life. Reasons may include a long-held desire to enter the profession (Williams & Forgasz, 2009), an individual’s present employment circumstances including stress or frustration making the pursuit of teaching an “economic” decision (Bauer et al., 2017), or changes in family circumstances including lifestyle choices making the decision a more pragmatic one (Priyadharshini & Robinson-Pant, 2003). Individuals see teaching as an ideal career option when they have a deep interest in their subject area, and enthusiasm to share their knowledge and passion with young people (Priyadharshini & Robinson-Pant, 2003). Reasons also tend to include intrinsic factors, perceiving teaching as aligned with personal goals of making a social contribution, while satisfying inner desires (e.g., Lee & Lamport, 2011). Suffice it to say that the decision to turn to teaching as a second career is complex, multifaceted and sometimes contradictory (Varadharajan, 2014). Having come from other backgrounds, career change teachers generally tend to bring a combination of content expertise, professional experience, and a certain maturity and wisdom gathered over the years (Anderson et al., 2014; Hanington, 2018; Lee, 2011). Broad life experiences, breadth of knowledge and strong people skills, personal qualities and attributes such as maturity, professionalism, motivation, care, confidence and enthusiasm are seen as the hallmarks of career change teachers (Anthony & Ord, 2008; Grier & Johnston, 2009; Williams & Forgasz, 2009). Career change teachers may also exhibit teacher attributes including the ability to motivate, build confidence and foster aspirations in students (Bahr & Mellor, 2016). These characteristics, along with the ability to be flexible, agile and adaptable, are regarded as highly relevant in today’s context as the society learns to adjust and build itself post the pandemic. COVID-19 has demonstrated that the future workforce needs to be adaptable and to develop transferable competencies to prepare for and face a precarious and uncertain future in which economies are increasingly interdependent (OECD, 2020). We need competent and skilled educators who recognize these

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factors and have relevant capabilities to prepare students well into the twenty-first century. At this point, we now take a step back to sketch what some have referred to as a crisis in Australian education, in terms of student performance, and imputed teacher quality. Other countries on student performance league tables are prone to a similar sense of crisis. Australia, as in particular, the state of New South Wales, is used as illustrative example here. The rest of this chapter will outline some of the measures that have been undertaken to ensure teacher quality. It will then discuss some of the outcomes of these measures in terms of teacher supply, status, morale, recruitment, retention and attrition. This examination will set the scene for more detailed discussions about the recruitment, preparation, support and retention of career change teachers later in the book. What follows is (if you’ll forgive the mixed metaphor) a portrait of the educational landscape. “Landscape” is etymologically linked with “land-shape”—the shape or state of the land—the lie of the land? Education in Australia is not entirely in a good state currently. The following section draws heavily on Buchanan (2020). It will draw on personal vignettes at times to illustrate certain points.

3 Education in Australia: Shanghaied? The teaching workforce is the fifth largest in Australia, after health, retail, construction and professional services. It employs more people than manufacturing (Scutt, 2017). This makes it a highly substantial professional body numerically; we should sit up and pay attention to teachers! Until recently, low unemployment figures prevailed in Australia (ABS, 2019), and had done so for some time. It was an employees’ market. COVID-19 has changed all that, at least temporarily, and it is difficult to say at the moment how long the changes will last. In any case, teaching vies with other competitive industries for the best personnel. The demands placed on students in our school system in the twenty-first century have, and are likely to continue to, proliferate, and grow in complexity. Concerns have mounted in recent years about a decline in the performance of Australian school students, compared with that of their peers internationally (Singhal, 2017; The Guardian, 2018a). Specifically, declines in Australian students’ performance in the key areas of literacy and numeracy performance scores have been reported recently. According to the 2016 PIRLS (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study) (TIMSS and PIRLS, 2018) test results, Australia’s Year 4 students outperformed their corresponding 2011 cohort, but were surpassed by students in 13 other countries (Thomson et al., 2016). Australia recently fell ten places, from 18 to 28th, among 49 countries tested in year 4 mathematics (Knott, 2016) in the TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) test. Australia’s student performance has also declined in recent years, relative to that of other countries, in PISA’s (Programme for International Student Assessment) science, reading and mathematics scores (ACER, 2018a; OECD, 2018).

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There is considerable doubt, particularly in the academic literature, as to whether these concerns are justified or not, or based on comparable or comprehensive evidence. Cochran-Smith et al., (2018, p. 109) are critical of a populist “failure narrative”, while Mayer refers to “anecdotally informed ‘teacher education is failing us’ headlines” (2013, p. 9). Cochran-Smith et al., (2013, p. 16) doubt the evidence base behind claims of a “lack of accountability and standardization of expectations” in teacher education. This dynamic is undoubtedly fueled in part by the media’s (and their audiences’?) predilection for bad news stories. It should be conceded, though, that some of the above academic and popular reactions (and our own) to Australia’s “crisis in education” may be, in part, cover stories. The “truth” in Australian students’ performance may lie somewhere between these academic and popular/media parallel worlds. Regardless, concerns emanating from test scores as cited above are driving much of what is happening in, and to, schools and teacher education providers in Australia. Education is becoming increasingly regulated—some would contend, overregulated. This impacts areas such as teacher recruitment, pre-service education and curriculum and has considerable impact on the teaching workforce, its standing and sustainability. Much of this is the antithesis of the intended outcomes of the “tightening up” of the teaching profession.

3.1 The Structure of Teacher Education in Australia Broadly speaking, there are two main entry paths into teaching in Australia: • A four-year bachelor of education course or similar or • A 1.5- or two-year postgraduate qualification, typically preceded by subject area undergraduate studies. In earlier times, the first of the above was almost exclusively for primary (K-6) teachers, and the latter almost exclusively for secondary (7–12) teachers. However, the divisions have become increasingly blurred in recent years. More recently, a third entry path of teacher education, “learning-on-the-job”, has attracted growing numbers of candidates in Australia—Teach for Australia (2018). In this program, which exists in similar formats in other countries, candidates enlist to teach, typically in an area of socioeconomic disadvantage, for two years and undertake concurrent professional learning activities. “Teach for Australia” has received mixed reviews. The major criticism appears to be a low retention rate of graduates. The Guardian (2018b) reported that half the candidates had left the profession at the end of three years of teaching. Moreover, the program’s aim of deploying teachers to socioeconomically disadvantaged areas remained unmet.

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3.2 Entry into Teacher Education and Teaching If I (John) may be permitted a brief anecdote, I was recently asked by a visiting Chinese academic if the government controls what happens in Australian schools and universities. My instinctive response was one of smugness; the words “academic freedom” (garbed in a cape and red underwear) sprang immediately to mind. I then considered some of the constraints that impinge on education in Australia. I have compiled a list below (Table 1) of some of the organizations that oversee education, along with some of their roles. I tabulate them below, as illustrations of what I sometimes unkindly refer to as “pedagogical arteriosclerosis”. (Cover story, anyone?) Examples focus on New South Wales, the state in which I work and with which I am most familiar, but equivalent bodies operate in other Australian states and territories, and in other (mainly) developed nations. I hope I have not overlooked too many such organizations, and there may be more by the time you read this. You might be pleased to know I didn’t explain and tabulate that entire list for my Chinese colleague. I fear she may have fled long before I finished. It concerns me that some teachers, both aspirational and practicing, might similarly choose to flee from teaching. Those who are most capable will have the broadest range of, and most tantalizing array of, alternative options. In addition to these regulatory organizations, annually, all school students in Australia in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 undertake basic literacy and numeracy tests, known as NAPLAN—the National Assessment Program—Literacy and Numeracy (NAP, 2016), developed by ACARA. These results are used to rank schools in terms of their students’ comparative performance. Criticisms of NAPLAN testing abound and range from associated stress on students (Rice et al., 2015) to the narrow range of skills tested, and associated displacement of other teaching and learning (Ward, 2012). The test results are made public, at school level, on a website, to help “parents, educators and the community to find information about each of Australia’s schools” (ACARA, n.d.). The My School site has sustained heavy criticism for presenting information devoid of context to outsiders, arguably presenting parents with misleading information, and raising anxieties about schools’ reputation (Lingard, 2010) and, by implication, the reputation of the students at those schools, and the character of their communities.

3.3 So, You Want to Be a Teacher? Another outcome of increased regulation, driven by fears of declining school student performance, is more stringent entry requirements for teacher education courses. Requirements for entry into teacher education courses have become increasingly exacting in recent years, and this process looks set to persist. In New South Wales, at both state and federal/national levels, more, and increasingly stringent, regulations

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Table 1 Organizations (not an exhaustive list) charged with oversight and regulation of education Name

Responsibility

ACARA: The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (2016a)

Responsible for developing the Australian Curriculum (n.d.), Australia’s first-ever national curriculum, discussed in further detail below

ACER: The Australian Council for Educational Research (2018b)

Among other responsibilities, the Council administers LANTITE tests—compulsory Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education Students (ACER, 2018c)

AITSL: The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (2017a)

The national body regulating curriculum and teaching. This is the body that has established a suite of Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (AITSL, 2017b), discussed later in this chapter

NESA: The NSW Education Standards Authority (n.d.a)

This state body regulates schools and teaching. All NSW pre-service teacher education programs and their constituent subjects (sounds like a monarchy?) require NESA accreditation, as do all beginning teachers, who must pay an annual fee of $100 to NESA (2019a). Similar payments apply in other Australian states. Teacher education courses must meet approval at the level of weekly teaching content, and individual assignments of each subject

Teach NSW (n.d.a)

This is the employment recruiting body for the NSW Department of Education, the largest employer of graduates in the state. Across Australia, about two-thirds of students attend government schools (ABS, 2017a)

TEQSA: The Tertiary Education Quality Standards Authority (2017a)

This national body is charged with regulating the tertiary sector and assuring its quality. To be registered with TEQSA, a university must comply with the Higher Education Standards Framework (TEQSA, 2017b). TEQSA mandates an academic literacy assessment hurdle for all university entrants. This operates in addition to the abovementioned LANTITE test, for teacher education students

TEMAG: The Teacher Education Ministerial Advisory Group (2017)

TEMAG exists to “advise the Government on how teacher education courses could better ensure new teachers have the right mix of academic and practical skills needed for the classroom” (continued)

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Table 1 (continued) Name

Responsibility

UAC: The Universities Admissions Centre (2018a)

The UAC administers most domestic students’ applications for university. The Centre calculates an ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank—further information below) for students who have undertaken the NSW matriculation exam, the Higher School Certificate (HSC)

are being enacted. Some would argue current and proposed “right of entry” conditions are nothing short of draconian, while others might see such changes as a necessary reform for the profession as it deals with twenty-first century demands. We contend that increased exclusivity of entry to the profession, in the absence of increased attractiveness thereof, is likely to exacerbate problems of teacher supply (see Gallop et al., 2021). Current and proposed entry requirements into teacher education programs, and the teaching profession, are outlined below, primarily to provide a sense of the scope and scale of regulations and requirements. • In NSW, an ATAR ranking of 70 or more: In each Australian state and territory, an ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) is calculated for those students undertaking the matriculation examination. It ranks a student within her or his age cohort for that state or territory (which includes those who left school earlier and are not undertaking a matriculation exam) (UAC University Admissions Centre, 2019). A student with a ranking of 70 is just within the top 30% of their cohort. Matriculation students typically undertake between 10 and 12 units of study. A senior school “subject” can equate to 2, 3 or 4 units, depending on the depth of study undertaken. A matriculant’s ATAR is calculated on their highest-scoring two units of English study (English being the only compulsory subject in the matriculation exam, which allows for moderation), and their best eight units from remaining subjects that qualify for inclusion (UAC (University Admissions Centre, 2018b). In 2018, Federal (Labor) Opposition also indicated that, if elected, it would raise ATAR entry scores for eligibility for teaching (Singhal, 2018). In 2018, the state government of Victoria announced an entry score of 70 as a requirement to enter a teacher education course (Cook et al., 2018). • A “band 5” or higher attainment in three subjects in the HSC matriculation exam, one of which must be in English. The band levels are developed according to performance attainment in the subjects concerned. Band 5 is the second-highest level attainable. As an illustrative example, a student’s capabilities are described as follows for attainment of band 5 in 2 Unit English: Demonstrates detailed knowledge, perceptive understanding and effective evaluation of the ways meanings are shaped and changed by context, medium of production and the influences that produce different responses to texts. Displays a well-developed ability: to describe and analyse a broad range of language forms, features and structures of texts and explain

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The “band information” constitutes the only non-numerical feedback matriculation students receive in NSW. It is a criterion-referenced classification, not a rank. • Passing a literacy and numeracy test administered by the Australian Council for Educational Research (LANTITE—the Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education Students) (ACER, 2018c). • Graduates wishing to teach in a NSW government school must successfully undertake a personal suitability interview (Teach NSW, n.d.b). • Similarly, in NSW, aspirant entrants into teacher education programs must furnish a personal statement as to why they intend to be a teacher. If a student does not apply for university through UAC, their personal statement is assessed by the tertiary institution. This adds a burden to university academics’ workloads. Applicants typically apply to several universities, only one of which they will attend. Each university will deploy someone to assess the personal statements. Applicants must respond to the following four questions (with prompts provided in italics): (1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Tell us what has inspired you to become a teacher and tell us why you think teaching is a good career choice for you. In your response, describe who and what has inspired you to become a teacher and describe the types of skills and abilities you will bring to teaching. Describe one or two leadership, community and/or learning & development activities that you have engaged in. In your response describe how these leadership, community and/or learning & development activities demonstrate your conscientiousness and coping strategies when you are faced with challenges. Describe how you manage your time when you are both planning and coordinating activities in your personal schedule. In your response provide examples of how you have put both your planning and coordinating skills to use. Tell us about one or two times where you have utilized your problem solving skills to achieve an outcome. In your response explain what you learned, regardless of whether the outcome you achieved was positive or undesirable. (See University of Technology Sydney, n.d.).

Understandably, assessing such statements, particularly in a way that could be demonstrably consistent across or within institutions, is problematic. In addition, the NSW Minister for Education recently announced that teacher education graduates would require a credit average in their pre-service degree to

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qualify for employment with the Department of Education and would need to pass a psychometric test that would be administered by the department (Baker, 2018). As indicated above, such a quest for teacher excellence (however defined) is laudable. However, it is difficult to be confident, for example, that the credit average requirement will achieve its aim: that of removing less capable teachers from the profession. It will arguably add pressure to teacher education students and staff, and potentially expose the latter to the risk of coercion or (accusations of) corruption. There will be pressure on institutions not to “fail” large numbers of students. Moreover, it is difficult, if not impossible, to establish if a credit grade has consistent meaning cross-institutionally. Cross-institution moderation would be virtually impossible, and pedagogically challenging to defend, unless pre-service teachers at all teacher education institutions were to submit standardized assessment tasks, to be undertaken under the same conditions, with equivalent types and levels of support. The standardization of assessment tasks across institutions strikes me as an undesirable outcome. It would deny student and contextual diversity and likely stifle attempts at creativity, renewal and innovation. Indeed, many of the above initiatives may serve to constrict the workforce, in terms of, for example, non-English-speaking aspirants. This, in turn, may eliminate some of the diversity among the workforce that aspires to mirror the student body it serves. NESA (2019b) has recently mandated specializations for all students in primary pre-service education. These are limited to mathematics, science and technology, or languages. This condition is arguably at odds with generalist practice in primary schools, and its capacity to avoid siloing of subject areas, and probably serves to marginalize the other subject areas.

4 Standards and Assessments 4.1 Australian Teacher Professional Standards The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL, 2017b) recently published a set of mandatory professional standards for teachers. To graduate, and to attain and retain accreditation, teachers need to provide evidence with regard to meeting each standard. The seven standards are listed below: • • • • • • •

Know students and how they learn Know the content and how to teach it Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments Assess, provide feedback and report on student learning Engage in professional learning Engage professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and the community.

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These standards are sound starting points. It would probably be churlish to take exception with any of them, prima facie. And yet, there is scope for their improvement (Buchanan, 2017). The first, “know students and how they learn”, lacks a personal dimension. It does not mandate “know your students”, even though this is plausibly inherent in, and a subsumption of, the standard. Of course, the standard can really only be demonstrated with regard to one’s own students. At its essence, this standard requires teachers to demonstrate their knowledge of learning, how it operates, and the circumstances under which it operates optimally. As asserted above, this is a noble pedagogical goal. Nevertheless, the inclusion of a personal dimension might make the standard more attractive and conceptually attainable. Curiously, the word “quality” does not appear in the graduate level of the standards. Nor do the words “create” or “critical” (Buchanan, 2017). Each of these standards has subsections, known as “elements” of which there are 37 in total. These can be found in their entirety at AITSL (2017b). While these standards and elements represent a gallant attempt to capture the complexity of teaching, beginning teachers, in particular, may find them overwhelming. A more appropriate term than “standards” or, in school, “basic skills” might be “threshold concepts”; the threshold metaphor suggests transcendence, not mere attainment of, such competencies. In defense of the standards, this transcendent nature is probably implicit, in that they progress beyond graduate level, which will be discussed in a subsequent section. Many of the above initiatives have the potential to do good per se and are certainly intended to be beneficial.

4.2 Teaching Professional Assessment Another externally imposed hurdle for prospective teachers is the Teaching Performance Assessment (TPA). In order to graduate, all prospective teachers must complete a culminating TPA. During their final professional experience, all education students need to demonstrate their capacities in: • Planning; • Organization and delivery; and • Assessment, evaluation and reflection on/identification of their impact of their teaching, with regard to their students’ learning (Darling-Hammond, 2006). Evidence emerging from the TPA is framed within the standards. TPAs have been criticized on several grounds. They constitute a high-stakes snapshot that may reject some candidates who could otherwise be effective teachers (Goldhaber et al., 2017; Greenblatt, 2018) and may fail to identify and exclude some teachers who are unsuited to teaching for various reasons. They may also fail to capture the complexity that is teaching, and the diverse, complex contexts and dynamics of classrooms and learners (Buchanan, 2017; Buchanan & Schuck, 2016; Lewthwaite et al., 2015; Schuck et al., 2012).

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In a recent study of the implementation of a TPA in NSW (Buchanan et al., 2020), several potential associated problems emerged. While the TPA is conducted within a school, it is assessed at university. University staff may be unfamiliar with the teaching and learning discipline knowledge being assessed—for example, a science teacher educator assessing a TPA of an art teacher. More disconcertingly, the TPA assessor embarks on the assessment task with little knowledge of the context in which the TPA was undertaken. Associated variables include the level of support offered by the supervising teacher and the school, the school’s academic culture, the students’ behavior and attitudes, resources available and the like. Moreover, the circumstances in which the TPA was undertaken cannot be replicated and repeating a lengthy professional experience would be an expensive endeavor for the teacher education student concerned. Practice teaching and internships are typically undertaken unremunerated in Australia. AITSL has indicated that all TPAs will need to be moderated across institutions, but the above-mentioned differences, among others, make the task of moderation problematic even within any one institution. By now, “Captain Accountability” was looking rather shabby and moth-eaten. Some of the “entrance hurdles” outlined above are undoubtedly designed to raise the quality of graduates. This is a reasonable and noble pursuit and may well serve the profession favorably. It could make the profession more attractive through exclusivity. Such strategies, however, present a potentially risky tactic. Combined with the ever-increasing demands placed on teachers, and other issues such as modest remuneration, these approaches may dissuade the best and most capable from entering teaching. Predictions of a widespread teacher shortage have yet to come to pass—or perhaps education jurisdictions have heeded earlier warnings by researchers (see, e.g., Lonsdale & Ingvarson, 2003). Nevertheless, several current circumstances appear to be operating in concert to precipitate a shortage of teachers: There is currently a population bulge among school-aged students in Australia; large numbers of “baby boomer” teachers are reaching retirement age,1 and; fewer university applicants appear to be choosing teaching as a career. Weldon (2015, p. 1) forecast an increase in NSW school students of 92,000 by the end of the decade. He conceded, however, that this is in the context of a current oversupply of generalist primary teachers and some subject area secondary teachers. Sutcher et al. (2016) cite a tenfold proliferation of related media headlines as evidence that a teacher shortage looms.

Another brief vignette to illustrate how teacher recruitment has changed. Disregard it and move to the next section if you wish. When I completed secondary school, there was a shortage of teachers. From memory, I had a brief chat with the Principal, to determine my suitability for a Teachers’ College Scholarship. The Scholarship’s purpose was not to offset University fees—there were none, apart from minimal administration fees. At this point, I entreat my students not

1

Recent fears that significant numbers of older teachers might succumb to covid-19 have, mercifully, diminished at the time of writing.

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to despise me. The only “catch” was that, if you were four-year trained, you were committed to teach for the Department of Education for four years, or you would be required to return the scholarship money. That means I was guaranteed a job for four years, during which time, with minimal requirements (an observation of a lesson by the Principal being the main one), I could achieve permanency. I’ve never had to participate in an interview to attain a school teaching position. Phew! I made it through and into teaching. If you’ve now graduated from your initial teacher education course, firstly, congratulations and welcome to the profession, and no, you can’t afford to relax. The concerns (panic?) emanating from international league tables are not limited to initial teacher education. They feed into several circumstances for practicing teachers. In addition to the issues of attracting new teachers into the profession, the retention of teachers has been problematic for some time in Australia (Buchanan et al., 2013) and elsewhere (Ingersoll & Smith, 2003). Responsibilities for teachers have risen markedly in recent years. I concede that this is probably the case for most professions, with, for example, the intrusion of ceaseless email and phone availability. I refer to some of the responsibilities and other factors possibly impacting teacher retention below. The teaching standards were introduced, at graduate level, in an earlier section. In their entirety, the standards exist at four levels, as outlined below (Table 2). Attainment at highly accomplished and lead levels is discretionary and only mandatory for those teachers seeking promotion. Fees of slightly over $600 and $700 respectively apply to applicants for highly accomplished and lead levels in NSW (NESA, 2019a). Anecdotally, the numbers of teachers applying for these higher levels appear low. Table 2 Teaching standards Level

Expectations

Graduate level

Must be demonstrated in order for a student to graduate from their initial teacher education course

Proficient

A requirement for registration as a teacher and must be accomplished within three years of graduating. Casual teachers (known by various names in different jurisdictions, such as supply or relief teachers) have a longer period: five years to gather evidence and demonstrate proficient status. Some non-permanent teachers have shared concerns about this requirement, having difficulty in getting their school to support them to attend requisite in-service courses, some of which attract fees (Burke et al., 2015)

Highly accomplished, and lead level These are only required for teachers seeking promotion

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5 Curriculum Issues The curriculum is a further casualty of performance anxiety with regard to our school students. Accordingly, new material is routinely added to fill the gaps that are, or might be being, addressed in other countries; a curriculum “arms race”. Moreover, as life becomes more complex, school is often seen as the place where such complexities might be addressed. Cybersecurity, drug awareness and obesity come to mind as recent examples. While it is reasonable to position school as the most appropriate place for these forms of education, they come at the expense of other curricular material, or at least depth of study. Further, many schools appear to be taking on roles previously ascribed to parents, such as providing breakfast for children or offering tips on nutritious lunches. Other, moral, issues, might have been dealt with by faith institutions in more “churched” times in Australia. This is leading to teacher burnout and teacher walkout (Molloy, 2019; Schipp, 2017). Australia has recently introduced a new, National Curriculum, as indicated above. Among the possible casualties of overcrowding are the Australian Curriculum’s general capabilities (see Dyment & Hill, 2015, e.g., on sustainability) and crosscurriculum priorities (see Salter & Maxwell, 2016) (Fig. 1). The first three general capabilities above—literacy, numeracy and use of technologies—constitute a sine qua non for effective teachers; they are must-haves for the students in their care. The future of literacy and numeracy, in particular, is secure; the first two enjoy the privilege of state-wide testing every two years. However, the remaining four are vulnerable, as there is no corresponding assessment or reporting mechanism—and they are difficult to assess. Conceivably, these might be pushed

Crosscurriculum prioriƟes (ACARA 2016c)

General capabiliƟes (ACARA n.d.a)

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures • Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia • Sustainability

• Literacy • Numeracy • ICT capability • CriƟcal and creaƟve thinking • Personal and social capability • Ethical understanding • Intercultural understanding

Fig. 1 Cross-curriculum priorities and general capabilities

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to the side of a bulging curricular plate by teachers. More importantly, literacy, numeracy and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) are mere instruments—devices for gaining and communicating deeper, more perceptive, incisive, creative and compassionate thinking and ideas. Most of the mechanisms above do not assess the harder-to-measure remaining four general capabilities: critical and creative thinking, or ethical understanding, intercultural understanding or personal and social capabilities (ACARA, n.d.a). The general capabilities come with no outcome tests or accountability. I have no desire to increase the burden of teacher accountability here, but in the absence of measurable related outcomes, teachers are unlikely to prioritize these capabilities. This imposition of basics on curriculum and, therefore on teachers’ workload, and its consequences, strike me as particularly sad for the future of education and Australian students. It is unfortunate if cross-curriculum priorities and general capabilities are sacrificed on the altar of subject-based knowledge, or if they are taken hostage by the tools of literacy, numeracy and ICT capabilities, so essential as stepping stones to further learning. It is regrettable if we forsake the cross-curricular priorities of engaging with our Indigenous peoples—I write at the time of the Black Lives Matter worldwide campaign (Hutchinson, 2019)—or connecting with our region, and with our environment, for the sake of covering the curriculum. Burridge and Buchanan (2016, p. 46) assert that each of the cross-curriculum priorities “offers potential opportunities to address the global, regional and local implications of social justice and human rights issues”. In any case, such a choice is unnecessary; there is nothing to prevent students from honing their literacy, numeracy and ICT skills purposefully as they proceed. Indeed, nutritious texts will do this best. In particular, if literacy, numeracy and ICT skills are permitted to displace the other four general capabilities outlined above, we risk nurturing—and I hope I’m not overstating this—a generation of more literate, more numerate and more ICT-savvy monsters. With my pre-service teachers, I occasionally use the example of Pol Pot’s Killing Fields. Compared to his countrymen and (especially) countrywomen, Pol Pot was privileged with a standard of education that would usually be the preserve of royalty. He returned home, not to become a teacher or social worker, but to put to death about a quarter of his countrymen and women and their children. That figure of twenty-five per cent of Cambodians translates to about. 6,000,000 people in Australia—a number that refuses to stop whispering to my heart. I suppose the trade-off is that we might outmath those kids in Shanghai and other jurisdictions with whom we compete. Or not.

6 Classrooms of Today While it is difficult to quantify such things, most teachers and others would agree that students’ behavior has become more challenging to manage in recent years. Similarly, comparisons between countries are not easy to make; however, it may be that the number and seriousness of student infractions in Australian schools exceed

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those in some of the jurisdictions with which our students’ performance has been compared, such as Shanghai. Of course, meek acquiescence is not a desirable aspiration for students. I am heartened by the numbers of Australian school students defy authorities, including a comment from the Resources Minister that “the best thing you learn about going to a protest is how to join the dole [unemployment benefits] queue2 ”, by striking in defense of action against climate change (ABC News, 2018). Nevertheless, we casually invoke the expression “classroom-ready teacher” (Buchanan & Schuck, 2016) what, though, of the teacher-ready class(room)? That is, a group of students with a sense of the importance, purpose and privilege of education, its cost, and concomitant responsibilities on them, the learners (and benefits for them)? Potentially, discipline has become “an issue that dare not speak its name, either by practicing teachers, systems or researchers” (Buchanan, 2010, pp. 208– 209). Australia has recently been engaged in a public debate about standards of behavior in our parliament and, specifically, allegations of bullying and intimidation leveled in particular at women. A former Foreign Minister and Deputy Party Leader, Julie Bishop, claimed, “it is evident that there is an acceptance of a level of behavior in [the Federal Parliament in] Canberra that would not be tolerated in any other workplace across Australia” (Branley, 2018). Several women, including Ms Bishop, left the party soon afterward. I don’t wish to diminish the seriousness and extent of the apparent problem in our corridors of Parliament, but I believe that many of us might be shaken to witness the behavior and attitudes of some students in our classrooms. Armstrong refers to behavior management in schools as a “wicked problem” (2018, p. 997). It is among the greatest concerns and preoccupations of my pre-service students. I’ve already conceded that the assertions in this paragraph are not all founded on hard evidence; I trust that, if nothing else, the paragraph might prompt further debate on the issue. The typical Australian classroom has become more diverse in the last half-century; firstly through migration of families that are more culturally and linguistically diverse than the migrants typical of mainly European post-World War Two migration to Australia. Except for Greeks, the majority of migrants were familiar with Latin script on entry to Australia. Most followed Christianity of one form or another— Christianity remains the major religion in Australia (ABS, 2017b). Moreover, inclusion of students with disabilities into mainstream classes has become more common. Of course, this diversity gives all an education. But it also imposes extra demands, cognitive and otherwise, on teachers. In addition to all of the above, teachers are expected to develop and maintain a working familiarity with myriad policy documents from, alphabetically, Aboriginal Education to Workplace Learning, in New South Wales (NSW Department of Education, 2018). A brief scan of the NSW DoE Policy Library site unearthed 90 current policy documents. These arguably present a bewildering array of demands, particularly to the beginning teacher. In certain respects, they are likely to complement teaching and learning, but in other ways, they may obfuscate it.

2

Who was to know how soon that dole-queue future would materialize, with the advent of covid-19?

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One current characteristic of the teach-force is the flight of men from the profession, particularly in the early years of schooling. McGrath and Van Bergen (2017) tracked the proportion of male teachers in Australian schools over a half-century, from 1965–2016. From these figures, they extrapolated a vanishing point for male teachers in another half-century, by 2067. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2018a), the proportion of single-parent families remained steady between the last two censuses, in 2011 and 2016, at about 15.8%. This would equate to three or four children coming from a single-parent family in an average class of 25. The ABS does not indicate the proportion of these families headed by a male or a female; however, it is likely that there are more father-absent than mother-absent households, which may exacerbate any potential problems related to the scarcity of men in teaching. Male-absent families are not the only problem that might be affecting our students’ application to school and learning. The number of divorces granted in Australia increased slightly from 2016 to 2017 in Australia. This statistic needs to be considered in the context of fewer people marrying. The median length of an Australian marriage is 12 years (ABS, 2018b). The firstborn child of such a dissolving marriage might be about 10 or 11 years old. Other destabilizing conditions include mental illness and homelessness. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (2018c) reported in 2007 that 45% of the population would experience mental illness in their lifetime. Homelessness increased by 4.6% in the five years to 2016 in Australia (ABS, 2018d). According to the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS, 2018), one in every six Australian children lives in poverty. About one woman per week is murdered at the hands of her current or a previous partner, according to the Australian Institute for Health and Welfare (AIHW, 2018). Suicide rates increased in Australia between 2008 and 2017, from 10.9 to 12.6 per 100,000 people (ABS, 2018e). The ABS (2018f) reported 1808 drug-induced deaths in 2016. While this represents a reduction in the per capita rate, it is the highest number on record. And the deaths are only the tip of the ice(etc.)berg. Suffice it to say that not everyone feels the luck in the “Lucky Country” (Horne, 1964). The above statistics are disturbing to the extent that they may reflect an education system that has not served Australia well or provided a sound basis for its young. In any case, such problems, one or more of which might be affecting a significant proportion of students in any given class (and some more than others), are going to impact significantly on a young person’s capacity to take the best advantage of what school has to offer. These circumstances affect the students in question and those around them, including their teachers in their quest to educate. In principle, specific support mechanisms are available to beginning teachers. Forms of support include providing mentors and reduced face-to-face teaching time, but this does not appear to be happening universally (Hunter Institute of Mental Health, 2019; Schuck et al., 2018). Schuck et al. (2012) undertook an international study investigating early career teachers’ satisfaction with their work. They theorized a two-dimensional model, support and demand and found that high demand (characteristic of almost all beginning teachers’ lives) is manageable in contexts of high support. Starting salaries for teachers are competitive, according to Weldon (2015),

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but become less so as teachers progress in the profession unless they seek promotion, which typically trajects them out of the classroom and face-to-face teaching.

7 Concluding Comments—A Note of Hope? In the last couple of years, we met our first intake of pre-service teacher students born after the events of September 11, 2001. For some time, though, we have had incoming students who grew up in the shadow of those events. Not just terrorism; stranger danger, cyber dangers and the like cast their shadow over our young people. Even nature seems to be conspiring against us with sun exposure and global warming, precipitating (if that’s the right word?) in the 2019–2020 season of bushfires in Australia. As I have written elsewhere, I believe it is a scary time to be a parent; or a kid. But the news is not all gloomy. Despite some of the grim statistics mentioned above, Australia is a relatively good place to be. It is certainly one of the more sought-after suburbs in the global village. Like any in the West/the North, we have real freedom—some might argue too much freedom—to speak our minds. During my lifetime, and even in yours, freedoms and recognition have been won, in some cases slowly or perhaps grudgingly, for women, children, people “of color” (aren’t we all?), Indigenous peoples, the LGBT+ community and people with disabilities. We are gradually coming to terms with our past in such matters. I am not a fan of getting a parking ticket, but I will pay the price (so to speak) for the privilege of living in a place where the rule of law largely prevails. Figures for NSW show that in the two years to 2018, all crime rates were falling, or at worst stable (NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics & Research, 2018); here, as elsewhere, perceptions of crime might outsize realities. And I am happy to live in a country that prioritizes health and education if numbers of associated employees cited above are a reasonable proxy. Some of these themes are taken up in a more global context in Chap. 10. But, of course, there remains more to be done—not everyone’s boat has floated with the incoming tide, and Australia (and wherever you live) can be better yet. A related question for me is, “how do we hold onto, nurture and enhance that goodness, rather than letting it slip through our fingers?” One answer that for me is more strident than any other is “education”. We need to raise and maintain the quality of our education with everything we have got. An indispensable part of that equation is the quality of our teachers. I am hesitant here to say anything less than glowing about my school leaver pre-service teachers. As a group, they have an inspirational and unstoppable (if any should dare to try and stop them) drive to make the world a better place, and a keen- and clear-eyed determination to be part of that improvement through their work and lives. But the life and work experience that career change teachers bring to the classroom is substantial, too. They may bring virtues such as an added sense of entrepreneurship, a sense of responsibility that grows with age, and a greater understanding of financial matters, to their teaching. And there’s no reason to assume that their thirst for a better world has been slaked—or if it has, that

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their appetite cannot be whetted once more. Some might have even inherited a (newfound) hunger for a better world (along with other attributes favorable to teaching) from their own offspring. In any case, what is good for career change teachers is unlikely to harm other teachers. It is against this backdrop of these circumstances that the following chapters will proceed.

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Cochran-Smith, M., Carney, M. C., Keefe, E. S., Burton, S., Wen-Chia Chang, Fernandez, M. B., Miller, A. F., Sanchez, J. G., & Baker, M. (2018). Reclaiming accountability in teacher education. Teachers College Press. Cochran-Smith, M., Piazza, P., & Power, C. (2013). The politics of accountability: Assessing teacher education in the United States. The Educational Forum, 77(1), 6–27. https://doi.org/10.1080/001 31725.2013.739015 Cook, H., Butt, C., & Effron, G. (2018). Fewer students make the grade for teaching courses as new standards take effect. The Sydney Morning Herald 16 January 2018. https://www.smh.com. au/national/fewer-students-make-the-grade-for-teaching-courses-as-new-standards-take-effect20180116-h0j95g.html Darling-Hammond, L. (2006). Constructing 21st-century teacher education. Journal of Teacher Education, 57(3), 300–314. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487105285962 Dyment, J. E., & Hill, A. (2015). You mean I have to teach sustainability too? Initial teacher education students’ perspectives on the sustainability cross-curriculum priority. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 40(40). https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2014v40n3.2 Eifler, K., & Potthoff, D. E. (1998). Nontraditional teacher education students: A synthesis of the literature. Journal of Teacher Education, 49(3), 187–195. https://doi.org/10.1177/002248719804 9003004 Gallop, G., Kavanagh, T., & Lee, P. (2021). Valuing the teaching profession: An independent inquiry. NSW Teachers Federation. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e3758f6cdad377a5754259c/t/ 60597e729a6b026b0016beef/1616477832453/gallop_inquiry_report_2021.pdf Goldhaber, D., Cowan, J., & Theobald, R. (2017). Evaluating prospective teachers: Testing the predictive validity of the edTPA. Journal of Teacher Education, 68(4), 377–393. https://doi.org/ 10.1177/0022487117702582 Greenblatt, D. (2018). Neoliberalism and teacher certification. Policy Futures in Education, 16(6), 804–827. https://doi.org/10.1177/1478210318771827 Grier, J. M., & Johnston, C. C. (2009). An inquiry into the development of teacher identities in STEM career changers. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 20(1), 57–75. https://doi.org/10. 1007/s10972-008-9119-2 Hanington, L. M. (2018). Transitions into teaching: Experiences of career-change teachers in Singapore. AsTEN Journal of Teacher Education, 3(1). Horne, D. (1964). The lucky country. Penguin Books. https://www.education.gov.au/teacher-education-ministerial-advisory-group Hunter Institute of Mental Health. (2019). Release: Better mental health support needed for teacher retention. https://everymind.org.au/news/release-better-mental-health-support-neededfor-teacher-retention Hutchinson, E. (2019). Betrayed: A history of presidential failure to protect black lives. Taylor & Francis Limited. Ingersoll, R., & Smith, T. (2003). Wrong solution to the teacher shortage. Educational Leadership, 60(8), 30–33. Knott, M. (2016). Wake-up call: Australian students fall behind Kazakhstan in maths and science rankings. The Sydney Morning Herald 30 November 2016. https://www.smh.com.au/politics/ federal/wakeup-call-australian-students-fall-behind-kazakhstan-in-maths-and-science-rankings20161129-gszvt1.html Lee, D. (2011). Changing course: Reflections of second-career teachers. Current Issues in Education, 14(2), 1–19 (ERIC). Lee, D. & Lamport, M. A. (2011). Non-traditional entrants to the profession of teaching: Motivations and experiences of second-career educators. Christian Perspectives in Education, 4(2). https:// digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cpe/vol4/iss2/3 Lewthwaite, B. E., Osborne, B., Lloyd, N., Boon, H., Llewellyn, L., Webber, T., Laffin, G., Harrison, M., Day, C., Kemp, C., & Wills, J. (2015). Seeking a pedagogy of difference: What aboriginal students and their parents in North Queensland say about teaching and their learning. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 40(5). https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2015v40n5.8

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Lingard, B. (2010). Policy borrowing, policy learning: Testing times in Australian schooling. Critical Studies in Education, 51(2), 129–147. https://doi.org/10.1080/17508481003731026 Lonsdale, M., & Ingvarson, L. (2003). Initiatives to address teacher shortage. ACEReSearch, 11. Mayer, D. (2013). Policy driven reforms and the role of teacher educators in reframing teacher education in the 21st century. Waikato Journal of Education, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.15663/wje. v18i1.133 McGrath, K. F., & Van Bergen, P. (2017). Are male teachers headed for extinction? The 50-year decline of male teachers in Australia. Economics of Education Review, 60, 159–167. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2017.08.003 Molloy, S. (2019). Teachers are ‘at the end of their tether’ and abandoning the profession, sparking a crisis. News.Com.Au. https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/at-work/australian-teachers-areat-the-end-of-their-tethers-and-abandoning-the-profession-sparking-a-crisis/news-story/43c194 8d6def66e0351433463d76fcda NAP. (2016). National assessment program. Retrieved from https://www.nap.edu.au/ NESA (NSW Education Standards Authority). (2017). Performance band descriptors – 2017 Higher School Certificate. http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/ebos/static/BDHSC_2017_12_15130. html NESA (NSW Education Standards Authority). (2019a). Fees for teacher accreditation. https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/teacher-accreditation/how-accredita tion-works/guide-to-accreditation/fees NESA (NSW Education Standards Authority). (2019b). Primary teaching specialisations in NSW. https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/teacher-accreditation/how-acc reditation-works/your-accreditation/future-teachers/primary-teaching-specialisations-nsw NESA (NSW Education Standards Authority). (n.d.a). Education Standards Authority. https://www. educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/home NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research. (2018). Recorded crime reports. https://www.boc sar.nsw.gov.au/Pages/bocsar_crime_stats/bocsar_latest_quarterly_and_annual_reports.aspx NSW Department of Education. (2018). Policy library. https://education.nsw.gov.au/policy-librar y/a-z OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). (2018). PISA Test. OECD. http://www.oecd.org/pisa/test/ OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). (2020). The future of education and skills: Education 2030 [Position Paper]. https://www.oecd.org/education/2030/E2030%20P osition%20Paper%20(05.04.2018).pdf Priyadharshini, E., & Robinson-Pant, A. (2003). The attractions of teaching: An investigation into why people change careers to teach. Journal of Education for Teaching, 29(2), 95–112. https:// doi.org/10.1080/0260747032000092639 Rice, S, Dulfer, N., Polesel, J., & O’Hanlon, C. (2015). National testing in schools: An Australian assessment. In B. Lingard, G. Thompson, S. Sellar (Eds.), Routledge. Salter, P., & Maxwell, J. (2016). The inherent vulnerability of the Australian Curriculum’s crosscurriculum priorities. Critical Studies in Education, 57(3), 296–312. Schipp, D. (2017). Australia’s teachers fail: About half leave the profession in five years. News.Com.Au. https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/at-work/australias-teacher-fail-half-quitthe-classroom-in-five-years/news-story/d83694cb80a75c5ea812f41554a318e6 Schuck, S., Aubusson, P., Buchanan, J., Varadharajan, M., & Burke, P. F. (2018). The experiences of early career teachers: New initiatives and old problems. Professional Development in Education, 44(2), 209–221. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2016.1274268 Schuck, S., Aubusson, P., Buchanan, J., & Russell, T. (2012). Beginning teaching: Stories from the classroom. Springer. Scutt, D. (2017). These are the largest employing sectors in Australia, and where vacancies are growing. Business Insider Australia. https://www.businessinsider.com.au/these-are-the-largestemploying-sectors-in-australia-and-where-vacancies-are-growing-2017-1

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Singhal, P. (2017). UN agency ranks Australia 39 out of 41 for quality education. The Sydney Morning Herald 16 June 2017. https://www.smh.com.au/education/un-agency-ranks-australia39-out-of-41-countries-for-quality-education-20170615-gwrt9u.html Singhal, P. (2018). ‘I don’t want people with ATARs of 35 going into teaching’: Labor’s school plan. The Sydney Morning Herald 6 September 2018. https://www.smh.com.au/education/i-don-twant-people-with-atars-of-35-going-into-teaching-labor-s-schools-plan-20180906-p5025t.html Sutcher, L., Darling-Hammond, L., & Carver-Thomas, D. (2016). A coming crisis in teaching? Supply, demand, and shortages in the U.S. Learning Policy Institute. https://learningpolicyinst itute.org/product/coming-crisis-teaching-brief Teach for Australia. (2018). Teach for Australia. https://www.teachforaustralia.org/ Teach NSW. (n.d.b). Attending a GRP interview. https://teach.nsw.edu.au/becomeateacher/gra duate-recruitment-program/the-application-process/attending-an-interview Teach NSW. (n.d.a). Teach.NSW. https://www.teach.nsw.edu.au/ TEMAG (Teacher Education Ministerial Advisory Group). (2017). The Teacher Education Ministerial Advisory Group. TEQSA (Tertiary Education Quality Standards Authority). (2017a). TEQSA. https://www.teqsa. gov.au/ TEQSA (Tertiary Education Quality Standards Authority). (2017b). Advice on admissions transparency. https://www.teqsa.gov.au/latest-news/publications/advice-admissions-transparency The Guardian. (2018a). Report revealing Australia’s education decline a ‘real worry’ says [Federal Education Minister] Birmingham. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/feb/25/rep ort-revealing-australias-educational-decline-a-real-worry-says-birmingham The Guardian. (2018b). ACT [the Australian Capital Territory] pulls out of ‘costly’ Teach for Australia program over retention rates. The Interpreter. (2016). Russia currently spends more on defense than education; Budget cuts lead to deterioration of health care. http://www.interpretermag.com/russiaupdate-october-20-2016/ Thomson, S., Hillman, K., Schmid, M., Rodrigues, S., & Fullarton, J. (2016). PIRLS 2016: Reporting Australia’s results. ACER. https://www.acer.org/au/pirls/data-and-reports TIMSS & PIRLS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study Test & Progress in International Reading Literacy Study. (2018). TIMSS AND PIRLS. https://timssandpirls.bc.edu/ UAC (University Admissions Centre). (2018b). How your ATAR is calculated. https://www.uac. edu.au/future-applicants/atar/how-your-atar-is-calculated UAC (University Admissions Centre). (2018a). Universities Admissions Centre. https://www.uac. edu.au/ UAC (University Admissions Centre). (2019). ATAR: What is the ATAR? https://www.uac.edu.au/ future-applicants/atar University of Technology Sydney. (n.d.). Personal statement (Education). https://www.uts.edu.au/ future-students/education/about-education/student-information/personal-statement Varadharajan, M. (2014). Understanding the lived experiences of second career beginning teachers. [Doctoral Dissertation, University of Technology Sydney]. http://hdl.handle.net/10453/29255 Ward, D. (2012). The effects of standardised assessment (NAPLAN) on pedagogy at two Queensland schools. QUT EPrints. http://eprints.qut.edu.au/63662/ Weldon, P. (2015). The Teacher workforce in Australia: Supply, demand and data issues (Isseu 2) [Policy Insights]. ACER. Williams, J., & Forgasz, H. (2009). The motivations of career change students in teacher education. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 37(1), 95–108. https://doi.org/10.1080/135986608 02607673

Chapter 3

Future Work Landscape

1 Introduction Chapter 2 touched briefly on the demands that are likely to be placed on current school students, many of whom can be expected to live—one hopes, productively— until the end of the twenty-first century. Governments have widely acknowledged quality teachers and teaching as key to the growth, development and maintenance of an intelligent and informed society. Our education system, including schools, plays a critical role in creating enabling conditions and opportunities so that staff from diverse backgrounds enter teaching, allowing students to be exposed to varying and rich experiences. Students need competent and well-qualified teachers and the right environment to thrive and succeed in learning and beyond. This chapter will home in further on some of the requisite skills and attributes that will be required of our students, and on some of the implicitly associated qualities demanded of our teachers.

2 Skills and Attributes of the Future Workforce Education must prepare young people both for active citizenship in a democratic society and for purposeful engagement with the labour market. (Education Council, 2020, p. 12). Schooling should enrich students’ lives, leaving them inspired to pursue new ideas and set ambitious goals throughout life. (Department of Education and Training, Commonwealth of Australia, 2018, p. viii).

From Deweyian to current times, the need for having an educated and literate society has evolved and taken different forms, shaped by changing societal needs and demands, the evolving nature of work, and various revolutions that have occurred over the years. Currently, we are experiencing the Fourth Industrial Revolution with © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021 M. Varadharajan and J. Buchanan, Career Change Teachers, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-6038-2_3

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profound changes in jobs and trade (Schwab, 2016). Nevertheless, the core purpose of education has broadly remained more or less the same—to prepare young people for the future. But the rate of change, social and technological, has made this process more urgent. This might be attributable to processes such as globalization, mobility and interconnectivity bringing the world closer, and subsequent clashes of values. Students must have well-rounded abilities and be equipped with life, career and other employment skills for their beyond-school worlds. As a result of technological innovations, globalization and demographic changes, the future of work is being transformed, with changed labor market conditions and workplace practices, and new jobs replacing old ones. The OECD employment outlook estimates “14% of existing jobs could disappear as a result of automation in the next 15–20 years, and another 32% are likely to change radically as individual tasks are automated.” (OECD, 2019b, p. 3). For those whose jobs will become obsolete in the future, reskilling and retraining, as well as certain attributes such as resilience, are necessary for career mobility. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the loss of jobs across many sectors, leading to increasing numbers of people retraining and seeking jobs in a new field or sector. COVID-19 has also resulted in numerous disruptions to our ways of living and, most significantly, has stirred up uncertainty. Both employers and employees are having to face new challenges amid an uncertain and unpredictable future. Even before the pandemic, the OECD identified several major trends shaping the future of education and employment. These included shifts in economic power, rising inequality, an expanding global middle class, increasing digitalization and increasing life expectancies (OECD, 2019a, p. 2). Increasing migration has led to student diversity in classrooms, prompting schools and educational institutions to better serve students through staff coming from various backgrounds, socioeconomic classes and cultures. Moreover, given the increased student ethnic diversity (OECD, 2019), it stands to reason that a more ethnically diverse teaching workforce should emerge. As set out in the “Looking to the Future” report published by the Education Council in 2020, education must prepare students to be skilled and employable, and flexible to changing circumstances. There is increasing emphasis on “whole person” preparation, rather than just focusing on academic preparation for jobs and occupations of the future, particularly as the future of the labor market is increasingly complex and uncertain, particularly following the pandemic. At its heart, the purpose of education, aligned with the Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration and as noted by the Education Council in its 2020 report, is to create active and informed citizens who can engage democratically and purposefully in a constantly evolving labor market society (Education Council, 2019). Education must also “empower people with the knowledge, skills and values to live in dignity, build their lives and contribute to their societies.” (UNESCO, 2019, para. 1).

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2.1 What Does Skills Mean for Students of the Future? The purpose of education is achieved by ensuring future workers are competent in their chosen area and, in addition, possess certain essential non-academic or socalled soft skills to succeed in their chosen career path/s. In other words, young people need a broad base of “skills, values and knowledge to become successful lifelong learners.” (Education Council, 2020, p. 28). According to the OECD report “Trends shaping Education”, students need to build intercultural sensitivity and cooperation skills to prepare them for global labor market demands (OECD, 2019a, p. 21). Skills and experience need to be transferable to keep pace with a diverse and evolving world. Job-changing is becoming increasingly common, requiring reskilling and/or refreshing of existing skills to navigate between jobs successfully. Recognizing the environmental challenges that face the world, students will need to be equipped with the right kind of learning skills and habits to live and work sustainably and cooperatively. Skills, including social and emotional competence, should enable students to fully participate in “knowledge intensive and faster changing labour markets.” (OECD, 2019a, p. 28). Australia has seen similar shifts in skill levels among workers with many activities requiring higher-order creative thinking, decision making, problem-solving, interpretation of information and personal interaction (Education Council, 2020, p. 27). Australian jobs follow global trends and are changing rapidly, with machines taking over more routine tasks. Focusing on cognitive and interpersonal tasks that are human-oriented becomes all the more important, especially when estimates indicate that a large proportion of Australian jobs require time management and organization skills, and verbal communication skills (Deloitte Australia, 2019, p. 21). Some of the fastest-growing requisite skills are the “human characteristics” skills such as “creativity, integrity, leadership, persistence, empathy, and attention to detail,” driven by longevity, automation and less predictable career paths (Alphabeta, 2019, p. 8). Australian data indicates that workers will, more than ever, spend time learning new skills or upskilling because they are likely to change jobs more than twice over the next two decades (Alphabeta, 2019). It is predicted that in the next two decades, workers who are teachers, accountants and solicitors (the so-called informers) will have increased their skills around “active listening, influencing, persistence, and integrity.” (Deloitte Australia, 2019, p. 28). Digital literacy/ICT skills are also considered key to future employment prospects. In its guide to what employers are seeking, the Business Council of Australia has identified business literacy, critical analysis, data analysis, digital technology, literacy, numeracy, problem-solving and technical skills as essential competencies that employers are looking for in their workforce (Business Council of Australia, 2016). With employers and industry groups requiring the future workforce to demonstrate the skills indicated above, educational experts and local and national education authorities have been prompted to consider mandating these types of skills in student syllabus documents. School systems and tertiary institutions have incorporated these skills and capabilities, although there may be variations in terminologies,

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approaches and implementation. As discussed elsewhere in this book, general capabilities comprise one of the three dimensions of the current Australian Curriculum (ACARA, n.d.). As outlined in the 2020 Productivity Commission Report and aligned with the Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration blueprint, Australian schooling aims for all young Australians to become successful learners, confident and creative individuals, and active and informed citizens, positioning them to live fulfilling, productive and responsible lives. To meet this vision, the school education system aims to: » engage all students and promote student participation » deliver high-quality teaching with a world-class curriculum (Productivity Commission, 2021).

At the tertiary level, Australian universities typically note similar graduate attribute statements, albeit with slightly different wordings. Outlining skills in key documents does not ensure that students gain competence in them. To this effect, education experts have called for strengthening the development of skills related to general capabilities and raising their status within curriculum delivery and teaching. For instance, developing appropriate standards to allow for strong evidencing of the capabilities will ensure student outcomes in these areas are properly assessed. The Gonski 2.0 review on educational excellence recommends placing increased emphasis on teaching general capabilities in the F-10 Australian Curriculum, fostering the dimensions of personal and social capabilities (Department of Education and Training, Commonwealth of Australia, 2018).

2.2 Implications for Teaching Staff Teachers need expertise in and a sound understanding of how to teach and embed general capabilities in learning areas, and to create learning opportunities for all students to purposefully and actively engage in society. Developing well-rounded students requires teaching staff who are capable and all-rounded. The focus of educational policy objectives continues to be on attracting, hiring and retaining talented teachers, particularly because of the compelling evidence pointing to teacher quality and caliber being the most significant determinant of student achievement (OECD, 2012). Establishing and maintaining a pool of well-qualified teachers is an ongoing challenge for education policymakers in many countries to meet the challenges of the knowledge society. Faced with a diverse student population, with different learning needs and abilities, teachers’ roles and responsibilities are becoming more significant and complex; they are expected to prepare students to participate in an ever-evolving knowledge-based society and at the same time take care of students’ social and emotional well-being (Skilbeck & Connell, 2004). Opening the teaching profession

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to individuals with other experiences is one way of diversifying the teacher workforce. This brings us to the next section of examining the skills and attributes of teaching staff.

3 The Twenty-First Century School and Its Staff Teachers’ character, classroom management skills, stability, and leadership qualities may contribute to smooth school and classroom functioning, yet this situation may not be adequately reflected in student achievement. Thus, policies should not be shaped solely by test scores but should take into consideration the many important ways in which teachers make a positive impact on the lives of students, the success of colleagues, and the culture of schools. (Goe & Stickler, 2008, p. 13).

Sections of this chapter draw closely on Buchanan (2020). To date, schools have tended to concentrate on knowledge, and knowledge about— that is, on “knowing stuff.” Current and future work and social circumstances are more likely to demand knowing how to access and evaluate knowledge, as recognized in many curriculum documents, regarding, for example, bias, authenticity and the evidence base for any claims made. The knowledge economy is transmuting into the know-how economy. This change probably makes it even harder to define the qualities that indwell an effective teacher. Stronge claims with some confidence, “in addition to being uncertain how to define effectiveness, we will vacillate on just how to refer to successful teachers.” (2018, p. 4). Various researchers and organizations have enumerated the skills and attributes they see as most valuable in schools and their staff. Three key ingredients of a twentyfirst century school, according to the OECD (Schleicher, 2015), are having “teachers who are confident in their ability to teach, a school that is willing to innovate, and strong school leaders who establish the conditions in their schools that enable the former two ingredients to flourish.” More specifically, the OECD report advocates positive relationships, collaboration, release time for planning and, particularly, a role for teachers in decision making. Thompson lists 20 qualities of effective teachers, most of them amalgams of qualities (2015, pp. 37–38). These include punctuality, respect and patience, being calm and approachable, clarity of instruction, maintaining high expectations of themselves and their students, passion for teaching, ability to promote lively discussion to advance student learning and presentation of difficult topics in such a way as to promote self-inquiry and self-reflection. Thompson speaks of “growing effective teachers” (2018, p. 35) emphasis added—an apt metaphor, and dual meaning of “growing”. At a state level in Australia, the NSW Department of Education cites nine essential twenty-first century skills: critical thinking; creativity; metacognition; problemsolving; collaboration; motivation; self-efficacy; conscientiousness, and grit or perseverance (Lamb et al., 2017, p. 3). Such skills, if they are to be acquired by learners,

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must be internalized and modeled by teachers. We presume that there is no inherent assumption here that such skills or attributes were not important in previous centuries. On the one hand, this raises a valid question: what really is new in the twenty-first century (given that we’re now about a fifth of the way through it at the time of writing)? In response, however, we could cite the “know-how economy” above as an important game-changer in recent times. Moreover, any current lists of essential twenty-first century skills may appear quaint by the close of the century; such is the pace of change. This is not to be critical of the lists or the aims in compiling them.

3.1 What Does Quality Mean in Teachers and in the Teaching Profession? Stronge outlines six domains in which teachers need to demonstrate and exercise excellence. These comprise professional knowledge, instructional planning, instructional delivery, assessment, learning environment and professionalism (2018, p. 12). Stronge identifies precipitates of each, as follows: Professional knowledge: knowledge; verbal ability; preparation and certification; and experience (p. 15); Instructional planning: three key questions of what to teach, how to teach it and how to know if students have learnt it; focusing on instruction; optimizing instructional time; setting learning objectives; and using student learning data (p. 54); Instructional delivery: using a variety of instructional strategies; differentiating instruction; communicating high expectations; promoting complex and higher-order thinking; using high-quality questioning; and supporting student engagement in learning (p. 92); Assessment: designing assessments; using assessment data; encouraging student self-assessment; providing meaningful feedback; and homework (p. 135); [Developing and maintaining a] learning environment: classroom management; elements of organization; disciplining students; and a positive and supportive learning environment (p. 179); Professionalism: caring; fairness and respect; interactions with students; enthusiasm and motivation to learn; attitude toward teaching; reflective practice, and; collaboration and communication (p. 213). Some of the preceding, such as homework, appear to us as less crucial to good teaching than others—although we concede that Stronge highlights parental partnership in homework and support for their children’s learning. Suffice it to say that this presents a complex and demanding assemblage of skills, attributes and qualities on the part of an effective teacher. Chambliss, Alexander and Price et al. note that the teacher, as the initiator of quality teaching, looks to adjust the elements of teaching based on what is at hand, whether it be from students, the surrounds or resources, and ways of modifying his or her instruction to the context (2012). Other researchers (e.g., Soulé &

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Warrick, 2015) refer to the four Cs: creativity, communication, collaboration and critical thinking. Van Laar et al. confined their systematic literature review to twentyfirst century digital skills and distilled the following six: information, communication, collaboration, critical thinking, creativity and problem-solving (2018). Their study was not teacher-specific; instead, it referred to all professions for which teachers prepare students. Arguably, many of their skills correspond to the Australian Curriculum’s general capabilities such as critical and creative thinking, personal and social capability, and, of course, ICT capability (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) F-10 Curriculum n.d.). Gonski notes that Australian teachers are not sufficiently equipped or professionally supported to teach or assess these skills (Department of Education and Training, Commonwealth of Australia, 2018, p. 39). Some researchers (e.g., Eguchi, 2016; Qian & Clark, 2016) have coalesced some of these skills under the heading of game-based learning, whether formal or informal. Suffice it to say that a siloed, subject knowledge-based curriculum is coming under increasing scrutiny, criticism and pressure, and may need to be supplemented, if not supplanted, by other curricular structures. It may need supplementing with cross-disciplinary or transdisciplinary structures, incorporating, for example, problem-based learning, service learning or project learning, to reflect the challenges that face the workplace, the people and the planet. Significantly, many of the above qualities are personal rather than exclusively professional in nature; “teacher-as-person” skills, as Stronge terms them (2018, p. 212). These include flexibility and adaptability, care and compassion, high expectations, and a willingness to search for what works. Apart from equipping teachers well for their work, such attributes are worthy of emulation by their students. The importance of career changers with diverse life experiences joining the teaching profession and contributing to this process of students’ work- and lifereadiness, both directly, and thorough dissemination of their knowledge and perspectives to colleagues, will be discussed in the rest of this chapter.

4 The Career Change Teacher: Bringing Workforce Skills to Classrooms The literature routinely asserts that the teaching workforce should mirror, at least to some extent, the ethnic mix of the student body it serves (Boyle & Charles, 2016; Sleeter, 2016). More muted, but nevertheless present, are calls for a gender balance of teachers more representative of their students (McGrath & Van Bergen, 2017). Given that one of the desired schooling outcomes is preparing students for the workplace (even though school needs to do significantly more than that), it stands to reason that teachers with workforce experience beyond teaching (and beyond part-time undergraduate work) can enrich their students’ experiences and can serve their colleagues and their schools well. Such teachers, depending on their former work-lives, may also bring valuable experience to the operation of the school. Moreover, many of the skills

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and attributes typically touted as belonging to the twenty-first century, such as critical thinking, collaboration and problem-solving, are honed in many workplaces—skills that can be reapplied and adapted to the classroom. Similarly, management, including time management and organization, are skills developed and required by most workplaces. Having a diverse and quality teacher workforce contributes immensely to the changing needs of students and the society they will live in. While we are hesitant to be critical of school-leaver teachers, we tentatively pose the following questions. Is it possible that school-leaver teachers, armed and equipped only or mainly with school experiences, are more likely to perpetuate a system that has already demonstrated itself as underprepared to prepare students for the workplace and the future? On the other hand, might industry-experienced teachers be more likely to bring their “workplace capital”—skills, experience, perspectives and attributes—to the school? The propagation of such capital among students will be welcomed, in turn, by employers. We contend here that workforce experience can form part of a valuable apprenticeship into teaching, which costs the education industry nothing. In fact, it may serve to alleviate some of the existing challenges (for instance, shortage of qualified teachers in certain subjects) that beset the profession and education community. The first chapter pointed out some problems associated with teacher attrition. The commonality of “mating for life” with a career may have much diminished in recent years. To the extent that that is so, we should perhaps not be perturbed by large numbers leaving the teaching workforce in the early years. Nonetheless, this means that teaching faces a more compelling quest to be competitive, to attract and, particularly, retain, effective, experienced teachers. Given the apparent dual inevitabilities of teacher attrition and career mobility, it makes sense for the teaching profession and its employing bodies to welcome new, including career change, teachers into its ranks. Schools in rural, regional and remote areas, lower socioeconomic communities, and in some teaching areas such as mathematics and science, are particularly challenged with significant difficulties in attracting and retaining qualified teachers. Anderson evaluates the possible benefits of bringing career change teachers to low socioeconomic status schools and how that positively impacts not only learning and academic outcomes, but also students’ sense of identity and purpose of living in a globalized society (2018). We also note that schools in the above contexts are the most difficult to staff for many reasons—they can be the most challenging postings, both professionally and personally. We observe with some sadness that beginning teachers—those with the least experience—are more likely to find themselves teaching in such schools, possibly replacing a previous beginning and possibly burntout, disillusioned teacher (or ex-teacher). The executive in such schools might be equally inexperienced in their roles. This appears to be a wicked problem with no obvious solution in sight. For such schools this dynamic, risks perpetuating a cycle of short-term deployment of inexperienced teachers, thereby generating understandable cynicism among these schools’ students and communities. For the profession, it risks exacerbating disillusionment with the job and its employing bodies, thus contributing to teacher attrition. In such circumstances, gifted and talented students in particular may remain unidentified and their needs unmet. There is potential for

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career changers to fill gaps in such areas. We are not proposing the exclusive deployment of career change teachers to such schools for some of the reasons above, but we believe that such teachers may bring additional skills, experience and knowledge to these schools. The benefits of recruiting career changers to teaching are now widely accepted, both by policymakers and education stakeholders, as evidenced in key policy statements such as those from the OECD (2011 and 2012), which explain the need to expand the pool of potential teachers “by opening the teaching profession to individuals with relevant experience outside education” (2011, p. 9) and to be flexible and responsive to “alternative routes to certification for mid-career professionals intent on changing careers” (2012, p. 485). The literature references career changers bringing broad life experiences, breadth of knowledge and strong people skills, teachingrelated abilities, personal qualities and attributes such as maturity, wisdom, professionalism, motivation, confidence and enthusiasm (for instance Anthony & Ord, 2008; Grier & Johnston, 2009; Williams & Forgasz, 2009). If a school-leaver pre-service teacher is reading this and feeling disenfranchised, we would pose to you the following question: do you believe that in five or ten years, you will have more knowledge, wisdom, maturity, experience and skills to draw on than you do now? Or, put more plainly, do you believe that, in the next five-to-ten years, you will learn things? We hope that any school-leaver will be reassured and inspired by this prospect.

5 The Way Forward Increasing numbers of schools are experimenting with alternative curricula and/or alternative pathways, such as project-based learning, problem-solving, “flexible classrooms” and the like. New schools are being established to focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to cater to workforce demands and students hungry to experience science in greater complexity than what is traditionally encountered in “standard” schools (Baker, 2019). Such approaches appear to be paying dividends in terms of student on-task time and outcomes. In short, it appears that many students are demonstrating that they can rise to greater expectations and extensions of autonomy with responsibility. Presumably, teachers can be relied upon to respond similarly. We return here to two of Thompson’s (2018, p. 38) characteristics of effective teachers: fostering lively discussion to advance learning, and to promote self-inquiry and self-reflection. Regrettably, some responses to perceived deficiencies in student “performance”, vis-à-vis performance of students elsewhere, have been characterized by increasing constriction of teachers’ autonomy through standardization, regulation and a narrowing of autonomy. Such approaches may do little to encourage and advance educational discussion and debate, or to promote self-inquiry or reflection, either among teachers or among the authors of such edicts. High-stakes examinations are likely to exacerbate this process. If high expectations (and providing means for their fulfillment) are central to getting the most out of

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learners (see Stronge, 2018; Thompson, 2018), it stands to reason that having similarly high expectations and commensurate support levels and systems for teachers will also be productive. In fact, this seems to be one of the strategies being employed in the new specialist schools that target experts with STEM experience keen to transition to teaching, but were put off by the traditional challenges faced in schools (Baker, 2019). One response to the above problems has been a call for teachers to become more resilient. While ostensibly helpful, this may be limited in its ability to sustain teachers. While resilience in all lines of work and life can serve us well and help us retain a calm demeanor in our dealings with others, the subtext can be a dismissive, “just put up with it.” Similarly, we are somewhat untrusting of calls for a growth mind-set. While it can be a motivating force, it can also lead to resignation (in both senses of the word). It may operate as a cover for saying that those in power are not prepared to make any changes; those not-in-power will simply have to build up tolerance—or resistance (but we’ll decide what you should/n’t resist!). Non-teachers routinely make political decisions regarding education. What may be of more help to the profession, its reputation, its members and, in particular, its outcomes, is to address some of the causes of symptoms such as frustration, burnout and disillusionment, and to give practitioners a greater say in doing so. We posit here that career change teachers might be more strident in pointing out some of these weaknesses in the system. Creating a more human-friendly school environment is likely to bear fruit, not just in teacher recruitment, workplace satisfaction and retention, but also in modeling (and insisting on) such behaviors among school students. This is good preparation for a productive, confident and humane workforce and society. Of course, in this mix, we recognize the hazards of misplaced confidence—confidence that is resistant to change and challenges—although lack of confidence is also prone to breeding resistance and stubborn-headedness. The previous chapter discussed the standardization of teaching and associated reforms, along with some of their limitations. We would assert that neither schools, students, communities, nor teachers are “standard” (Buchanan, 2017). If the move to standardize aims to set minimum benchmarks that all students and teachers should exceed, this is reasonable. But it is highly problematic to the extent that it seeks to clone teachers in the image of some unseen someone. With regard to accreditation, Harvey (2004, p. 207) speaks of “a taken-for-granted underlying [under-lying?] myth of an abstract authorizing power, which legitimates the accreditation activity”. Similarly, Mockler and Groundwater-Smith (2020, p. 37) refer to “the seduction of effectiveness”, and (p. 11) “outcomes determined by those unfamiliar with the exigencies of daily life in the school.” By definition, those outside the school system have to rely on a “keyhole view” and understanding of school and scholars. In any reform, teachers’ voices should be front and center. We spoke before about career change teachers and their higher propensity to be audibly critical of the system. We believe that they may have a central role in recognizing and advising on ways forward, drawing on their varied industry experience. (The operation of) schooling may have much to learn from industry—from the industries its graduates will serve.

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Alongside attrition in hard-to-staff schools, we spotlight another wicked problem here: maximizing all students’ potential, while narrowing the gap between those groups of students that typically excel and those who routinely perform less well. Biesta (2009, p. 34) contends that “equality of opportunity hardly ever translates into equality of outcomes because of the role of structural factors that are beyond the control of schools and teachers”. He adds that this is a source of “undermining part of the ‘blame and shame’ culture of school failure”. We would add to this that the inability to overcome structural inequalities also allows the perpetuation of school blaming and shaming. Politicians and others who want to punish schools accordingly possess a cane that never wears out, never breaks. And we are not talking of a cane that assists with mobility here.

6 Conclusions—“Stop Dreaming and Get on with Your Work”? The first of the three key ingredients in the OECD report cited at the outset of Sect. 2 (Schleicher, 2015) is confidence to teach. This raises a problem and a prospect for the teacher workforce, as we see it. Much of what is happening in the teaching profession at the moment, such as standardization and accountability measures, may be likely to undermine teacher confidence, even though that is not its (stated) purpose (Harvey, 2004). The third of the OECD’s (Schleicher, 2015) three key factors is strong leadership. This is needed at every level that shares responsibility for the delivery of education. At school level, the executive needs to stand strong in their support of all teachers, particularly beginning teachers (including those who, by dint of their age, might not be immediately identifiable as beginners). Beginning teachers will likely need greater support—this is difficult in those hard-to-staff schools where executive members are also more likely to be new to their roles. Beginning teachers are more likely to make errors of judgment that come from inexperience. But without such teachers, there is no new lifeblood to the profession and, ultimately, no profession. The loss of such teachers constitutes a loss of experience. New blood in the profession is likely to assist with the OECD’s second recommendation—innovation—particularly if all teachers are encouraged to take risks and are supported in their efforts to try new things. Strong leadership is also needed at system and jurisdiction level, which may require courage, as this takes on a political dimension. Finally, strong and committed leadership is needed at the political level. This might be one stress point in representative democracies. While we are not calling for any alternative to representative democracy (!), we ask politicians to resist the allure of populism, of scapegoating teachers for any (perceived) shortcomings of student performance, in the hope that such pronouncements will find favor with the electorate. Firstly, a more educated electorate is less likely to “fall for” such claims; to the extent that politicians have funded and supported real (critically literate) education and helped us hone this

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defensive weapon against them, we are truly grateful. That previous sentence is not offered at all with cynicism—such politicians have shown true courage, as well as insight, in any support and commitment they have lent to higher-order thinking in the education system. It most certainly is a weapon that can be used to neutralize politicians and any claims they make. Secondly, almost all of us can recall teachers who inspired us, and others that we exasperated, wilfully, or just because we couldn’t help ourselves, as students. For many of us, including—especially?—parents, our loyalty to teachers flows more richly through our veins than does our loyalty to politicians. In short, political commitment and loyalty to the teaching profession and its members are likely to produce positive results electorally. More importantly, it is likely to pay dividends educationally—in terms of real and purposeful education. In concluding, we also touch briefly on McGrath and Bergen’s (2017) warning of teacher extinction. At the risk of overstretching the metaphor, habitat loss is a crucial contributor to species extinction. We ask, therefore, about the habitat or environment for all new teachers, but, specifically, career change teachers. Is it helping them to thrive, or just to survive, or is it failing to do even that? Is the environment conducive in all schools to enable career changers to confidently consider a career in teaching? We concede that we are projecting an ambit(ious) dream here. We don’t claim that where cultures need challenging and changing in schools, that will be an easy task. And we are not simply adding this to teachers’ to-do lists. This will require a shared vision and determination to optimize schools as workplaces and learn-places, from all stakeholders—students, teachers, executive, parents and the community, teacher employment jurisdictions and politicians—in short, the body politic. We ask, “in whose interests is it not to support teachers?” If we can achieve support for teachers without relegating students to mere compliance and acquiescence, we are likely to be world-beaters—in a race that is worth running and winning. But one hopes that the aim is nobler than mere world-beating. More importantly, we are likely to have a legacy and example for the world in education. We propose that career change teachers can be part of this change. Confidence can be borne of age and experience—the confidence of teachers and confidence in teachers that lead to confidence in our education system. Their work and life experiences and responsibilities are likely to expand and enhance what they bring to a school and its (other) learners. We propose career change teachers as part of the mix, rather than a quick-fix—to ask more of career changers than of other beginning teachers would be to disserve them and give them disproportionate responsibility to rescue the education system—to the extent that it is deemed to be in need of rescue. If nothing else (and there is much else!), the teaching profession should excel at fostering growth and fostering learning, and creating the conditions in which this can best occur. Experienced teachers can help by welcoming and nurturing all new teachers—career changers and others alike. And these experienced teachers can be supported in their efforts to do so through recognition and facilitation of such efforts by, for example, reduced face-to-face teaching time. Educational jurisdictions are in a more powerful position to create conditions where learning flourishes for the whole community of learners—teachers and students. To return to this section’s title, “stop

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dreaming and get on with your work”, we actually see this as getting on with our work while still dreaming and visioning. In Chap. 4, we turn our attention to career change teachers and what we know of them from the literature. We discuss the reasons and motives behind their career change decisions, their characteristics and attributes as examined in the literature and some of the challenges experienced during transition and after entering the teaching profession.

References ACARA (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority) (n.d.). Australian Curriculum. https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/ ACARA (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority F-10 Curriculum) (n.d.). Australian Curriculum. https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/science/ Alphabeta. (2019). Future skills: A report prepared by Alphabeta for Google Australia. Anderson, M. (2018). Evaluating the self-efficacy of second career teachers and its possible effects on students in selected low socioeconomic status public high schools in South Western Pennsylvania [Doctoral Dissertation, Point Park University]. https://pqdtopen.proquest.com/doc/208104 0126.html?FMT=ABS Anthony, G., & Ord, K. (2008). Change-of-career secondary teachers: Motivations, expectations and intentions. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 36(4), 359–376. https://doi.org/10. 1080/13598660802395865 Baker, J. (2019, December 1). Sydney to get its first senior high school for science whiz kids. The Sydney Morning Herald. https://www.smh.com.au/education/sydney-to-get-its-first-senior-highschool-for-science-whiz-kids-20191129-p53fh8.html Biesta, G. (2009). Good education in an age of measurement: On the need to reconnect with the question of purpose in education. Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 21(1), 33–46. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11092-008-9064-9 Boyle, W., & Charles, M. (2016). How can only 18 black teachers working in Liverpool represent a diverse teaching workforce? A critical narrative. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 20(8), 871–888. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2015.1119893 Buchanan, J. (2017). How do the standards stand up? Applying quality teacher frameworks to the Australian professional standards. In J. Nuttall, A. Kostogriz, M. Jones, & J. Martin (Eds.), Teacher Education Policy and Practice (pp. 115–128). Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10. 1007/978-981-10-4133-4_8 Buchanan, J. (2020). Challenging the deprofessionalisation of teaching and teachers: Claiming and acclaiming the profession. Business Council of Australia. (2016). Being work ready: A guide to what employers want. Business Council of Australia. https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/bca/pages/4101/attachments/ original/1527731958/Being_Work_Ready_Guide.pdf?1527731958 Chambliss, M. J., Alexander, P. A., & Price, J. N. (2012). Epistemological threads in the fabric of pedagogical research. Teachers College Record, 114(4). Deloitte Australia. (2019). The path to prosperity: Why the future of work is human. Deloitte Australia. https://www2.deloitte.com/au/en/pages/building-lucky-country/articles/pathprosperity-future-work.html Department of Education and Training, Commonwealth of Australia. (2018). Through growth to achievement: Report of the review to achieve educational excellence in Australian schools. Department of Education and Training. Education Council. (2019). Alice Springs (Mparntwe) education declaration. Education Council.

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Education Council. (2020). Looking to the future: Report of the review of senior secondary pathways into work, further education and training June 2020. Eguchi, A. (2016). RoboCupJunior for promoting STEM education, 21st century skills, and technological advancement through robotics competition. Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 75, 692–699. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.robot.2015.05.013 Goe, L., & Stickler, L. M. (2008). Teacher quality and student achievement: Making the most of recent research. National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality. http://www.tqsource.org/ publications/March2008Brief.pdf Grier, J. M., & Johnston, C. C. (2009). An inquiry into the development of teacher identities in STEM career changers. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 20(1), 57–75. https://doi.org/10. 1007/s10972-008-9119-2 Harvey, L. (2004). The power of accreditation: Views of academics1. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 26(2), 207–223. https://doi.org/10.1080/1360080042000218267 Lamb, S., Maire, Q., & Doecke, E. (2017). Key skills for the 21st century: An evidence-based review: A report prepared by the NSW Department of Education. NSW Department of Education. https://education.nsw.gov.au/content/dam/main-education/teaching-and-learning/education-fora-changing-world/media/documents/Key-Skills-for-the-21st-Century-Executive-Summary.pdf McGrath, K. F., & Van Bergen, P. (2017). Are male teachers headed for extinction? The 50-year decline of male teachers in Australia. Economics of Education Review, 60, 159–167. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2017.08.003 Mockler, N., & Groundwater-Smith, S. (2020). Questioning the language of improvement and reform in education: Reclaiming meaning. Routledge. OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development). (2011). Teachers matter: Attracting, developing and retaining effective teachers: Pointers for policy development. OECD Publishing. https://www.oecd.org/education/school/34990905.pdf OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development). (2012). Education at a glance, 2012: OECD indicators. OECD Publishing. OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development). (2019). TALIS 2018 results (Volume I): Teachers and school leaders as lifelong learners. OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development). (2019a). Trends shaping education 2019. OECD. https://doi.org/10.1787/trends_edu-2019-en OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development). (2019b). OECD employment outlook 2019: The future of work. OECD. https://doi.org/10.1787/9ee00155-en Productivity Commission. (2021, February 2). School education—Report on government services 2021. https://www.pc.gov.au/research/ongoing/report-on-government-services/2021/child-careeducation-and-training/school-education Qian, M., & Clark, K. R. (2016). Game-based learning and 21st century skills: A review of recent research. Computers in Human Behavior, 63, 50–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.05.023 Schleicher, A. (2015). Schools for 21st-century learners: Strong leaders. OECD. https://doi.org/10. 1787/9789264231191-en Schwab, K. (2016). The fourth industrial revolution: What it means, how to respond. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/the-fourth-industrial-revolutionwhat-it-means-and-how-to-respond/ Skilbeck, M., & Connell, H. (2004). Teachers for the future: The changing nature of society and related issues for the teaching workforce. Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs. P.O. Box 202 Carlton South Victoria, 3053, Australia. https://eric. ed.gov/?id=ED534330 Sleeter, C. (2016). Wrestling with problematics of whiteness in teacher education. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 29(8), 1065–1068. https://doi.org/10.1080/095 18398.2016.1174904 Soulé, H., & Warrick, T. (2015). Defining 21st century readiness for all students: What we know and how to get there. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 9(2), 178–186. https:// doi.org/10.1037/aca0000017

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Stronge, E. (2018). Qualities of effective teachers. ASCD. Thompson, R. (2018). Creating conditions for growth: Fostering teacher efficacy for student success. Lexington Books. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation). (2019). Leading SDG 4—Education 2030. UNESCO. https://en.unesco.org/themes/education2030-sdg4#:~: text=Education%20is%20a%20human%20right,for%20sustainable%20development%20and% 20peace.&text=Ambitions%20for%20education%20are%20essentially,opportunities%20for% 20all%E2%80%9D%20by%202030 van Laar, E., van Deursen, A. J. A. M., van Dijk, J. A. G. M., & de Haan, J. (2018). 21st-century digital skills instrument aimed at working professionals: Conceptual development and empirical validation. Telematics and Informatics, 35(8), 2184–2200. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2018. 08.006 Williams, J., & Forgasz, H. (2009). The motivations of career change students in teacher education. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 37(1), 95–108. https://doi.org/10.1080/135986608 02607673

Chapter 4

Career Change Individuals in the Teaching Profession

1 Introduction People change careers for a variety of reasons. There are also different ways one might define a “career change”, depending on whether the change is toward an entirely new field or discipline or moving jobs within the same area of expertise or some other criteria that is applied in the process of moving careers. Career changers to the teaching profession are no different. This chapter will initially examine some of the reasons people change careers and what factors might impact career change decisions. It will set the scene for the remainder of this chapter, where we examine career change individuals in the teaching profession in detail. We will discuss the challenges in defining this cohort and what we know about career change teachers from the literature and studies that have been done so far, in terms of who they are, where they come from, why they choose teaching and what they bring to the profession. The education sector has been impacted by the COVID-19 challenges, with the shift to remote learning causing learning disruptions for many students. The long-term effects on student learning are still being understood, while students learn to cope with constantly evolving uncertainties of the future. We examine career change teachers’ role and contributions and why they are likely to be significant in the current context of remote learning and future proofing our students.

2 Changing Career Pathways There has yet to emerge a consensus among economists, sociologists and career guidance professionals on what constitutes career change and the criteria used to define careers and career changes (Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor,

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20191 ). Although we know that many individuals do not remain in one profession for a long time, it has proven difficult to determine how often and what type of career change occurs in individuals’ lives due to a lack of substantial research in this area. Organizations such as the US Bureau of Labor Statistics observe the difficulties in producing estimates of the number of times individuals have changed careers in their lives. In a longitudinal survey of data collected from over 9,900 late “baby boomers” (those born between 1957 and 1964) by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics from 1994–2017, it was found they held an average of 12.3 jobs from ages 18 to 52 (2019). This dataset constitutes only a small subset of the population during a specific time period, and there is no indication that changed jobs equate to changed careers. However, it does indicate that individuals have been regularly changing jobs over recent years. In Australia, it is expected that an average worker will likely “change jobs 2.4 times over the next two decades and by 2040, 9 out of 10 Australians between 21 to 65 years are expected to have changed occupations at least once the next two decades” (Alphabeta, 2019, p. 7). The term “boundaryless career” has been coined to indicate the widespread prevalence for changing jobs or professions during one’s working lifetime (Lee & Lamport, 2011). Changing jobs every few years is considered healthy and productive, but this does not necessarily equate to changing careers. Generally, a complete change of occupation (for instance, from being an engineer to a magician) would signify that a career change has occurred. Career change could also signify a partial or complete change of role in one’s place of employment. Even an opportunity to take up a higher position in one’s current field or profession, either with the same employer or a different one, could be identified as a career change. We are not aiming to discuss what constitutes career change but rather highlight the challenges prevalent in documenting the issue.

2.1 Why Do People Change Careers? In Australia, Watt and Richardson observe how the changed labor market conditions have meant that “Generation X” (born between 1965 and 1980) and beyond are more likely to change their careers several times throughout their working lives (2008, p. 410). Changing societal needs, brought about by digitization, automation and globalization, have meant several existing jobs could disappear or become obsolete, which has forced people to consider other relevant careers that meet current and future workforce demands (OECD, 2019). For those in managerial and professional roles, there can be various factors that influence a decision to change careers, including remuneration, workplace culture, flexibility and job security. Studies that link the stages of adult development (for instance, midlife crisis, personal identity development) to the career choices that individuals make at different points in their 1

Note Bureau of Labor Statistics defines a job as an “uninterrupted period of work with a particular employer” (2019, p. 2).

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lives provide a useful guide in the theoretical understanding of the issue (Erikson, 1963). Factors such as one’s career expectations and aspirations play a crucial role in career transition processes; however, these would differ in importance for “younger” and “older” career changers. While economic motives (such as salary, prestige and job security) and societal expectations are common features that drive individuals to change their career, intrinsic motives, encompassing “values” and “meaningful work”, features prominently among the reasons for career change among middleaged managerial and other professional workers (Williams, 2013). The importance of intrinsic motivation has been captured under Deci and Ryan’s Self-Determination Theory (SDT) framework that posits competence, autonomy and relatedness as the three “universal necessities” to job satisfaction and career engagement (Adams et al., 2017). The framework positions humans as active agents striving for optimal growth and development. Besides feeling they are competent (or a “phenomenological experience” of having increased mastery as quoted by Adams et al.) and having choice in their actions, individuals are also intrinsically motivated to find value and meaning in their job and relate this to feeling satisfied or engaged in their work (2017, p. 48). All three necessities or needs equally apply to career changers as they transition in search of better prospects that result in greater growth and higher well-being. Career change does not always happen by choice. The recent pandemic provides an example where seismic shifts in the labor market have taken place. Many working in sectors such as retail, hospitality, travel and tourism have lost their jobs and, as a consequence, have been forced to retrain in a new sector to find employment. Such moves benefit those sectors where demand is required; however, in the process, create huge labor losses for other sectors that have lost their workers. Career or job change can be temporary, and individuals may return to their previous profession once the economy and affected sectors have improved. On the other hand, this might also result in a more permanent career change, and individuals might be very happy in their new “unexpected” career. The long-term effects of career change (whether temporary or long-lasting) during COVID-19 on our workforce, economy and jobs of the future still need to be studied. Despite a more fragile job market, early research shows more people are inclined to change jobs now than before the pandemic, being attracted by the prospect of finding jobs that involve digital skills and can be done remotely suited to their lifestyle (Australian Financial Review, 2021; LinkedIn, 2021). Individuals may start to construct a new “career identity” for themselves through a change in career. They begin to reflect on and question their past and current career choices and how these choices are indicative of their own values and personal goals or not (Williams, 2013, p. 26). Williams suggests that constructing a new career identity is akin to creating a new personal identity as individuals draw on their personal feelings and emotional concerns in the contextual process of developing a personal narrative for themselves during career change (2013, p. 27). Variables such as the role of external factors, the extent and degree of extrinsic rewards such as fame, wealth and image as well as the weight given by individuals to their personal/internal desire all play a role in not only distinguishing between different types of midlife career changers but also in understanding their motivations for making the change. It is suggested that a complex combination of external factors outside the individual’s

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influence, weight given to extrinsic rewards, and personal motivation drives someone to undergo a complete change of career at a particular stage in their lives (2013, p. 26). Rather than treating all midlife career changers as one group, studies focusing on career changers have identified patterns based on an individual’s career decisionmaking lifestyle and choices. Terms such as “self-evaluative”, “strategic focused”, “aspirational” and “opportunistic” attempt to capture the thinking of career changers (Bimrose & Barnes, 2007, p. 20). Certain typologies (based on motivations, identifiable characteristics and responses), such as “drift outs”, “opt outs”, “bow outs”, “forced outs”, “classic career changers”, “persisters” and “desisters”, have also been adopted to distinguish among different midlife career changers (e.g., Watt & Richardson, 2008). Changing careers is never an easy road for anyone but can negatively impact women more than men, particularly because they are more likely to have a gap between one career change to another and additionally, if they are undertaking further education to improve their chances of employment. Two particular problems present themselves to women aspiring to change careers. Women typically earn less than men (Gonzales et al., 2014). This limits their options in returning to full-time study, which is likely to rely on “stored income”. One “option” for women is to undertake parttime study while continuing to earn, on average, less than their male counterparts. Part-time study also defers graduation into a profession that might pay the same salaries to men and women, if promotion to more senior positions is removed from the equation (Maranto et al., 2018). Further exacerbating this, women still typically do a greater share of unpaid work (e.g., Baxter & Tai, 2016), leaving less time and energy for study. More broadly, a return to study is more problematic for anyone from a more lowly paid profession. By and large, the teaching profession continues to be female-dominated, and the career change cohort is likely to be no exception. Career changers are likely to find the pinch in their pockets when returning to study teaching due to reduced income to support themselves and/or their families. In general, career changers are more likely to feel the impact of teaching salaries because in most cases, particularly where they have come from professional backgrounds, they would have been earning more than in teaching.

3 Introducing Career Changers in Teaching The presence of mature-age individuals in the teaching workforce is not a new phenomenon. As a profession, teaching has always attracted individuals across different age groups. In the USA, mid-career entrants have been noted since the late 1980s in the applicants to teacher preparation courses (Crow et al., 1990; Serow & Forrest, 1994). Serow and Forrest reported on two 1991 studies from Canada and the USA, which indicated that approximately 20% to 30% of all teachers were previously in another occupation (1994, p. 556). The authors observed that mature-age individuals considered being a teacher at “almost any stage of their working lives” (p. 556), and “self-select” into the teaching profession, thus considering themselves

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ready and suitable for the job (1994, p. 556). In the USA, retired army and military personnel who still had many years of working life ahead were keen to contribute to society and, in teaching, they were able to utilize their previously developed skills (Evans, 2011; Powers, 2002). Sponsored by the US government in 1992, the Troops to Teachers (TTT) initiative was a significant effort to recruit veterans seeking to become teachers (Lee & Lamport, 2011, p. 18). The introduction of alternative certification courses from traditional and non-traditional providers also allowed matureage professionals to consider teaching as a potential career. These programs can attract a more diverse pool of individuals in terms of age, skills, expertise and prior experience, and research shows that individuals with previous careers are keen to enroll in such programs (Peter D. Hart Research Associates Inc., 2010).

3.1 Recent Global Trends We are witnessing a change in the demographic attributes of teacher education entrants (McKenzie et al., 2014; Weldon, 2015). The student–teacher population is no longer homogeneous; rather, the mix is increasingly varied. This trend mirrors what is occurring more generally across the higher education sector (Altbach et al., 2009). The rising and significant focus on improving student achievement and learning outcomes combined with staff shortages in high-demand subject-specific areas has led to renewed interest in recruiting well-qualified teacher graduates (Gross, 2018; Varadharajan & Schuck, 2017; Watters & Diezmann, 2015). Further, governments and educational institutions worldwide have had to think of innovative and alternative ways to attract and retain competent and quality individuals who can actively contribute toward teaching being “a knowledge-rich profession” (OECD, 2009, p. 26). Gross examines the initiatives taken to attract diverse career changers and subject matter experts, including the recruitment of trained immigrant and refugee professionals, to address staff shortages in low socioeconomic schools in the USA (2018). Similarly, federal funding has been available to attract career changers in special education in the USA (Veale et al., 2013). Australia, England and Singapore all have created pathways and alternative routes for career changers to meet this need and to broaden teaching and learning to professionals outside of teaching. For example, Singapore’s “Professional Conversion Program” (PCP) offers mid-career professionals the opportunity to become teachers in international schools (Workforce Singapore, 2020). The USA offers several alternative programs, and in England, alternative routes exist alongside mainstream teacher education programs. Examples from initial teacher training profiles in the UK are “Teach First”, “Now Teach”, “Future Teaching Scholars”, “Researchers in Schools” (Department of Education United Kingdom, 2018) and “Troops to Teachers” (TtT), a program similar to the one in the USA, to attract ex-military personnel (Price, 2019). The benefits of bringing in career change individuals to teaching are now widely accepted, including in key policy statements (e.g., OECD, 2011), giving rise to an increased interest in the recruitment of career changers from teacher education institutions and government agencies.

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Efforts to attract career changers are beginning to gain momentum in Australia, with some state governments targeting the group through employment-based pathways, for instance, the Victorian government’s “Accelerated Learning Programs” and the NSW Government’s accelerated pathways for mid-career professionals (Department of Education, Skills and Employment, 2021). National and international studies confirm that the number of career change entrants to teacher education programs (in both traditional and alternative pathways) is steadily rising (e.g., see McKenzie et al., 2014). In recent years in Australia, the teaching profession has witnessed a significant increase in the number of matureage individuals switching careers to become teachers, with a sizeable proportion of early career teachers now in their thirties and forties and many being in other occupations before commencing teaching (McKenzie et al., 2014; Department of Education, Skills and Employment, 2021). This is despite recent trends indicating a very low growth in the total number of initial teacher education students commencing teaching (four percent from 2009–2019) as compared to commencement in other fields of study over the same period which was 37 percent (Department of Education, Skills and Employment, 2021). Similar trends among mature-age cohorts can be seen in the USA and UK where the average age of entrants to teacher preparation courses indicates that many entrants are now in their late twenties to early thirties, with career changers being reflected in these numbers (Evans, 2011). Evans reported steady growth of these alternative teacher preparation programs, with as many as 49 states in the USA having adopted alternative preparation programs by 2005 (2011, p. 607). The changing trend can also be witnessed in classroom teachers. According to the “Project on the Next Generation of Teachers”, research has suggested that between 28 and 47% of new teachers were mid-career entrants and had worked in another profession before becoming a teacher (Johnson & Project on the Next Generation of Teachers, 2007). Similarly, Marinell’s nation-wide survey in the USA found that the percentage of mid-career entrants among first-year teachers nearly doubled from 20 to 39% between 1987 and 2003 (2009). Other surveys and reports in the USA also confirm that career changers represent at least one-third of all classroom teachers (Hart Research Associates, 2010). In New Zealand, Anthony and Ord reported an increasing trend for older people with prior work experience to enter teaching (2008, p. 359). On the demand side, mature-age teacher candidates from diverse careers, from ex-army personnel (e.g., Price, 2019) to religious officials (Unisen & Polat, 2016), who have previous tertiary qualifications, work experience and are keen to fast-track their way into teaching have found alternative pathways and graduate or postgraduate entry teacher education attractive (e.g., Hanington, 2018). However, they are also equally likely to undertake the traditional teacher training pathway (Brindley & Parker, 2010; Evans, 2011; Richardson & Watt, 2006). New data from the National Initial Teacher Education Pipeline report shows mature-age students are much more likely to undertake their studies online, and that the number of students studying online has witnessed a growth in recent years (Education Services Australia, 2020, p. 13). Career changers also make up a fair proportion of programs like “Teach for

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Australia”, a high achievers’ teacher program endorsed by the Australian government, which claims that 58% of their cohort are “young professionals or career changers”, and more than two-thirds of their most recent cohort continue to teach in schools beyond the program’s two-year commitment (Teach for Australia, 2020).

3.2 Challenges to Data Accuracy There is an absence of accurate data on career change teacher numbers, both locally and globally. Part of the reason is that career changers enter teaching through various pathways, (for instance, through undergraduate, postgraduate, employment-based or accelerated pathways) making it difficult to locate and determine their exact numbers. Career changers are also defined and interpreted in several ways depending on their age, background, field of study, work experience and life experience, to name a few. Consequently, there is also a lack of consistency and clarity in the criteria for defining this cohort. As we have noted above, Australian and international research on the demographics and background of student teachers can offer insights into career changers. For instance, the age group of new teacher education entrants, the type of program candidates enroll in, numbers enrolling in alternative routes and prior qualification data can all provide some clues if they may have worked in a different profession. But determining precise numbers under various teacher education programs remains a challenge. For instance, education providers do not collect data on candidates’ prior work and life experiences or other data that clearly distinguish career changers from other student cohorts. Moreover, researchers tend to use their own criteria to define career change teachers depending on their selection of cohort in the study. Data on career change teachers is even more difficult to detect because classroom in-service teachers are rarely surveyed to determine if they have changed careers or possess prior experience or qualifications in fields other than teaching. Most published studies on career changers tend to focus on student teachers and the efficacy of alternative certificate programs rather than on practicing classroom teachers. We just do not know enough about career change classroom teachers and how many remain in or leave the profession. A new initiative by the states and Federal government in Australia (in partnership with the Australian Institute of Teaching and Leadership and Department of Education) aims to collect nationally consistent and comprehensive data on student teachers, teacher workforce, career paths and similar aspects (Education Services Australia, 2020). The robust data will undoubtedly help produce a more accurate picture of the current state of the teaching profession and the “teacher journey”, helping to identify long-term trends so that effective responses to issues can be provided to strengthen systems and sectors (2020). An initial pipeline report from the initiative indicates that there has been a decline in “mature-age special entry provision” numbers admitted in undergraduate teacher education programs, falling from 8% in 2006 to 4% in 2017 (Education Services Australia, 2020, p. 48). However, we can also see from the same report that more than a third of teacher education students

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enter from a secondary education qualification pathway without a matriculation qualification, based on “other criteria” (2020, p. 53). Additionally, postgraduate teacher education program commencements have increased substantially over recent years (2020, p. 29), and career changers could constitute a good proportion of this number having completed undergraduate qualification in their original discipline. However, we cannot be sure because of the lack of consistency between data or data not being available from education providers. Suffice it to say that the absence of precise data on career change teachers forces one to deduce or infer the numbers, which may not always be accurate.

3.3 How Are Career Changers Defined in Teaching? (Local2 and International) Career changers tend to be older than the traditional cohort. Usually aged from 23 to 60, they have not come straight to teaching following a “traditional” pathway of school completion and teacher training program completion. Generally, career changers tend to have a degree in a discipline area other than teaching, possess particular subject area knowledge or expertise, and/or have “relevant recent work experience” from a professional domain other than teaching (Tigchelaar et al., 2008). Because career changers will have, in most cases, completed subject area undergraduate studies in their chosen area, they usually complete a 1.5- or two-year postgraduate teaching qualification to qualify to teach in schools. A career changer could also be someone who has an education background or a teaching-related degree (for instance, in special education, child care or higher education) but has not taught in mainstream schools previously. Literature may also define a “parent” as a career changer—one who may have entered teaching later in life as a first career after having been involved in parental duties or perhaps been in paid employment before but not immediately prior to changing career (Marinell, 2008; Priyadharshini & Robinson-Pant, 2003). While it might be more accurate to call them by another name (e.g. “rejoiners”), they have been called career change teachers in studies, probably because of the break in their career due to change in circumstances and the length of the gap that exists before entering teaching. Some literature on second-career teachers specifies the minimum number of years (anything in the range of six months to five years) individuals should have been in their previous career before being classified as a career change teacher. There is also considerable variation in the literature concerning the age of a career change teacher. This is generally linked to the length of time (whether full-time or part-time, paid or unpaid) the teacher has been involved in the previous career field. For instance, Tigchelaar et al.’s study considered the “real career change teacher education student” to be someone aged over 32, “possessing substantial life experience and belonging 2

Local here refers to Australia.

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to the group targeted by legislation; opening up teaching for people from other professions” (2008, p. 1538). When it comes to terminology, “career change teachers” and “second-career teachers” are used interchangeably in the literature. Terms such as “mature-age”, “nontraditional” teachers (Serow & Forrest, 1994) or “mid-career entrants” (Marinell, 2008), “alternatively certified teachers” (due to their strong presence in alternatively certified teacher education programs) and “career and technical education” (CTE) teachers due to having an initial career in the industrial sector (Omar et al., 2018) are also used to identify those who enter teaching later in life. Studies of career change teachers or career switchers have also created profiles of these individuals based on their reasons and motivations, coining names for the profiles such as “the freelancer”, “the successful careerist” and “the late starter” (Priyadharshini & Robinson-Pant, 2003); and “home-comers” and the “converters” (Crow et al., 1990). Second-career teachers might perceive themselves as different from other teachers when they enter the profession because of the likelihood of having previous experience in other workplaces. This perceived difference may determine how they construct meaning and “develop a new work role identity” as a teacher (Wilson & Deaney, 2010, p. 2). Rather than viewing career changers as a “single cohort”, researchers argue that each career change teacher is different and needs to be understood in the way they construct their identity in the process of career change (Priyadharshini & Robinson-Pant, 2003). Studies that focus on links between career change and identity construction argue that the development of a teacher identity would be more pertinent for individuals who enter teaching later in life compared to those who choose to become a teacher early on in their lives because in effect career changers would have to develop a new “work role” teacher identity (Priyadharshini & Robinson-Pant, 2003; Wilson & Deaney, 2010). Similar to other workplace contexts, they perceive themselves to be active agents of establishing competence, defining themselves in relation to workplace colleagues, resolving conflicts and gaining mastery in real-world terms, all in the process of constructing identity and self-concept (Wilson & Deaney, 2010 p. 171).

3.4 Career Change Teachers in This Book For the purposes of this book, we have been guided by Eifler and Pothoff to define a career change teacher (1998). This is someone “well over 25, possessing life experiences resulting either from previous careers and/or from parenthood, which potentially enables them to bring important assets, such as maturity and expertise to teaching” (1998, p. 193). Eifler and Pothoff’s definition encompasses a broad range of mature-age participants, emphasizing the non-teaching background and their life experiences as a result of participation in the adult labor force. The demographics and backgrounds of career change teachers whose stories have been written have been noted in the respective chapters (Chaps. 4–6). Similarly, Chap. 7 profiles the background of career change student teachers examined, and

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Chap. 8 profiles the characteristics of STEM career change teachers examined in the study. In essence, when we refer to career change teachers, we speak of someone who has pursued a different career or type of employment before deciding to leave that career and become a teacher. We believe this is the core component group that differentiates this cohort from the traditional cohort of teachers. Our recommendations and implications for the teaching profession are primarily discussed in this context. The terms “career change teachers” and “second-career teachers” are used interchangeably in this chapter and throughout the book.

4 A Profile of Career Change Teachers (Local 3 and International) 4.1 Reasons for Entering the Profession Teachers generally enter the profession because of a desire to work with young people and an innate sense of belief of their capacity to make a difference in their lives. Intrinsic and altruistic reasons such as personal fulfillment and influencing society usually guide an individual’s decision to become a teacher, whether career changers or not. “Social utility” values such as intellectual stimulation and the desire to serve a larger social purpose can rank highly among all groups of teachers, both traditional and non-traditional teachers and teacher candidates (OECD, 2020). Research on understanding career changers’ reasons and motivations behind their decisions to change career and enter the teaching profession has been undertaken since the 1990s in the USA (e.g., Castro & Bauml, 2009; Evans, 2011; Serow & Forrest, 1994), in the UK (e.g., (Priyadharshini & Robinson-Pant, 2003), and in Australia and New Zealand (Anthony & Ord, 2008; Bauer et al., 2017; Manuel & Hughes, 2006; Richardson & Watt, 2005; Varadharajan, 2014; Watt & Richardson, 2008; Williams & Forgasz, 2009). Reasons typically consist of a combination of push, pull and practical factors that influence their decision making (Bauer et al., 2017). Wagner and Imanuel-Noy argue that motivations have shifted over decades from social mobility, family pressure and occupational security, to greater emphasis on the beneficial influences (relating to “social and multicultural” aspects) that they can bring to children and youth (2014, p. 33). Hence, while previously career change teachers may have chosen the profession primarily for practical and intrinsic reasons, aligned with how teaching was traditionally perceived as service-oriented, they are now driven to teaching to be part of a shift or a movement toward bringing change to the future society. Previous studies that examine the reasons behind individuals taking up teaching later in life generally show consistent outcomes over the years. For instance, various 3

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studies have found that factors relating to salary and job prestige are not rated highly or are not a high priority for someone choosing to become a teacher later in life (Crow et al., 1990; Mayotte, 2003; Powers, 2002; Priyadharshini & Robinson-Pant, 2003; Williams & Forgasz, 2009). In a study across three Australian universities, Williams and Forgasz found that career change teacher candidates viewed pay and the social status of teachers as far less important than intrinsic and altruistic reasons (2009). Earlier studies on career change teachers came to similar conclusions (Crow et al., 1990; Serow & Forrest, 1994). While financial reasons may not feature strongly when making career change decisions, they certainly play a significant role later on and can be one of the primary reasons for teachers leaving their job. Teaching can represent a “calling” (Manuel & Hughes, 2006, p. 7) or a desire to “make a contribution to society” (Salyer, 2003, p. 19), a desire and commitment to continue to “serve” (Price, 2019), and a chance to have a “moral career” (Priyadharshini & Robinson-Pant, 2003, p. 101). Tigchelaar et al.’s UK study of secondcareer student teachers observed intrinsic reasons in terms of career change teachers’ “beliefs, identity and mission”, concerned with “what inspires one to become a teacher and what gives meaning and significance to his or her work and life”(2008, p. 1535). The intrinsic meaning could thus be provided by identity statements such as “something has always been in me” or “love or passion for the subject matter” (2008, p. 1542), or “giving back to the community” (Evans, 2011; Laming & Horne, 2013). Varadharajan et al.’s study on more than 500 career change student teachers in Australian universities revealed a large proportion (more than 80%) chose teaching because of wanting to make a social contribution, to share their knowledge and love for the subject area (Varadharajan et al., 2020). Some researchers suggest that when changing careers, mature-age workers may be inclined toward teaching as a profession that “mirrors one’s belief systems and personal goals” (Lee & Lamport, 2011, p. 4). Individuals may make decisions that involve giving up well-paid jobs. This can also be attributed to changes in their ideals and to a general “changing perspective on life” brought about as a result of their personal experiences (Priyadharshini & Robinson-Pant, 2003, p. 103). For example, in Evans’ study, retired military personnel indicated teaching to be a “natural career extension” (Evans, 2011, p. 624). They viewed serving in the military and teaching in a similar light since they saw themselves fulfilling a mission in both careers and as offering a means to make themselves useful to others. Thus, the concept of altruism or putting others before oneself, can be seen to be connected with intrinsic motives. Personal goals are seen to align with service, “making a difference to the wider community” (Priyadharshini & Robinson-Pant, 2003, p. 102) and giving “something back to the world” (Powers, 2002, p. 304). As Evans found in her study of mature-age beginning teachers, an altruistic element can also embed a moral obligation in teachers who may thus be “grounded to instil a sense of purpose in children” and enable children to “reach their potential” (2011, p. 622). Personal growth, enhancement and looking for a challenge (Anthony & Ord, 2008; Wagner & Imanel-Noy, 2014) are intertwined with altruism, and all these values can be elements in the intrinsic motives of a career change teacher (Hunter-Johnson, 2015).

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For some career changers, the inner desire to become a teacher may have been present for a long time, with the individual waiting for the right moment to make the career change decision. For instance, literature refers to some career change teachers as “home-comers” (Crow et al., 1990), likening their decision to coming home to a profession they always wanted to be a part of, the “realisation of a long-held dream” (Williams & Forgasz, 2009, p. 103) or something “they were supposed to do” (Watt & Richardson, 2008, p. 417) or “dream come true” (Wagner & Imanel-Noy, 2014, p. 48). At the same time, considering teaching as a serious option is also closely linked to the status of an individual’s current occupation, and how satisfied or disillusioned they are in their current role (Bauer et al., 2017). When individuals consider teaching as a career as a result of an extrinsic event such as changes in work or family circumstances, they are identified as the “converted” (Crow et al., 1990) in the literature since they have decided to change or “convert” to teaching after recent events. For instance, their motivations could be “related to their earlier experiences in work and life” and influence their ways of evolving to become a teacher (Tigchelaar et al., 2008, p. 1546). An individual’s present employment can play a decisive role in the thinking and change process, thus making the pursuit of teaching an “economic decision” in some cases as different career options are weighed up (Serow & Forrest, 1994, p. 556). Stress and frustration in a previous career and feelings of isolation and the need for change are commonly cited as factors that motivate individuals to consider changing to teaching. However, the same individual may also be intrinsically motivated, having a long-held desire to pursue teaching (Priyadharshini & Robinson-Pant, 2003; Varadharajan et al., 2020). Changes in family circumstances and lifestyle choices have also been cited by some career changers as pragmatic reasons to enter teaching (Priyadharshini & Robinson-Pant, 2003). Women may be drawn to teaching because it is perceived to be less strenuous and more suited to family and personal lifestyle and is seen as a rewarding career providing security and stability. In making the career switch in favor of teaching, respondents in some studies say they had finally found an occupation that “fitted more comfortably with their goals and ambitions than the previous careers they had pursued” (Watt & Richardson, 2008, p. 417). Some career changers may have a deep interest in their subject area and perceive teaching to be fulfilling their intellectual desires (Priyadharshini & Robinson-Pant, 2003). Mid-life career changers may be inclined to seek a challenging line of work or may seek to challenge themselves intellectually while being drawn by a love of learning, as Grier and Johnston found in their study of teacher candidates (2009). The age of the career changer has a role in the reasons for choosing teaching. A career change individual in their late twenties would perhaps have different priorities and reasons for switching to teaching than someone ten or fifteen years older who is approaching middle-age, even though both are classified as “mature-age entrants” in the literature. The introduction of various alternative pathways to enter teaching has also made it easier for people to make the transition and this could act as a motivating factor for career changers to consider teaching as a viable option.

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While mature-age individuals do not generally enter teaching for extrinsic reasons such as salary and job status, changes in work or lifestyle may direct them to seek a career in teaching hoping for security, including salary and status. The same individual can experience both “push” factors such as stress and frustration in a prior career and “pull” factors that draw them into teaching. Hence, none of the reasons indicated above is exclusive or seen as solely responsible in the career decision process; rather, one or other factor may play a greater role in the career change process (Priyadharshini & Robinson-Pant, 2003; Serow & Forrest, 1994). In fact, research suggests that “a multiplicity of complex factors together impact the decision to enter teaching as a career” (Richardson & Watt, 2006, p.52), with the process being “nuanced, personalised and highly individualistic” (Laming & Horne, 2013, p. 333). Second-career teachers are a diverse group, with variations in age, circumstances, professions and beliefs. An understanding of the reasons behind an individual’s motivation to change to a teaching career involves acknowledging the uniqueness of each individual, including their particular work and life circumstances, as well as taking into account variables such as their age and the time period in which they make the career change decision (Tigchelaar et al., 2008). Each individual’s decision to turn to teaching as a second career is complex, multifaceted and sometimes contradictory (Anthony & Ord, 2008; Varadharajan, 2014). It would also be unwise to assume that all career changers fit into the same mold and that they all have the same mix of reasons and motivations (comprising intrinsic, extrinsic and altruistic) for entering the teaching profession. Life-changing decisions, such as a career change, are “rarely whimsical”, nor are they accidental, making them worthy of closer attention (Priyadharshini & Robinson-Pant, 2003, p. 96).

4.2 Attributes and Characteristics Some of the content examined below may slightly overlap with the discussion in Sects. 2 and 3 of Chap. 2 where the characteristics of twenty-first century teachers, what counts as quality in the profession and a brief introduction to career change teachers’ skills are elaborated. Chap. 2 served a different purpose, connecting future workforce skills required by current students to the ability and expectations of the teaching profession. Introducing career change teachers’ skills was an important part of this connection. The section below further examines their attributes to try and make an even stronger connection between their skills and the skills needed for the future workforce, especially in the wake of the pandemic and its consequences on our young people. Late entry teachers into teacher education who make the transition into a teaching career have the potential to enrich and diversify the profession by bringing their wealth of experience from other occupations into schools and classrooms. (Richardson & Watt, 2005, p. 488).

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Future teachers’ prior learning and personal characteristics have always been important factors for their success in teacher education course and consequently good teaching practices (Wilson, 2020). Studies argue that career change teachers bring a combination of content expertise, professional experience, and a certain maturity and wisdom gathered over the years (Anderson et al., 2014; Hanington, 2018; Lee, 2011). Through their prior work experiences, career change teachers have had the opportunity to develop general life skills and to learn flexibility and responsiveness to change. They are more likely to hold their ground and stay calm when faced with obstacles because of their life experience (Keck Frei et al., 2021). Their ideological reasons for joining the profession, such as desire to generate social change, combined with their “real-world” experience, can affect their sense of selfefficacy and equip them with valuable skills for the classroom. Varadharajan and Schuck quote Korthagen’s holistic approach focusing on “the person” or the inner aspects that make a good teacher and which were more than just being competent in teaching (2017). Individuals who question the meaning of their existence in relation to themselves and others, such as “who am I” or “where do I belong” develop a greater sense of professional and personal identity as a teacher (Korthagen, 2004). Similar intrinsic motivations can be found in career changers when they speak of being drawn to teaching. For example, graduates of the Troops to Teachers (TTT) program in the USA were more intrinsically motivated, connected to the spiritual and emotional benefits of teaching, quoting pleasure, creativity and the ability to influence students. It was found teachers had high self-efficacy, particularly related to teaching tasks and student–teacher relations, reporting efficiency in classroom management and ability to create good relations with their students (Wagner & Imanel-Noy, 2014, p. 50). Diverse work experiences, together with intrinsic motivations, may result in a stronger appreciation of and for the teaching profession (Lee & Lamport, 2011). Being able to draw upon prior work experiences and expertise also contributes to affirming teachers’ identities and sense of self-efficacy as beginning teachers (Anthony & Ord, 2008). Broad life experiences, breadth of knowledge and strong people skills, personal qualities and attributes such as maturity, professionalism, motivation, care, confidence and enthusiasm are seen as the hallmarks of career change teachers (Anthony & Ord, 2008; Grier & Johnston, 2009; Williams & Forgasz, 2009). For these reasons, they are seen as “taking responsibility for their own learning, are able to determine their place in the school organization more quickly and precisely and are open to instructional innovation” (Tigchelaar et al., 2008, p. 1537). In a study of alternative teacher certification candidates, participants believed that “their experiences from previous careers such as practical real-world knowledge, effective interpersonal and organizational skills, will positively influence their performance as teachers” (Salyer, 2003, p. 24). Participants in Wagner and Imanuel-Noy’s study quoted their “ability to develop social climate and values; ability to address student diversity; professional background and communication skills and caring along with the opportunity to offer help with studies” (2014, p. 50). Career change teachers in specific subject areas such as STEM are thought to bring comprehensive content knowledge and practical experiences that enable them

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to make the connections between field science and classroom science so that teaching becomes more authentic to students (Grier & Johnston, 2012). For example, a career change teacher who may have worked extensively in their subject area (for instance, a science teacher who was formerly a research scientist) may play to their strengths as a classroom teacher by providing practical examples and scenarios that take place in the scientific world. While science teaching is different from scientific practice, career changers see the value and importance of their previous careers in schools and thus try to capitalize on their specific skills and experiences. In Varadharajan and Putter’s study on STEM career changers,4 it was found that apart from enabling the crucial theory–practice connections in classrooms, they also possessed valuable work-related organizational skills. Such skills include technological literacy, being “professional” in their approach and having a high degree of flexibility in their work ethic (e.g., Rowston et al., 2020). In earlier studies, such as Chambers’, participants felt they brought expert knowledge and patterns of thinking acquired in their first career and skills in how to approach the task of teaching (2002, p. 215). Similarly, career changers in Powers’ study thought their collective life wisdom enabled them to approach teaching with a multitude of responses to critical teaching situations” (Powers, 2002, p. 304). In Varadharajan et al.’s study on career change student teachers in Australia, respondents chose passion and enthusiasm, life/real-world experience and commitment to teaching as the top three attributes they believed they would bring to teaching (2020). As new entrants to teaching, it was found that career changers portrayed a sense of confidence, both in themselves and in their relationships with students and staff, whether it be in relation to linking prior career contexts in lessons and learning situations; or about sharing their work and life experiences with students; or communicating their message with other teachers and staff members (Varadharajan, 2014). Teachers valued making connections and building relationships with students, while showing compassion and care (2014). As we explore teachers’ attributes, the issue of teacher quality and “professionalism of the teaching force” comes to mind (Richardson & Watt, 2005, p. 475). Notwithstanding the debate that continues around teacher quality, we know that teachers’ work fundamentally shapes the quality of instruction and student learning outcomes (Darling-Hammond, 2017; OECD, 2020). A 2016 report by the Australian Council for Educational Research highlights personal attributes characterizing a quality teacher, including their ability to motivate, build confidence and foster aspirations in students (Bahr & Mellor, 2016). Career change teachers indeed exhibit some of these attributes, as noted above. The link between some career change teachers’ attributes and quality teacher characteristics has also been highlighted in other studies (Peter D. Hart Research Associates Inc., 2010; Richardson & Watt, 2006; Varadharajan, 2014; Williams & Forgasz, 2009). Williams and Forgasz pointed out that career changers are a “valuable source of new entrants to teaching” (2009, 4

Chapter 9 discusses the results of Varadharajan and Putter’s research, jointly conducted in Australia and in the Netherlands, on STEM career change teachers, where this group of teachers will be examined in detail.

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p. 106), possessing many of the attributes that are essential for quality teaching. Evan’s research suggests they can think outside the box of teaching due to their ability to “draw upon their rich organizational insights” (2011, p. 610). COVID-19 has resulted in a fundamental shift in learning, teaching and social spaces. Schools in various countries have responded to the challenges in diverse ways, depending on the preparedness and capabilities of schools, teachers and staff. At the time of writing this book, some countries had not yet fully reopened schools due to the health crisis and risk posed to students and staff by the pandemic. A whole new paradigm of “futures uncertainty” has been created for young people, in the light of disruptions to their learning and schooling, with implications for what lies ahead beyond schooling. There has been a sharp jump in the number of students seeking help to cope with anxiety and stress (Bastian, 2020). From the skill perspective, COVID19 has demonstrated that the future workforce needs to be adaptable and develop transferable competencies to prepare for and face a precarious and uncertain future in which economies are increasingly interdependent (OECD, 2020). Teachers’ role and their multitasking abilities have been brought to the forefront during the pandemic, requiring them to be flexible and responsive to new and uncertain situations. Changes to remote learning methods and tools, shifting between learning modes, and caring for the social and emotional needs of their students are just some of the issues that teachers have had to face during the pandemic. Though teachers are used to facing new challenges and adapting to uncertainty in all forms (dealing with unexpected student behavior, teaching classes with different student levels and abilities, making adjustments to timetables and lesson plans as a result of curriculum changes to name a few), the challenges associated with the pandemic and how it impacts the future workforce are slightly more complex. Career change teachers’ role and contribution in addressing some of these challenges is worth unpacking. Firstly, there is now more emphasis on young people needing a broad base of skills, values and knowledge, to navigate complex pathways and uncertain futures around the changing world of education, training and work (Education Council, 2020). Developing capabilities around digital literacy, problem solving, active citizenship and skills that build purposeful engagement with society are increasingly seen as important as part of students’ preparedness for future employment and workforce needs (Education Council, 2020). Postschool essential skills such as preparing a resume, applying for future studies or job, organizational skills and generally being able to plan and develop a personal work plan are equally important. Career changers have relevant experience to better support the students in these areas. Secondly, students need high quality guidance to make informed choices about future career pathways, what skills does industry demand, what market opportunities may be available and how their learning skills might align with those opportunities. Thirdly, the unexpected dependence on digital technology as well as due to its rapid acceptance as a key component of students’ education experience means teachers are required to be more competent in the use and teaching of these skills to their students. Career changers’ engagement and navigation with life and career challenges is part of who they are as a teacher. They retain a certain resilience and determination to succeed in their new career (Varadharajan et al., 2020). Equally, they share a

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common passion to contribute to student learning and beyond school aspirations by drawing upon their own knowledge and previous experiences. Previous studies show that because career changers enter teaching from different fields and sectors and are likely to have held a portfolio of jobs over a period of time, they bring with them a wide range of perspectives that equip them to address several of the points raised in the previous paragraph. Our recent research on STEM career change teachers indicates that their wealth of knowledge extends to project management, team building, a certain level of professionalism acquired in previous workplaces, strong technology and digital literacy, and more broadly knowledge that builds connectivity from school to beyond school (Chap. 9). Their knowledge and connections with their previous workplaces including in various industry sectors means they are likely to be better placed to assist students in postschool pathways and employment aspirations. As the education world considers lessons to be learnt from the pandemic and how best to equip our students to be resilient and work-ready for the future, diversifying the teaching profession to include career changers can be part of the solutions mix in the way forward. COVID-19 has resulted in a shift (perhaps temporary) in societal attitude toward our teachers, shedding light on their important role in supporting students’ learning and well-being. Diversifying the teaching workforce could be part of building the momentum to capitalize on this positive shift, highlighting what career change teachers can offer to their students and to the future workforce. Career changers can play a significant role in lifting the status of teachers and the teaching profession in the eyes of society, so that the current attitudinal shift continues beyond the pandemic.

4.3 On Entry to the Teaching Workforce—Pitfalls and Challenges Anderson quotes (Sabar, 2004) comparing career change teachers’ transition to the adjustments made by immigrants as they enter “life in a new country, enduring hardships to achieve their dreams…experiencing a loss of hope and high expectations, and a sense of grief and despair” (Anderson et al., 2014, p. 153). The transition to teaching is not a smooth sailing process and for many, their sense of mission and commitment can quickly turn into disenchantment. For instance, it is not only during pre-service study that career changers sustain a salary sacrifice. Many will enter the profession at a considerably lower pay base than was the case in their previous work. Sadly, experiencing culture shock because of dealing with the realities of the school can be commonplace for career changers (Bullough & Knowles, 1990). Some may struggle to come to terms with the restrictions compared to some other workplaces, “being managed” (Newman, 2010), where toilet- or coffee-breaks may have been taken at their discretion, but are no longer so, given the pressing responsibilities they have of caring for, on top of educating, children. Rainy weather can further restrict teachers’ off-duty time in some jurisdictions, and increase their supervision load,

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sometimes at very short notice. This may require considerable acclimatization for some career changers—and may need to be challenged at a systems-level if teaching is to become a more competitive profession and if current burdensome workloads are to be considered. Career changers can struggle with their teaching and learning, and with pedagogical strategies, which are sometimes at odds with accepted contemporary practices and approaches (Richardson & Watt, 2006). Some career changers come from highpowered jobs, charged with managing substantial budgets. They feel their skills and experience are unrecognized, or worse still, denigrated or dismissed. The literature on both career changers and other studies substantially references the lack of recognition as an issue (e.g., McKenzie et al., 2014; Varadharajan et al., 2020). For instance, career change student teachers in Varadharajan et al.’s study were clearly hungry for recognition of their achievements and beyond school experiences, which was lacking from teacher education providers who primarily tend to design education systems with the younger school leaving cohort in mind (Varadharajan et al., 2020). For some, having been in positions of high authority and power, the transition to being the “intern” at a school, where neither colleagues nor students necessarily defer to them, with either fear or favor, may be difficult. In their previous professions, power may have manifested as autonomy (Adams et al., 2017) or discretion to make decisions, and they may have operated with minimal supervision. Such autonomy is likely to have been interpreted as a vote of confidence in them. Proceeding from some of the above observations, we also caution that career change teachers are likely to enter the profession in a less compliant state of mind than their school-leaver counterparts (Varadharajan et al., 2018). This potentially reveals something about the propensity of the school system to condition its students in favor of compliance—and/or it is perhaps merely a function of age-won confidence. The offering by career change beginning teachers of, for example, unsolicited advice on how to run the school more efficiently may unsettle the status quo in a school and may generate pushback from colleagues and seniors. Here we would counsel career changers to proceed diplomatically and cautiously (but to proceed nonetheless—as we would encourage any teacher who envisages better or alternative ways of doing things). The positive side of this equation is that career changers may bring their own brand of renewal and innovation to schools and the system. We also concede that with age can come sclerosis and resistance to bend and change. We suggest career change teachers be diligent in identifying this and challenging it where necessary. Being older than school-leaver beginning teachers may embody pluses and minuses for career change teachers. They are less immediately recognizable as new to the profession. On the one hand, this (alongside the confidence that tends to accrete with age) may help them establish their authority in the classroom. On the other hand, their colleagues might either have “unrealistic expectations” of them (Anthony & Ord, 2008) or be less predisposed to help their new colleagues, or even identify them as new to the profession. While career changers express longstanding aspirations to enter teaching, the disappointment, frustration and feelings of isolation can “negatively affect … the level of mission” and what brought them into teaching in the first place (Tigchelaar et al., 2008, p. 1547).

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Some studies have suggested that support and assistance for all newcomers to the profession are sometimes found wanting (e.g., Buchanan et al., 2013). A further advantage for career changers is that their workplace experience is likely to advance them some credibility in the eyes of students and parents. In rural, remote or lower socioeconomic communities particularly, second-career change teachers’ previous work experience may pique their students’ sense of curiosity and aspiration for a similar, but previously unconsidered, line of work. For career change teachers—for all (beginning) teachers—efficacy and agency are likely to help them in their endeavors to remain longer in the profession.

4.4 Retention in the Profession On the subject of career change teachers’ retention in the profession, the literature is sparse. The discussion above on their motives, attributes and challenges faced could provide indications on what matters most to career changers as well as what could be done to keep them in teaching. As with any career, there could be a multitude of external and internal factors that influence teachers’ decision to stay or leave. Examples are school culture, relationships with students, financial rewards, decision making/autonomy, leadership opportunities, support received and quality of teacher preparation programs. Caution needs to be exercised whether they leave the profession entirely or move to another area in education which is not counted toward attrition (Cuddapah et al., 2011). In light of some of the challenges indicated above, it could be inferred that career changers are easier to recruit but harder to retain. However, because of being older and having made conscious career choices to enter teaching and pass on their knowledge, it could be argued that they are more likely to stay longer, though actual data on retention does not exist. Some career changers might also consider teaching as a pragmatic choice, without necessarily feeling a sense of long-term commitment to the profession. While earlier research suggests career change teachers entering from “alternative certification” programs are less likely to be retained in the profession than those who enter directly into teaching degrees from school (Bullough & Knowles, 1990), this might not necessarily be true in recent times as the quality of alternative certified courses has substantially improved. Some findings seem to suggest that older age entrants are less likely to leave their teaching commitment, especially in low-income, challenging schools (Donaldson, 2012). Results from the small sample of teachers from Varadharajan’s research were mixed as to their views on staying or leaving, with some planning to continue teaching for a long time while others were not sure or had not made up their minds (Varadharajan, 2014). Cuddapah et al.’s research in the USA suggests career changers’ attrition rates in the first five years are below the national average, indicating they are less likely to leave teaching (2011). Teachers in their research reported a variety of personal (e.g., starting a family), career (e.g., pursuing education career other than K-12, dissatisfaction with teaching as a career) and school satisfaction (e.g., heavy workload, lack of influence over school policy and

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poor administrative support) reasons for leaving teaching (Cuddapah et al., 2011). In the case of career change teachers who are likely to look for opportunities to broaden their presence within schools/teaching (due to their work and career skills), including seeking suitable leadership roles, it might be worth shifting the focus to their retention “within the profession”, rather than “within the classroom”.

5 Conclusion The lack of studies (both local5 and global) that track data on career change teachers’ time and stay in schools/classrooms, and the lack of accurate data on teacher attrition makes it difficult to predict how many teachers leave or intend to leave (both permanently or leave the classroom) teaching and what their long-term plans are (Boyd et al., 2011). This is an area of further research that is significant for increasing our knowledge as well as for shifting perceptions about the teaching profession. Meanwhile, the remaining chapters of this book is an attempt to shed light on career change teachers, contributing to improving our knowledge and understanding of the cohort.

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Gonzales, A., Jones, D., & Ruiz, A. (2014). Toward achievement in the “Knowledge economy” of the 21st century: Preparing students through T-STEM academies. Research in Higher Education Journal, 25, 1–14. ERIC. Grier, J. M., & Johnston, C. C. (2009). An inquiry into the development of teacher identities in STEM career changers. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 20(1), 57–75. https://doi.org/10. 1007/s10972-008-9119-2 Grier, J. M., & Johnston, C. C. (2012). STEM professionals entering teaching: Navigating multiple identities. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 23(1), 19–44. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10972011-9260-1 Gross, J. (2018). Can immigrant professionals help reduce teacher shortages in the U.S.? In World education services (2228670447; ED592605; pp. 1–36). World Education Services, Bowling Green Station, PO Box 5087, 10274; ERIC. https://login.wwwproxy1.library.unsw. edu.au/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fsearch.proquest.com%2Fdocview%2F2228670447%3Fa ccountid%3D12763. Hanington, L. M. (2018). Transitions into teaching:Experiences of career-change teachers in Singapore. AsTEN Journal of Teacher Education, 3(1). Hunter-Johnson, Y. (2015). Demystifying the mystery of second career teachers’ motivation to teach. The Qualitative Report, 20(8), 1359–1370. Education Database. Johnson, S. M. & Project on the Next Generation of Teachers. (2007). Finders and keepers: Helping new teachers survive and thrive in our schools. Jossey-Bass. Keck Frei, A., Kocher, M., & Bieri Buschor, C. (2021). Second-career teachers’ workplace learning and learning at university. Journal of Workplace Learning, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print). https:// doi.org/10.1108/JWL-07-2020-0121. Korthagen, F. A. J. (2004). In search of the essence of a good teacher: Towards a more holistic approach in teacher education. Teaching and Teacher Education, 20(1), 77–97. https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.tate.2003.10.002 Laming, M. M., & Horne, M. (2013). Career change teachers: Pragmatic choice or a vocation postponed? Teachers and Teaching, 19(3), 326–343. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2012. 754163 Lee, D. (2011). Changing course: Reflections of second-career teachers. Current Issues in Education, 14(2), 1–19. ERIC. Lee, D. & Lamport, M. A. (2011). Non-traditional entrants to the profession of teaching: Motivations and experiences of second-career educators. Christian Perspectives in Education, 4(2). https:// digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cpe/vol4/iss2/3. LinkedIn. (2021). Jobs on the rise in Australia 2021. https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/ resources/talent-acquisition/jobs-on-the-rise-au. Manuel, J., & Hughes, J. (2006). ‘It has always been my dream’: Exploring pre-service teachers’ motivations for choosing to teach. Teacher Development, 10(1), 5–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/ 13664530600587311 Maranto, R., Carroll, K., Cheng, A., & Teodoro, M. P. (2018). Boys will be superintendents: School leadership as a gendered profession. Phi Delta Kappan, 100(2), 12–15. https://doi.org/10.1177/ 0031721718803563 Marinell, W. H. (2008). Math and science mid-career entrants to teaching: Well skilled but “working in a void”. Harvard Graduate School of Education. http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword= hgse_pngt. Marinell, W. H. (2009). Will mid-career entrants help avert a teacher shortage, reduce racial and gender imbalances and fill vacancies in hard-to-staff subjects and schools? Paper Prepared for the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, April 15, 2009. https:// projectngt.gse.harvard.edu/files/gse-projectngt/files/marinell_aera_2009.pdf. Mayotte, G. A. (2003). Stepping stones to success: Previously developed career competencies and their benefits to career switchers transitioning to teaching. Teaching and Teacher Education, 19(7), 681–695. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2003.03.002

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Unisen, A., & Polat, H. (2016). From the pulpits to the boards: A study on prospective second career teachers in Turkey. International Education Studies, 9(9), 170–181. ERIC. Varadharajan, M. (2014). Understanding the lived experiences of second career beginning teachers. [Doctoral Dissertation, University of Technology Sydney]. http://hdl.handle.net/10453/29255. Varadharajan, M., & Schuck, S. (2017). Can career changers be game changers? Policy, research and practice concerning career changers. In J. Nuttall, A. Kostogriz, M. Jones, & J. Martin (Eds.), Teacher education policy and practice (pp. 83–95). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-98110-4133-4_6. Varadharajan, M., Buchanan, J., & Schuck, S. (2018). Changing course: The paradox of the career change student-teacher. Professional Development in Education, 44(5), 738–749. https://doi.org/ 10.1080/19415257.2017.1423369 Varadharajan, M., Buchanan, J., & Schuck, S. (2020). Navigating and negotiating: Career changers in teacher education programmes. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 48(5), 477–490. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359866X.2019.1669136 Veale, N., Dobbins, N., & Kurtts, S. (2013). Career changers in special education: A collaborative direction in teacher preparation for school systems and institutions of higher education. Issues in Teacher Education, 22(2), 107–116. ERIC. Wagner, T., & Imanel-Noy, D. (2014). Are they genuinely novice teachers?: Motivations and selfefficacy of those who choose teaching as a second career. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 39(7), 1–28. ERIC. Watt, H. M. G., & Richardson, P. W. (2008). Motivations, perceptions, and aspirations concerning teaching as a career for different types of beginning teachers. Learning and Instruction, 18(5), 408–428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2008.06.002 Watters, J. J., & Diezmann, C. M. (2015). Challenges confronting career-changing beginning teachers: A qualitative study of professional scientists becoming science teachers. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 26(2), 163–192. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10972-014-9413-0 Weldon, P. R. (2015). The teacher workforce in Australia: Supply, demand and data issues.2015. Policy Insights, Issue 2. Williams, J. (2013). Constructing new professional identities: Career changers in teacher education. SensePublishers. Williams, J., & Forgasz, H. (2009). The motivations of career change students in teacher education. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 37(1), 95–108. https://doi.org/10.1080/135986608 02607673 Wilson, E., & Deaney, R. (2010). Changing career and changing identity: How do teacher career changers exercise agency in identity construction? Social Psychology of Education, 13(2), 169– 183. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-010-9119-x Wilson, R. (2020). The profession at risk: Trends in standards for Admission to teaching [Commissioned report]. NSW Teachers Federation. https://www.nswtf.org.au/files/20042_theprofessionat risk_digital.pdf. Workforce Singapore. (2020). Professional conversion programmes (PCP) for individuals. Programmes and Inititaives. https://www.wsg.gov.sg/programmes-and-initiatives/professionalconversion-programmes-individuals.html.

Part II

“My Journey into Teaching”: Stories of Career Change Teachers in Australia

Chapter 5

The Careers and Lives of Amy, Kamini, Jim, and Sharon

1 Introduction Every teacher brings a unique set of personal and professional experiences when they enter the classroom. This derives from their current and previous contexts and circumstances. Teachers also come equipped with their own sets of knowledge, beliefs and views on education and, more broadly, on various topics. Similarly, career change teachers bring their experiences and beliefs, shaped through disparate ways such as prior career, other work and life experience and influences arising from being mature-aged. The diverse professional pathways, as well as their life journeys that career change individuals have trodden, strongly influence their current career pathway as a teacher. However, as previous literature also indicates (Haim & Amdur, 2016), the somewhat different life trajectory they may have had, does not preclude them from sharing traits, concerns and challenges that were similar to those of any other teacher. The chapter is divided into two parts. Firstly, the chapter introduces the methodology that has guided the book. Introducing the methodology is apt at this stage of the book where we are learning more about a group of career change teachers, including their motivations, aspirations and ways of transitioning into the teaching profession. In the second part, we introduce four career change teachers—Amy, Jim, Kamini and Sharon, whose stories have inspired the writing of this book. The chapter acts as a steppingstone to Chaps. 6 and 7 where teaching practices and career changers’ existential ways of being a teacher are further explored.

2 Methodology of the Book—Author’s Overview It is often said that one must be true to oneself and one’s actions must reflect one’s beliefs. Part of the reason for changing my career was because I (Meera) was going through a process of questioning my actions and at a meta level, questioning my © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021 M. Varadharajan and J. Buchanan, Career Change Teachers, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-6038-2_5

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existence and way of life. In fact, any career change involves personal orientation and reflection behind the choices made that lead to the decision. Career changing decisions are influenced by and can impact the individual at a deeply personal level. These decisions are not just made by the head but also by the heart. As I was researching career change teachers, I found that their motives were similarly influenced by intrinsic and personal factors when considering teaching as their career choice, such as the need to satisfy a long-held urge to make a difference to the lives of others through education, or to seek personal fulfillment and satisfaction through their career. Akin to the reasons for writing the book, the choice of methodology was influenced both by my personal experience and the experiences of career changers in the teaching profession. To this effect, the approach adopted in the book is situated within a philosophical inquiry to understand career change teachers. Phenomenological and interpretive approaches have been chosen to uncover the lifeworld of teachers. A phenomenological methodology is a qualitative human science methodology that inquire into individuals’ ways of existing in the world. It is a methodology with philosophical orientations but is also grounded in practice and situated in context and relations. Phenomenological questions are meaning questions (van Manen, 1990, p. 23) inquiring into individuals’ existence in the world.

2.1 Why a Phenomenological Inquiry? The book seeks to gather a fuller and deeper picture of a group of career changers. Phenomenology being a qualitative methodology enabled us, as authors, to orient ourselves more meaningfully to understand the personal journeys of the teachers mentioned in the book. Because a phenomenological perspective has a philosophical dimension relating to how we live and search for what brings meaning to our lives, phenomenology offered the tools or mechanisms to study the lived experiences of career change teachers. A phenomenological lens helped to understand the ontological and epistemological existence of career changers in their practice of living as teachers and uncover the inner and hidden meanings lying within teachers’ experiences, bringing them to the forefront. Changing and choosing a new career path is not easy and often, individuals who contemplate job change tend to spend a considerable time questioning, interrogating and reflecting on their thoughts and decision processes. Once the decision to switch to teaching has been made, there are substantial changes and adjustments that they are faced with. For instance, their primary workplace is no longer what constitutes an “office” or something similar but instead is a school—a different kind of structure and institution both outside and inside. Relationships with colleagues are different; however, their primary interactions are not with adults but with children and young people. Being able to authentically capture and textualize teachers’ coping mechanisms and experiences resulting from these changes is an important part of telling the story of career changers. And phenomenology is a creative tool suitable for this purpose.

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In addition, qualitative and descriptive approaches lend itself aptly to human science research. Interpretive inquiries have been utilized in previous career change studies, including those that examine the motivations and experiences of changing careers [For example (Brindley & Parker, 2010; Evans, 2011; Lee, 2011)]. Phenomenology also lends itself to teacher identity, teacher growth and development, all of which play a significant role in the case of a career change teacher (Williams, 2010, 2013). The growth as a teacher takes place as earlier experiences are incorporated or integrated into the present in one’s role as a teacher, shaping their current identity. Constructing teacher identity and the process of becoming a teacher is seen as a dynamically evolving and fluid process, with transformation constantly taking place at various stages of a teacher’s life, from being a student teacher and throughout a teaching career. These events have particular relevance for career change teachers and how we understand their growth as they transition from one career to another (Akkerman & Bakker, 2011).

2.2 What is a Phenomenological Inquiry? Phenomenology is a type of philosophy. As a practice, it is also a methodology and a method to uncover existential questions. Because of its philosophical roots and how it is applied in practice, phenomenology can even be described as a way of life. The book has primarily been inspired and guided by the works of the philosopher, Martin Heidegger (1962), considered to be one of the founding fathers of interpretive phenomenology. Heidegger’s approach assumes people’s experiences are full of meaning and these meanings are already constructed and exist in the lived world of people, context, things and relationships (as cited in Smith et al., 2009). It is the role of the researcher/writer to uncover and bring into the open the essence of those meanings. Language and the use of words plays an important role in phenomenology. Everyday words and their descriptions have a particular meaning in phenomenological research. For instance, the term “understanding” refers to how we “make sense” of career change teachers, their worlds and their experiences. When combined with an interpretive approach, such an inquiry seeks to understand, describe and interpret career change teachers’ lived experiences and the way they have created meaning for themselves in the process of becoming a teacher. It is important to note that a phenomenological inquiry offers one way of inquiring into possible human experiences of how career change teachers live as human beings (van Manen, 1990). In other words, there exists the possibility of other potentially richer and deeper descriptions and interpretations of experiences (van Manen, 1990). However, the purpose is not to provide definitive answers or to solve problems. Rather, the aim is to seek knowledge about what it is to be a career change teacher. While Heidegger inquires into human existence and the purpose of living at an abstract level, he also brings such inquiry into the practice of ordinary life and ways of living. Moreover, the principles of human existence can be understood “in the practical—to do with…living and embodying an ontological self-understanding in

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our everyday practices” (Thomson, 2004, p. 443). Hence, though the inquiry we have adopted in the book is underpinned by philosophical questions into human existence as espoused by philosophers such as Heidegger, it is also grounded in practice and situated in context and relations, guided by well-known educational philosophers such as John Dewey and by practitioners who applied phenomenology to discipline areas such as education and psychology, for instance, Max van Manen. At this point, it might be also worthwhile to note some other key aspects that pertain to the methodology. 1.

2.

Interpretive phenomenology possesses similar characteristics to other qualitative methodologies (e.g., narrative inquiry, grounded theory) with socially constructed meanings and interpretations, which is why phenomenological description of an experience is always “one” interpretation rather than “the” interpretation. Because lived experiences are personal, varied, subjective, and are open to multiple interpretations, it is not the objective to provide generalizations, but rather, meaningful insights into teachers’ lives. Moreover, lived experience (and its meanings) can never be entirely or fully captured or absorbed and there may be hidden or concealed meanings in teachers’ stories that may not materialize. According to Heidegger, though, it is through interpretation, that we “come to understand the possibilities of being revealed” (as cited in van Manen, 1990, p. 180) and the inquiry helps us to understand the meanings of the lived experiences of career change teachers “through making explicit and thematic that which is at first implicit and un-thematised” (Crotty, 1998, p. 97).

2.3 How is Interpretive Phenomenology Used in the Book? A phenomenological approach adopted in the book helps us understand the lives and experiences of career change teachers in a personal and deep manner. Of course, not all chapters could be attuned to this approach, however, having a phenomenological lens as a broad framework has allowed us to explore and ask meaningful questions where this is possible and relevant. In addition, through being attentive to language, the multi-dimensional and multi-layered meanings of lived experience are articulated and we hope this leaves the reader with curiosity, fascination and intrigue about the topic being researched. Chapter 7 strongly lends itself to a deep phenomenological inquiry providing an existential perspective of career change teacher’s motivations and examining teachers’ lifeworlds under the themes of “Lived relation” and “Lived space”. Phenomenology as a concept was introduced in Chap. 4 where we examined the significance of intrinsic and altruistic motivations in career change decision processes. As we explore the main characters in this chapter (Chap. 5), phenomenological inquiry takes the shape of being mindful to authentically represent the stories

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of the four career change teachers. The concept of deriving deep and meaningful qualitative themes and pursuing a thematic analysis approach is integral to the book’s overarching methodology and Chaps. 6 and 9 lend themselves to these aspects.

3 Introducing Amy, Kamini, Jim, and Sharon The four teachers first appeared in Varadharajan’s, 2014 study of career change teachers, where a total of seven teachers participated in the original study. Using interpretive and phenomenological approaches, the study’s overarching research purpose was to inquire into the lived experiences of a group of career change teachers to understand how their past career and lives influence their current role as a teacher (2014). Guiding questions probed the motivations behind their career change, influences of past experiences on their current role as teacher and perceptions of school as a working environment. We provide a brief discussion of the research design method adopted in the 2014 study to contextualize the stories of the four career change teachers. Teachers were purposively selected, with the selection criteria based on Eifler and Pothoff’s (1998) definition of career change teachers (Refer Chap. 4). All teachers were teaching in urban settings in one state in Australia. In the original study, six of the seven teachers had been employed in another profession prior to teaching. At the time of participation in the study, six teachers were either in their second or third year of teaching, and one was in their fourth year. All but one taught at secondary level. Data collection was through one-on-one in-depth interviews with all seven teachers with a follow-up conducted with four teachers after one year. A phenomenological interviewing process guided the interview structure, to elicit and capture the nature and essence of lived experience spontaneously and naturally (Varadharajan, 2014). Qualitative approaches guided data analysis and interpretation (for example, Denzin and Lincoln, 1998; Miles & Huberman, 1994) and involved a rigorous process of examining and re-examining each set of data individually and collectively for emergent themes and patterns based on the research purpose and guiding questions. Interpretive phenomenological analysis was guided by Smith et al. (2009). This analysis involved processes of cyclical, immersive and reflective engagement with the data (moving dynamically between actual data and “constructed” or thematic data), developing a hermeneutic mode of understanding to reveal hidden meanings and discover underlying messages in participants’ stories. Phenomenological analysis was guided by Max van Manen (1990) to reveal lifeworld themes of “lived relation”, “lived space”, “lived time” and “lived body” that led to an existential and philosophical understanding of the participating career change teachers and their lives (Varadharajan, 2014). Data rigor and validity was established by utilizing phenomenological modes of questioning the trustworthiness of data, such as bracketing or temporarily setting aside existing beliefs and assumptions, practicing “phenomenological attentiveness” to the data and learning to acknowledge biases while striving for open-ness (2014). Data triangulation was achieved

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Table 1 Profile of participating career change teachers Teacher

Prior career(s)

Prior degree/field

Subject taught at school

Amy

Engineer/recruitment consultant

Science—Electrical engineer

Mathematics—secondary level

Kamini

Manager (Government Department)

Arts—Psychology

Year one—primary level

Jim

Construction/bouncer

Science—Astrophysics

Physics—secondary level

Sharon

Flight attendant (travel/tourism related careers)

Arts—English

English/Arts—secondary level

Tasfia

Information Technology IT and Maths (IT) specialist in bank

Mathematics—secondary level

Matthew

Marketing

Arts/Law

History/Legal studies—secondary level

Elizabeth

Engineering drafting

Physics (Hons.)

Physics—secondary level

through a systematic process of cross-verification with Varadharajan’s supervisors (2014). The study’s limitations consisted of the small sample size, scope, researcher bias and subjectivity, which were openly acknowledged, along with the inability to generalize from the study findings (2014). Table 1 provides a profile of all seven teachers who participated in the original study (Varadharajan, 2014). This chapter explores in detail the lives of Amy, Kamini, Jim and Sharon as career change teachers in schools. We will also refer to Tasfia, Matthew and Elizabeth in other chapters of this book when pertinent. Each of the seven teachers brought their own uniqueness to the study, while also embodying characteristics that are common to most career changers, such as intrinsic motivations, for instance, (Tigchelaar et al., 2008; Williams & Forgasz, 2009), push and pull factors attracting them to teaching (for instance, Priyadharshini & RobinsonPant, 2003; Richardson & Watt, 2006), broad life experiences combined with personal qualities and attributes including maturity, wisdom, professionalism, motivation, confidence and enthusiasm (Anthony & Ord, 2008; Grier & Johnston, 2009), a passion for passing on knowledge to future generations (for instance, Tigchelaar et al., 2008) and are largely more satisfied with their job than first-career teachers (Troesch & Bauer, 2017). Despite embodying certain common characteristics, each of the seven teachers who participated in the original study was unique in their own way, having come from different backgrounds and entering teaching with unique experiences and beliefs. For these reasons, any of those seven teachers’ stories could have been explored in detail in this chapter. The four teachers were chosen to have their stories recounted here because: • The career and life trajectory of each of these teachers took interesting beginnings that shaped their journey of being a career change teacher;

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• They each taught different subjects to different age groups and connected their life and career experiences with impacting students in diverse ways; • Concerns revealed by the teachers affected their personal and teaching capabilities and spoke of more significant issues in the profession that warrant addressing.

3.1 Methods of Inquiry Narratives are useful when unpacking career changers’ life trajectories to understand the complexities that can be involved when making decisions and to examine whether and how past experiences influenced current circumstances (Bauer et al., 2017). A narrative inquiry helped us, as researchers, to think about teachers’ stories as experiences that needed to be captured as authentically as possible. A case study approach is also appropriate for its capacity to describe “the particularity and complexity of a single case, coming to understand its activity within important circumstances” while also considering the wholeness of the individual (Stake, 1995, p. xi). This enables us to understand the “collective nature” of career change teachers as a group, as well as idiosyncrasies of each individual. Moreover, case study has a philosophical orientation through an interpretivist stance, to understand the multiple meanings that exist in participant stories (Yin, 2018). For these reasons, these two approaches, story and case study, have been used in the chapter to achieve a fuller picture of the four teachers’ lives, in context. Each teacher’s story focuses on the particular characteristics of the individual, the circumstances which brought them into teaching and their journey as a teacher. It also provides insights and perspectives of how they each saw themselves as belonging to the larger career change teacher cohort. While the intention is not to establish generalizations, when collectively viewed, story and a case study approach aim to highlight certain discernible features representative of the career change population, while capturing individual highlights and experiences that speak both of the person and of the “career change teacher” within that person.

4 The Stories The stories below have been adapted from Varadharajan’s, 2014 study, and original quotes from interviews with participants have been added. These stories serve as an important pathway for introducing Amy, Kamini, Jim and Sharon as career change teachers. Their stories will be extended in the next chapter where teaching practices of some of them (along with those of other career change teachers) will be traced. Pseudonyms are used to protect their anonymity (Varadharajan, 2014).

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4.1 The Story of Amy I see myself as being a little different (from other teachers) in that I have done lots of other things and this is one thing that I am doing now...It is so different to the business world. I found the whole school environment very different from any other work experience I’ve had. Because it is an institution and because of the rules and regulations, you’re going by the clock, it’s so rigid.

When speaking with Amy for the original study, she was a senior mathematics teacher in an independent girls’ school, teaching years 7–12. She had completed a Graduate Diploma of Education program. Amy had a degree in electrical engineering. Her prior careers included working as an electrical engineer for building services companies for around five years and then as a recruitment consultant hiring accountants for several years while starting a family. Her last job before teaching was working in accounts administration. When narrating her life course and what led her to choose teaching, Amy emerged as a deeply passionate teacher displaying a true love for mathematics. Even though personal and career factors played a critical role in her transition to teaching, an overarching feature in Amy’s story was a love for the subject, followed by a passion to “pass on” the love of the subject to her students.

4.1.1

Previous Life

When Amy explained her reasons for becoming a teacher, it became evident she loved every aspect of the subject she taught, describing with passion the significance of mathematics and how she believes in instilling a love of the subject in her students. I really have always loved and I could see myself teaching maths; couldn’t see myself teaching anything else. It was just that passion for maths…I like explaining things. I like using technology. I like being enthusiastic about my subject and specific areas in my teaching, like algebra. I had a board full of algebra yesterday…..And I just enjoy that aspect of it. I like seeing kids learn and I like seeing them being enthusiastic about their learning.

Having graduated and been employed in the engineering industry sector, Amy was aware of her skills and experience, not just to teach mathematics but also to teach its applications to students. Unsure about her career choice in engineering, Amy decided to take a different trajectory in human resources as a recruitment consultant and later on moving to family responsibilities. Returning to the workforce involved juggling family and work responsibilities and when she rejoined the workforce after a gap, her role as an “accounts administrator” was not one that she found satisfying or “intellectually challenging.” Moreover, she did not want to go back to the engineering sector role, as this would demand long hours and time away from family. As Amy was contemplating a change of career at this stage, she recalled the thinking process that made her more aware of how much she loved mathematics

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and her practical skills gained through her qualifications and employment in engineering. She also recognized that she wanted to channel her passion for mathematics outward. Amy was keen to have a career that enabled her to use her engineering/mathematical skills productively, matched by a work-life balance. While she had not considered becoming a schoolteacher in the past, it offered her a good choice to suit her present life and personal circumstances. Teaching ticked all the boxes for Amy, both professionally and personally. The desire for a better work/life balance and the perception that teaching might provide this balance is a common feature that resonates across many career change teachers. At the same time, literature also indicates several of them enter the profession with little or no prior knowledge about it, either because of their incorrect perceptions about teaching or this information was not provided to them, or they did not seek advice when making the career choice (for instance, Bauer et al., 2017). Amy’s story confirms this, as she recounted with surprise and shock, the workload and long working hours as a teacher. I have to get my head around understanding the content, understanding the syllabus, understanding how I am going to deliver it, putting together some notes and delivering it in a time frame that is really short. Then there is parent-teacher night next week and this week there is tutor group meetings and there is a department meeting and we need to do the marking; there is so much more that goes outside the classroom. So, that’s the pressure that I find stressful.

4.1.2

Being a Mathematics Teacher

As indicated above, a love of the subject, drawn from her prior education background and work experiences and a subsequent desire to share that love with her students, is what stands out in Amy’s responses. The strong attachment to their discipline is echoed in the literature too; for instance, participants in Laming and Horne’s study stated one of the best things about teaching is that it “enabled them to use the knowledge and skills acquired through their own university studies” (2013, p. 335). Amy’s decision to teach in the independent school sector was influenced primarily by her experiences while undertaking practicum (professional experience) as part of her teacher education course. Amy found one of her professional experiences (“prac”) to be very stressful and traumatic. She attributed this to a combination of student behavior challenges, poor school management policies and stresses related to parental responses. Amy recounted an incident. I found it really threatening, actually to witness that sort of physical violence and not feel like there was much happening…having that difficult Prac was it made me very clear that at this stage of my career and my life, I am not going to go into a school where I have discipline issues like that.

While Amy believed in the value of public education, she felt unprepared (and perhaps unwilling at that stage of her life and career) to work in environments where she would be likely to have less control and face more bureaucracy. As Amy put it, “I wanted to have more control of my career.”

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Amy’s decision speaks of the tensions and common dilemmas that pre-service teachers are likely to face in similar situations, but this doesn’t necessarily devalue the motivation and rationale behind choosing teaching, as indicated by her descriptions of the reasons for joining teaching. Amy’s story showed determination to continue with her passion for sharing her love of mathematics, albeit with a different group of students. Amy vividly describes her early school experiences, taking up the role of a secondary school mathematics teacher in a girls’ school. Like any other teacher, she had good days and bad days. Challenges mainly concerned classroom management, understanding students and their behavior, rather than about content teaching. Amy was confident that the early challenges of lesson preparation and planning, including assessment tasks, would be resolved once these had been developed and implemented in class teaching over a period of time. Strategies that would help her work better with students was another matter, and Amy believed she still needed to find ways to improve this aspect. I feel like with the students, I still have so much to learn, in terms of how to manage them and so much more I can do to improve my classroom. I don’t know what that is, like I feel like I have to go out and research that, whether look at classroom management books, trying new techniques etc. So, I feel I have got a lot to learn with the students and how to manage them.

When it came to students and coping with the demands of being a new teacher in a new work environment, Amy saw herself as someone wanting to be in charge and in control of the classroom. Perhaps due to her previous role, or what she had witnessed in her practicum, or due to entrenched beliefs shaped by her own schooling experiences, Amy viewed the classroom as “a beast that needs to be tamed.” Amy spoke of getting used to the school environment and learning strategies to “manage” students and their behavior, which she stated as “taming the beast is a little bit more possible. I have got a whip in my hand now.” Furthermore, Amy’s repeated use of particular language to differentiate between school and outside school is typical of most career change teachers’ description of experiences. Reference to the “real world” or “commercial world” to point out ideological differences and school being an “institution” governed by “rules and bells” are just some examples. Career changers like Amy, having gone through varied experiences, can form quite rigid views about their new career. A variety of factors can shape their views: past experiences when they were a student, press and political coverages that teaching and education receive, experiences as a parent and relationships with their children’s teachers, prior career experiences and more broadly, their ideologies and beliefs on education, learning and student behavior. The above analysis indicates that Amy’s choice of language to describe her views on teaching is unlikely to have been shaped by just one or two factors. On the other hand, Amy’s affection for her students is revealed in numerous instances. She had high academic and non-academic expectations for her students. Amy wanted her students to excel in mathematics and was also keen for them to

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understand the importance of holistic education, why learning matters and how this would be useful later on in students’ lives. Wagner and Imanel-Noy note that teachers’ self-efficacy measures concerning teaching tasks and teacher–student relations are high, displaying a keenness to encourage students’ goals in learning, social and personal domains (2014). Omar, Self & Cole conceptualize teachers’ satisfaction in terms of student success and when students start to think like being in a role or profession (2018). They note, “students’ comprehension of a simple concept and the achievement of objectives in a lesson plan are influential in a career-switcher’s overall job satisfaction” (2018, p. 16). I expect the students to be hard-workers and to be motivated to learn, eh, because that’s the way I was...I am actually teaching them to care about their work, I am teaching them to get motivated by giving them the standards that I expect.

Having teenage children meant that Amy was able to understand her students’ lives. One could also notice a transformative shift as Amy narrated her classroom experience, slowly moving away from herself (and her role and expectations) to focusing on students (and their capabilities). Student success still deeply mattered, but more in students’ terms rather than in her own terms. It might be seen as a “personal” growth that Amy experienced as a teacher. This was illuminated during further conversations with Amy, where the shift in focus from self to student became apparent. [When I first started] I think I viewed the students like ‘little me’s’ back when I was at school … I wanted them to like and respect me as a teacher, I wanted them to be able to learn from me. So, I looked at them in that sort of context and caring about how they did, eh, and caring about what they thought about me as well. Now, that has changed a lot … I care less about what they think about me; it worries me less if they think I am harsh …I care more that they learn… I care more about them doing and learning Maths. So, that’s how much has changed.

Such shifts in thinking are discussed in the literature; for instance, based upon Fuller and Bown’s teacher development model, Conway and Clark discuss shifts in teachers’ thinking, from “the self” to concern for their students, as they progress through different stages of their teaching career (2003). The journey undertaken by beginning teachers can be seen as a shift, moving from either thinking about the self to thinking about students or vice versa, depending on which stage of teaching career they are in (Conway & Clark, 2003). When it came to relationships with school colleagues, Amy was not shy to express her inexperience as a newbie compared with other colleagues, especially in the initial days. Amy recalled how it was challenging to juxtapose those two feelings because “it is difficult as an older person because you have had status and experience in other fields and to start again not having the status and experience in the staffroom.” However, she was quick to point out the confidence she built up (due to her prior career and life experience) in dealing with situations. I think it must have been because having had work experience and dealing with other adults in a work environment, I felt confident in dealing with other teachers. I felt inexperienced but confident.

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Good teachers constantly question themselves and their teaching practices, and this was reflected in Amy’s responses. For instance, “How can you tell you are a good teacher?” “I am still in the thick of it” or “I haven’t got my story ready yet.” Amy was honest and open about her future career thoughts. She planned to continue teaching. When prompted about whether she would recommend other career changers to join teaching, her response was not a clear yes or no. Having some strong views about the teaching profession, including the lack of recognition, Amy hesitated in endorsing the profession wholeheartedly. Amy’s story resonates with the frustrations shared by other career changers, something which will be examined in future chapters. Amy’s passion for teaching, which emerged during the interviews, will be further explored in Chap. 5 when we discuss the pedagogical approaches taken by career change teachers.

4.2 The Story of Kamini It is the collegiality that you have with teachers … teachers are like … dropping things to help you and asking ‘do you need help with that?, I’ll get that for you, I’ll do this for you’ … so different to my previous work environment where you had people stabbing you in the back … whereas, here, it is all kind of one level.

At the time of the interview with Kamini for the 2014 study, she was a primary school teacher in a public school. She was a Year 1 teacher and had been teaching for three years. She had completed a Master of Teaching program at a university in Sydney. She completed a degree in psychology (with Honors) and her prior career had been in a government department as a manager for 10 years.

4.2.1

Previous Life

Kamini’s motivations to become a teacher were driven by stress, combined with a lack of job appeal in her previous role. Kamini initially trained as a teacher while working as a manager in a government department. She continued to work there, and it was only after a few years that she actually left the government job and retrained to become a school teacher. Kamini wanted to give herself a chance of making it work at the department, but, over time, her role evolved into “a thankless position”, and finally brought her to a point when she could no longer tolerate it. Kamini spoke of various challenges, both in terms of work and with colleagues. I was just tired and cranky and I would dread going to work. I would feel sick at the thought of going to work. I don’t remember really making the decision [to switch] but I decided to take leave without pay … to see if I could make a living as a teacher.

Unlike Amy, who had never contemplated becoming a teacher, Kamini’s story is slightly different. There had always been an underlying presence of teaching, which is why she initially did her teacher education course while working. However, having

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a mother as a teacher acted somewhat as a deterrent for Kamini, which might explain why she wanted to make her first-career work. “I always kind of thought I would become a teacher but I steered myself really away when I was looking at universities, decided I didn’t want to do education, I didn’t want to do what my mum was doing.” However, the stresses proved too much, and once Kamini had made the decision to quit her managerial role, there was not much to decide or think about where the next move would be. In a sense, the next career choice of teaching was always present and waiting for her. Additionally, an overseas visit and reconnecting with students at a special education school crystallized that decision. Family influences pulled her away at one time, but circumstances and experiences pulled her back in. “I really loved it (teaching special needs children) and found that I had quite a bit of an affinity with the kids and it was quite easy for me … maybe it has always been in my blood.”

4.2.2

Being a Primary School Teacher

Kamini’s love for teaching younger children came primarily from her training and education background. Her qualifications in psychology and subsequent postgraduate teacher training, combined with a period of work overseas teaching special education students, led to Kamini’s interest in early years education. Her background and interest also put her at an advantage in understanding and responding to childhood disorders and behavioral issues such as ADHD, Asperger’s Syndrome and autism that emerged in her class of primary school children. Through examples, she pointed out the advantages of a degree in psychology in helping her to “understand the differences” between children: because I have done work on anxiety disorders, I can see and understand the differences. So, a lot of the psychology stuff is being so helpful…I can see when friendship groups are breaking down … My honours thesis on children and aggression and anxiety has been really helpful. I also did a lot of work on Asperger’s and autism and ADHD, so none of those things are foreign to me … I know what they are going to be like, know what to expect, know how to talk to them. I am familiar with all those kinds of diagnosis. I also studied and know about intelligence tests and so I can spot a bright kid or … spot a kid who, although not necessarily mastered the fine motor skills for writing...is making connections … like other forms of intelligence. I can see all that happening.

Perhaps her psychology background made Kamini more aware of how children should be treated and having respectful conversations with them. “I talk to them as colleagues … I don’t tend to baby them at all.. they kind of rise to meet me … I joke around with them the same as I would joke around with people I was managing.” Kamini talked about drawing upon some of the conflict resolution techniques she had used in her previous role as a manager to defuse situations between students in classrooms. There was a lot of aggrieved people who would make complaints and I would have to go out and calm them down … .and I think all that conflict resolution stuff that I did so much of in my previous job, really helped me with difficult children.

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The challenges that Kamini faced in her previous role might have contributed to her resilience to cope with an energetic bunch of primary schoolers. One of the notable aspects in Kamini’s interviews was her calm approach matched with quiet confidence. Having experienced high-pressured situations, Kamini understood the importance of having a mature perspective in life with an ability to focus on her strengths, which benefited both herself and the children for whom she cared. Age has made me more relaxed in the way I deal with children [Kamini gave an example]. I don’t let things get me down. I don’t let failure send me to my bed. I don’t get as stressed by the kids, like, … I think I have a thicker skin maybe, I have got a higher tolerance for naughtiness … I have more of an ‘armour’ now. More patience, more enthusiastic, lower expectation of the kids’ behaviour, like, I am not expecting them to be perfect all the time.

Career changer teachers like Kamini can find aspects of the classroom and teaching young children exhausting compared to an office job. There are lessons to be planned and learning targets to be fulfilled, and work does not end when the school day concludes. Kamini echoed these sentiments of what it is like to work in a school. For Kamini, school was where one could never completely switch off or feel the task had been completed. The constant demand and guilt also pushed Kamini to think of teaching as a learning journey, and there was an ongoing urge to challenge and improve herself to be a better teacher. In my previous career, I might have to stay there till 8.30pm but once I closed my office door and left, I didn’t think about it again until I went back the next day. Whereas here [in teaching], it will be Sunday and I will be at a barbecue with friends, but at the back of my mind, I am thinking, ‘what will we do for news topic talks next week? Or have I really given this girl enough work with her reading? Or I can plan for the next unit for next term?’ You are always on.…you don’t switch off at all.

Like other career change teachers, she was intrigued and frustrated at times with how the performance systems worked in the education system compared to other workplaces. It was as if everyone was entitled to the same pay and reward conditions irrespective of how they performed in their jobs. It was a “foreign” experience coming from an office working environment, and this type of ideology and policies reminded her of “communism”. Interpretations like these on how career change teachers may “position” school is interesting and worthy of mention. it’s very kind of almost communism where everybody must get the same amount and sometimes their (teachers) sense of entitlement is uh … takes you back a bit. I don’t understand it because in other workplaces, you get what you are given and you are thankful for it and if someone else gets more, it’s because they are working harder than you are.

Kamini’s frustrations about the lack of a performance-based salary system in teaching can also be heard strongly in another group of career changers—those coming from the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professions. Individuals who were earning well in their previous professions inevitably find it harder to adjust to teachers’ salary. This, combined with the lack of a reward system, tends to hit career changers hard. We investigate this group of career changers in Chap. 8 of the book.

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Despite these frustrations, Kamini appreciated the strong collegiality, supportive environment and cohesiveness between teachers, which was in stark contrast to her previous workplace, which had far less collegiality and far more “backstabbing”. Working among school colleagues who showed genuine care served as a reminder for Kamini to see the good in people, be grateful, distinguish between the less important and the more important, and carry on with the job in hand. There was no battle to be fought and won, just educating children and caring for them: in a sense, the “good” side of communism. When asked about her plans, Kamini spoke of hope and optimism and indicated that, having chosen teaching, she would be a teacher forever. She elaborated this statement by describing the love and affinity with primary school children, the joy she found in being part of their lives and teaching being her true passion. Having entered the profession in her late-thirties, Kamini was thankful for all the skills her previous life had given her. But at this point in time, she could not see herself doing anything other than being a teacher. It was as if she was trying to make up for lost time. Kamini’s satisfaction with her career switch, with being a teacher at that time and into the future, resonates with literature. This literature indicates career changers, if compared to first-career teachers, are highly satisfied with their job and experience less stress, especially having been in the profession for some time (Troesch & Bauer, 2017). This satisfaction is attributable not just to age but also to more substantial general self-efficacy beliefs that result from an accumulation and mastery of experiences and skills from previous training and careers (2017). Kamini’s descriptions of being a teacher and the relationships with her students were primarily constructed around mutual respect for her students, and on love and trust. Working with children … it’s so much nicer. It’s impossible to be depressed about your job. Or I find it is impossible. Just looking at them, you know, little smiles or when they get a concept that you didn’t think that they could get and they look at you and they are proud and you’re proud and it’s all just … it’s filled with kinda little life affirming moments … every day is really wonderful. I am a teacher forever now, I can’t believe I waited for so long … It’s like opening a present on Christmas morning, just to have their little brains open and to see the meaning made for them.

Kamini’s story is reflective of career changers who enter teaching motivated by strong push and pull factors. There is also a story behind the late discovery of one’s true passion in many career change teachers and implications, both for themselves and their students. Clearly, career change teachers have much to offer under these “life-changing” circumstances. The loss to one profession is a gain to the teaching profession, with many “Kaminis” probably still out there somewhere, “born” to be teachers and waiting for their stories to be heard.

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4.3 The Story of Jim I still remember in primary school, we had to draw a picture of what we all wanted to do as a career and mine was a scientist. So, uh, that’s something I’d always been interested in. Subjects came and went but I was always good at science, I always enjoyed science.

At the time of the interview for the 2014 study, Jim was teaching physics at a public high school. Though not classified as disadvantaged, the school had a high proportion of students who came from challenging backgrounds and needed additional learning support. Jim had completed a Master of Teaching. He had a degree in science, majoring in astrophysics. His previous career included working in the construction industry and by 2014, Jim had been in the teaching profession for four years.

4.3.1

Previous Life

In his previous life, Jim worked in the construction industry as a manager for about five years. He had also been employed in jobs such as working as a bouncer and a security guard. As well, he had tutoring experience while studying at university. Although Jim graduated with a science degree, majoring in astrophysics, he used very little of his qualifications in the sector he was employed in, or, in his words, “…never had the time to look at the stars at night.” Hence, while he enjoyed his construction role, he continued to have a deep passion for science and science teaching that stemmed from his university days. Moreover, his role demanded working long hours, which took time away from his family. And Jim felt he would be unable to sustain the workload for an extended period. As Jim put it, “it was a high power, high stress job with high rewards”, and he desired a work-life balance. Jim was also motivated after speaking with family members who shared positive stories about teaching. Jim was intrinsically driven by his passion for science, and his current career struggles provided the impetus to make the change. This is not uncommon in career change literature, as indicated by Bauer et al., who point out that factors such as “desire to make a difference and improve the conditions of life for those they teach, love of the subject as was being unhappy with their previous career” all play a role in the decision-making process (2017, p. 187). When he decided to leave the construction industry, a career in teaching seemed the right fit, enabling Jim to pursue his first love and be closer to science. I felt that I wanted to get closer to science that I had studied originally … so that’s the part of me that motivated the change … I have got a passion for science … and it’s sharing that … if you look at all the great scientists and physicists like Einstein, they all went to teach, that’s what I feel like.

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Navigating the Transition

Jim’s story is painted with his love of astronomy and his aspirations for igniting a similar passion in his students, teaching them about space and the universe. He was excited to talk about his initiatives and plans to bring the beauty of understanding space to students, for instance, through organizing astronomy nights, building collaborations between schools and space organizations and inviting the broader community to such events. There was a certain enthusiasm and preparedness to go beyond his normal teaching duties. He had a clear passion and drive to inspire students with a love of science and astronomy, exemplifying quality teaching attributes. For me, it is actually the face to face teaching, particularly of physics. It is watching the lights get turned on, it’s something that really motivated me... it is the ability to tell them how big the universe is....that’s the really rewarding part for me.

Jim was also able to articulate the benefits of outside world perspectives that career change teachers bring to students. He wanted people, including parents and other teachers, to know and hear about career change teachers, their distinctiveness in working outside of the school and how those experiences can create a broader outlook that can benefit students and their learning. The benefit that they [second career teachers] bring, in general, but also to the kids I think. It makes [it] a lot more relevant [that] you can speak about, ‘In the job I did, it wasn’t teaching, it was another job and this is what we did, this is how I am relating and I am trying to teach you about a job that you might want to do.’ … you can say to students, ‘there are things that are bigger than the school…if you are a tradesperson … you could talk about the issues with them because I ran a team of 50 tradespersons … I was able to break down that barrier that often develops… it expands their horizons a lot.

Coming to work in a predominantly female-oriented sector as a teacher, after working in the construction sector (which was then a predominantly male-oriented sector), Jim spoke of difficulties this posed of working with young people and the adjustments that needed to be made in his new role. He needed to learn new ways of treating his students, unlike his previous role as a manager and employer. that was a whole different spectrum of behaviour management, task management, you know, and the pedagogy and teaching them how to do things, getting the message across, even communicating with them, it was completely different.

Additionally, Jim’s story highlights the struggles that career change teachers could face if there has been a gap in exposure or interaction with school students, placing demands on them that are new and unfamiliar. The intensity of interacting with adolescents can generate experiences of change and discomfort impacting career changers’ identity (Tigchelaar et al., 2008). Jim acknowledges the initial discomfort he felt when faced with teenage students since, as a construction engineer, he was only used to a “male-dominated work environment” and managing them, with some being “tough guys, even ex-convicts.” He described the school as an “alien environment … never worked with children before … was a whole complete different set of dynamics of working with teachers and students … that whole thing was very alien to what I was used to.”

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Jim conceded that when he first came to teach, he did not understand the skills required for managing student behavior, particularly because he found things had changed quite a bit since he had been in school. “The discipline, the way the kids behaved, the phones, the attitudes and I think even the motivation for work and the work ethic had completely changed.” Initially, Jim believed that his previous work experience, for example, as a construction manager, would be sufficient to put strategies in place to ensure successful classroom management. He soon realized students behaved and acted in different ways, and he had to learn new ways of understanding and navigating the classroom and school culture. Jim had to teach himself some of these skills. Students behave differently under different conditions, and Jim had to learn to adjust and evolve appropriately, whether in the classroom or on playground duty. Jim did not necessarily view this as problematic; rather, it was about unlearning some of his old habits and relearning new habits while being constantly aware of the school context. Jim learnt to apply some of the skills from his previous roles and teamwork setting experiences if he thought they were appropriate to the situation and circumstances he was dealing with at the time. Being a security guard/bouncer, I learnt a lot about body language … I learnt of strategies which then I had to draw out years later as a teacher … in terms of knowing how to control a situation, knowing how to pick out people in a group that may cause trouble and dealing with it in a way that is not going to escalate it.

Reflective of his varied roles as a manager in the construction industry, as a bouncer and security guard, Jim’s choice of words to describe a situation or experience is noteworthy. Such language also needs to be read in the context of students under Jim’s care, who were typically not from a high socioeconomic background, and who had high learning needs. For example, You control it (the situation) before it gets out of hand, things like that … even if you are going to have a talk with a student, it’s going to be the right place to have it, positions where you can be in control and assert your authority.

Jim’s choice of words about wanting to be in charge and having control of situations resonates with Amy’s language and description. It is difficult to know why this is the case and whether this rings true across all teachers, whether career changers or not. This brings us to the point of career change teachers’ level of expectations, what they set for themselves and how they about it to meet those expectations. Lack of opportunities in teacher training programs to build their “soft skills”, including classroom management (Koehler et al., 2013) or not being adequately supported to help manage their expectations, is not a new phenomenon in career change literature (Troesch & Bauer, 2017). While Jim was passionate about being in the classroom and sharing his love of astronomy with his students, he did not necessarily feel the same way about all aspects of the school environment. One could sense frustration and disappointment when Jim explained challenges experienced with school bureaucracy and senior executives, including a lack of recognition of his skills. For instance, Jim wanted

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acknowledgment from senior management about his strengths and what he brought to teaching from his background. I am not a 21/22 year old. I have experience, I have managed 50/60 people on site before, so in terms of being in that level … like, it was a step down … in terms of responsibility and management, it was a step down from where I was … I am not credited for what I have done previously and that does bug me.

Jim’s frustrations are not unique, with some literature pointing to the perceived quality of school leadership being a major source of dissatisfaction among career change teachers. Criticisms around management style and decision-making ability seemed to be particularly true of those who had previously been self-employed, professionals and managers (Laming & Horne, 2013). In this sense, Jim personifies a common issue among career change teachers, particularly when they have come from a position of authority and responsibility. Career change teachers, like Jim, find it difficult to understand the workings of the school system as well as balancing relationships, including leadership matters, with senior colleagues who may be unable or unwilling to understand such frustrations. When these kinds of bottlenecks build up, they can create doubt about long-term career plans and commitment to the teaching profession. Jim suggested that senior management have a different approach when dealing with career change professionals and be open and responsive to their needs and expectations. Managing a second career teacher is very different to managing a 21 or 22 year old beginning teacher. Second career teachers may have 10 or 20 years’ experience and so, it is a different management thing. You need a different approach.

The transition to a different workplace is never easy or smooth sailing. Jim’s story highlights that career changers can be flexible in adapting to different situations and applying creativity in their efforts; for instance, going the extra mile and taking more effort when sharing their passion with students. Jim’s genuine interest in his subject area and confidence that came with his prior work and people management experience certainly helped his transition. Clearly, there could have been additional opportunities for Jim’s skills to be recognized appropriately and, in fact, opportunities for him to share his prior knowledge and people management skills with school executives and senior staff. It is unclear as to Jim’s plans, but his story highlights the complexity of systemic issues that can hinder career changers in teaching.

4.4 The Story of Sharon Everyone is so different and I see myself coming into it (teaching) now and I see other people like..I think you have to go through that process of, whether it is beginning teacher, second career teacher, I think every teacher has to go through that first six-month process of crying at your desk because kids aren’t doing what you think they should be doing and progressing to the mould that you want them to, in order to show that you are a good teacher. You have to let go, reflecting or creating your ability as the teacher.

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When interviewed for the 2014 study, Sharon was a public high school teacher of English and drama in her second year of teaching. Sharon completed her undergraduate degree in Arts, majoring in English and had worked in various customeroriented jobs following her graduation, such as in travel and tourism. Although she had completed a teacher education qualification about ten years previously, she continued to work in the travel industry for a major airline. Concurrently, she worked in primary and high schools on a casual basis when she had time off from her job as a flight attendant, before quitting her job to take up full-time teaching.

4.4.1

Previous Life

Sharon had diverse careers, spanning hospitality, tourism, family childcare and casual teaching before she settled to become a full-time teacher. As Sharon mentioned, teaching had been part of her life for a long time, influenced by family and personal factors, even though she chose to pursue different career paths earlier. Because of her previous teaching roles and having both teaching and non-teaching qualifications, Sharon may not fit neatly into what we in this book describe as a career change teacher. However, Sharon’s most recent career working as a flight attendant for more than eight years, before teaching became her chosen career, qualified her as a career changer. I did work experience at the primary school and my mum has been pushing that for years, ‘you will be a good teacher’ and I kind of knew that all along but it wasn’t the right time…also because of the experiences I had previously, especially with the “people to people” young ambassadors abroad on the buses and the coaches….but I am so happy that I have had all that stuff (other work experiences) because it almost lets me now to go, “okay, I am happy to sit in this next block (of teaching as a career) and for it to be bigger.”

In one sense, teaching could be seen as a “fallback career” for Sharon. She was experiencing some difficult personal challenges, particularly toward the end of her flight attendant career. She was weighing up the best career choice for sustaining her future and for her young family. I needed to make some decisions that would progress things reliably and solidly forward and also with good time. I can’t be in a 24/7 roster (as a flight attendant) when I have got a 4 year old and a separated partner. So, needed to make some decisions.

Even while working as a flight attendant, because she had teaching qualifications, Sharon was undertaking casual teaching during long periods of leave from the airline job. However, with a young child to care for, Sharon reached a point when managing two different careers was no longer feasible or secure. I had a very “do what I want” approach for twenty years … now, it feels like a very clear demarcation for me in what’s happening for my employment and career … teaching was at the back of my mind all along but I wanted to do other things.

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Sharon’s story was filled with diverse experiences, and she drew from various sources (including casual teaching roles) to describe her journey as a “career changer”. Sharon was not new to teaching in the same way as Amy, Jim or Kamini; however, getting back into full-time teaching after spending a considerable period in a completely different role traveling the world brought a unique set of challenges and experiences in a similar way that other career changers had experienced.

4.4.2

Teacher-Student Relationships

Sharon thought of herself as a “people person”. Social interaction and personal communication were dominant features across most of her prior roles. The experiences provided Sharon with the ability to understand humans and their behavior under different circumstances and conditions. Sharon had been a coach tour leader. She was employed to look after young children in a family day care setting. She had also been a flight attendant. These roles gave her experience working with diverse age groups from the very young to the very old, and everyone in between. While each role required a unique set of skills, they were all customer-focused, and a common theme of client satisfaction ran through in Sharon’s responses. The client–customer relationship was important to Sharon in many ways; it became transferable to school settings, though this needs to be understood with caution, as will be discussed below. Students were like “clients”, which required Sharon to hold the relationship with respect and care while providing quality “service” in the form of education. Her previous roles helped Sharon understand and recognize individual clientele needs, group dynamic workings, and gave her coping mechanisms to deal with the stresses and pressures that come with such roles. These strategies proved beneficial as a teacher, and she found ways to adapt her previous skills to benefit the teacher–student relationship. The examples Sharon cited below demonstrate how she adapted her prior experience and skills in school settings. Adapting skills or habits is not the same thing as “transferring” skills, and Sharon reminds us of the difference between the two through the examples below. She adapted her flight attendant skills to bring students “into line”, and her job in family day care gave her skills in being flexible to situations. I have definitely used the ‘not worrying about the exact line formation of movement’ that I got from being a coach tour leader. I use the flight attendant stuff experience if you need to sometimes pull someone into line but not necessarily go too [far] … when I did the family day care job …. I used that kind of experience of just going through the steps with the students.

Viewing students as “clients” can create problems, especially when a career changer like Sharon has worked in a customer-focused environment. New skills needed to be learnt but also some old habits needed to be “unlearnt”. As she explains

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below, some of the skills needed as a flight attendant are neither necessary nor appropriate as a teacher. Having worked in multiple roles that were very different from one another, Sharon brought valuable skills as a teacher, but this also required her to think which existing skills to retain and which to abandon. I think of the students as clients; that comes through my head quite a bit … due to the clientele thing … Luckily from years at hospitality, I don’t take anything from the students, the clients, personally. I have been a flight attendant for so long, so smiling is part of it. So, I had to be careful of that because I had one student who thought I was not taking their problem seriously, I had to watch that and I wasn’t really aware of that at the beginning.

The concept of perceiving students as “clients” is not a new phenomenon in teaching, particularly for those educators who work in independent fee-paying schools where education, rather than being viewed as a public good, could be seen more as a “delivery of a commodity” provided to students (and their parents) in exchange for fees. Similar terminology can be seen in career change literature where there was an implicit message that career change teachers bring private sector values and ethos to public sector leadership and management practices (For instance, (Wilkins, 2017; Wilkins & Comber, 2015). Some of Sharon’s sentiments resonate with Kamini’s story and the role of perspective-ness and having a handle on the bigger picture. It also reflects characteristics seen in career change teachers having reached a point in their lives when every little thing does not have to matter greatly. My expectations of them as students have been tempered with time as well with my aging. Like I don’t expect to be able to get every student and get them to a point where I would like them to be at or to do something that is closer to perfection. They are just individual people and that’s what it is going to be. Not everybody is going to fit some mould that doesn’t even really exist.

Teaching gave Sharon the freedom and independence that she did not experience in her previous roles. She reflected on her past casual roles that were highly inflexible and restrictive with significantly less autonomy, focused on just getting the job done: I really like the aspect (teaching) that you run your own day … Whether you have a good day or a bad day, you run your own day. And get to do whatever you want to do, I really like that aspect. How organized you are, how much you get time, how much time you have got left and what you do with it is up to you is the fantastic aspect.

Sharon’s comments above speak to the uniqueness of each career change teacher, dependent on the context they have come from and the experience they have had in the past as well as expectations they have of the teaching profession. While Amy and Jim found the school environment restrictive (“governed by bells and rules”), Sharon had the opposite view, finding teaching to be a liberating experience.

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Financial Impact—The Strain

There is no doubt that career changers face a financial hit when they switch to teaching. Admittedly, most come from professions that pay higher than a teachers’ salary. While we know career changers are more inclined to join teaching for altruistic and intrinsic reasons, financial stability, along with work/life balance, are also seen as important considerations in their decision-making processes (Anthony & Ord, 2008; Bauer et al., 2017). Sharon delayed her entry into teaching because she knew she would not manage her financial situation. While many, like Sharon and Kamini, may enter teaching with a full knowledge of the financial impact teaching may have on their lives, other factors come into play only later, of which they were previously unaware for example, the pay structure systems in the teaching workforce and the absence of performance or merit-based systems, unlike in other professions. Sharon talked about how she became painfully aware of the pay/reward system for teachers and complained of “the inability to see a clear pathway to promotion.” Altruism, though significant, played second fiddle to feeling financially secure. Moreover, one could sense disappointment in Sharon’s tone about how her frustrations impacted her role as a teacher and what initially drew her into teaching. At the time of being interview, Sharon quoted, I’ve really struggled this year with the school’s set structure….have felt affected by a malaise brought on by the fact that when I give my all and above … I have seen no improvement in position and in financial payment.

While we may not be privy to Sharon’s future experiences and plans, her responses reflected the frustrations of career change teachers, who become painfully aware of the financial sacrifices and the loss of income resulting from entering teaching. Her comments also capture the unequal relationship between the demands of teaching and the pay system and reflect issues that face all teachers, second career or otherwise. Sharon’s story raises important issues for the teaching profession. Financial strain, its long-term effects and lack of knowledge or misconceptions about teacher career progression can dramatically impact career change teachers’ current experiences and plans negatively. This raises important issues about providing necessary and vital information about the teaching profession to career change entrants so that informed and realistic assessments can be made regarding their prospects and long-term retention (Bauer et al., 2017). State education bodies (in countries like Australia) and teacher education providers can play a critical role in disseminating such information, including pay scales, employment trends and current and future employment prospects to potential career changers.

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5 Summing Up Through approaches of case study and narrative inquiry, the stories of Amy, Kamini, Jim and Sharon provide a snapshot of the diversity that exists within career change teachers and between career change teachers and other groups of teachers. Each of them had a unique set of skills, experiences and qualifications, and their stories were contextually embedded in the schools and situations in which they taught. However, the stories also revealed some strong common themes that typify this cohort—passion to share expertise, utilizing personal strengths to connect with students, issues around expectations from the profession, whether financially or intrinsically, and navigating the transition in personal ways. Chambers identifies career change teachers as having “realistic expectations” (2002, p. 215) about students due to the wider perspective they have adopted as a teacher, which was apparent with this group of teachers. Though perspectivity and maturity enabled them to have a “realistic” mind-set, questions arise about what this means in terms of their performance as teachers. Conversely, they held high expectations from their students, accompanied by a strong, caring relationship. Like many who change careers later in life, each of the four teachers was on their own journey of personal and professional struggles and successes, and not all of them had a clear sense of their future pathways. The stories of Amy, Kamini, Jim and Sharon, while deeply personal, are also woven and interconnected with the stories of the systems and structures of which they are a part and the level of preparedness by the systems to value and support career change teachers. Coming later into the profession also means they shed a different light on students—with a future-focused emphasis. This description by Sharon may convey, to some extent, the complexity surrounding transitions and the implications (including benefits) of these transitions on individuals themselves and on the teaching profession, but also highlights what a “matured” teacher might look like. Yes, I think I have changed as a person but maybe it’s because of age. It is not because of teaching. I think I changed as a person because of age and then teaching was a product of that change … I think just life and life experience brought about a change. I think it was 36 for me and that changed my focus, so teaching was a product.

In the next chapter, we discuss what kind of teachers are career changers and what they bring to teaching practices and student learning. We discuss the teaching practices of career change teachers in classrooms to understand what works and what does not work for this cohort. We hope to provide insights into questions such as, what kinds of teaching methods and mechanisms do they adopt to teach content and concepts? What influences do their prior experiences play in this process? And in what way do their previous experiences enable or hinder their current teaching practices and ways of being a teacher? What other kinds of classroom learnings do career changers bring to their students, other than content and concept teaching? In doing so, we are not in any way comparing career changers’ teaching practices with

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those of other teachers. Our overarching purpose is to learn more about career change teachers and shed light on what might their teaching practices look like. This brings us to examining the overarching methodology that has guided the book’s writing. We describe our methodology in philosophical terms since this is aligned with the book’s purpose of understanding the lives of career change teachers, why they changed careers, what matters most to them, and what aspirations they hold for themselves and for their students.

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Lee, D. (2011). Changing course: Reflections of second-career teachers. Current Issues in Education, 14(2), 1–19. ERIC. Miles, M. B, & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded source book. Sage Publications. Omar, M. K., Self, M. J., & Cole, K. M. (2018). Teaching job satisfaction of career-switchers in career and technical education school system. In International Research Symposium Series (IRSS), Malaysia. Priyadharshini, E., & Robinson-Pant, A. (2003). The attractions of teaching: An investigation into why people change careers to teach. Journal of Education for Teaching, 29(2), 95–112. https:// doi.org/10.1080/0260747032000092639 Richardson, P. W., & Watt, H. (2006). Who chooses teaching and why? Profiling characteristics and motivations across three Australian Universities. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 34(1), 27–56. https://doi.org/10.1080/13598660500480290 Smith, J. A., Flowers, P., & Larkin, M. (2009). Interpretative phenomenological analysis: Theory, method and research. SAGE. Stake, R. E. (1995). The art of case study research. Sage Publications. Thomson, I. (2004). Heidegger’s perfectionist philosophy of education in being and time. Continental Philosophy Review, 37(4), 439–467. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11007-005-6886-8 Tigchelaar, A., Brouwer, N., & Korthagen, F. (2008). Crossing horizons: Continuity and change during second-career teachers’ entry into teaching. Teaching and Teacher Education, 24(6), 1530– 1550. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2008.03.001 Troesch, L. M., & Bauer, C. E. (2017). Second career teachers: Job satisfaction, job stress, and the role of self-efficacy. Teaching and Teacher Education, 67, 389–398. https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.tate.2017.07.006 van Manen, M. (1990). Researching lived experience: Human science for an action sensitive pedagogy. The Althouse Press. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315421056 Varadharajan, M. (2014). Understanding the lived experiences of second career beginning teachers. [Doctoral Dissertation, University of Technology Sydney]. http://hdl.handle.net/10453/29255 Wagner, T., & Imanel-Noy, D. (2014). Are they genuinely novice teachers?: Motivations and selfefficacy of those who choose teaching as a second career. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 39(7), 1–28. ERIC. Wilkins, C., & Comber, C. (2015). “Elite” Career-Changers in the Teaching Profession. British Educational Research Journal, 41(6), 1010–1030. ERIC. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3183 Wilkins, C. (2017). ‘Elite’ career-changers and their experience of initial teacher education. Journal of Education for Teaching, 43(2), 171–190. https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2017.1286775 Williams, J. (2010). Constructing a new professional identity: Career change into teaching. Teaching and Teacher Education: An International Journal of Research and Studies, 26(3), 639–647. ERIC. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2009.09.016 Williams, J. (2013). Constructing new professional identities: Career changers in teacher education. SensePublishers. Williams, J., & Forgasz, H. (2009). The motivations of career change students in teacher education. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 37(1), 95–108. https://doi.org/10.1080/135986608 02607673 Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications: Design and methods (6th ed.). SAGE.

Chapter 6

The Teaching Practices of Career Change Teachers: What Works and What Doesn’t Work?

1 Introduction In part two of the previous chapter, we were introduced to Amy, Kamini, Jim and Sharon, their backgrounds including prior career and life experiences, and their motivations to change career and switch to teaching. We were also afforded glimpses of their journeys as teachers and highlights of what stood out in those journeys, including ways in which they understood students, other colleagues, school as a work environment, their passions and tribulations, as well as ways they navigated the transition process, based on their circumstances and context. We turn our attention to examining the teaching modes and practices of career change teachers. Keeping with the qualitative theme of bringing rich insights rather than generalizing, we acknowledge that every teacher is idiosyncratically informed by their own learnings, beliefs, understandings and influences about teaching practices as well as understandings about how these are to be applied in their classrooms. The chapter has two primary components: firstly, to provide examples of career change teachers’ classroom teaching methods and teaching practices, and secondly to examine the extent to which career change teachers draw upon their past skills and knowledge to connect them in their current role. Transfer of competencies may not always occur automatically and smoothly, and complexities involved in the process will be discussed. The chapter will draw on examples of teaching practices and learnings as indicated by teachers Jim and Amy. Relevant descriptions given by other teachers who were part of previous research on career change teachers by Varadharajan will also be drawn upon (2014). Original quotes from interviews with participants in Varadharajan’s (2014) study have been added. This will be supplemented by examining the small literature that exists on career change teachers’ teaching practices. A point to note is where it does exist, and it is primarily embedded in the context of studies on STEM career change teachers—a group of teachers that we have focused on in Chap. 9. In the absence of recent research in this area, we note the need for exercising caution when generalizing beyond the teachers and references discussed in this chapter. © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021 M. Varadharajan and J. Buchanan, Career Change Teachers, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-6038-2_6

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2 Laying the Context for Career Change Teachers’ Teaching Practices Teaching practices are often shaped by the experiences, knowledge and skills that all teachers bring to school. New skills and knowledge are learnt, while building upon prior learnings when involved in the process of educating learners. Similarly, all learners (school students) come to school with a set of skills, knowledge and abilities. Teachers have a duty to build on students’ prior knowledge, giving every student the opportunity to flourish and succeed in learning. Having had exposure in various settings before joining the teaching profession, career change teachers have a wider repertoire of skills and knowledge that they bring to the classroom and to their teaching practices. Armed with this additional set of skills and knowledge, career change teachers lend credibility to their teaching and are likely to positively influence their students and contribute to creating successful learning opportunities. But the ride for career change teachers and indeed for schools employing them is not always smooth sailing. Teachers might not always know how or which of their skills and knowledge to apply in current teaching and learning contexts. Schools and other staff might not know how best to utilize career change skills in classroom and other contexts. Because of having workplace experiences in different fields or disciplines outside of education, career change teachers understand the context of what occurs beyond school. They are therefore keen for students to understand the connection between what they learn and its applications in the outside world. A significant aspect of career change teachers’ practices concerns how best to make those connections meaningful by utilizing some of their prior skills and experiences in effective ways to produce better student learning outcomes. Teaching practices are informed by a range of different skills and experiences. Professional knowledge from prior workplace, skills and capabilities derived from previous careers, knowledge derived from prior education and from teacher education courses, experiences gained during practicum as a student teacher, experiences from their own time as a school student, individual’s own perceptions about their ability and personal attributes and characteristics are just some examples. We bring the totality of our knowledge and understanding to bear in our teaching. New workplaces require new skills and prior understandings and experiences may not always be appropriate or adequate for the new workplace, and as with any career transition, career change teachers’ skills or experiences from prior employment and other contexts may not all be relevant or apply in education contexts (Haim & Amdur, 2016). The use and relevance would depend on the subject being currently taught, how closely the subject and subject content aligns with career changers’ prior nonteaching qualifications or work experience, characteristics of student cohort, year level being taught, and the competency and skill level possessed by career changers in connecting prior knowledge to curriculum and subject topics to name a few. Some subjects may lend themselves more easily than others for teachers to build and demonstrate the theory–practice connection with students. Studies show STEM

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career change teachers find it easier to perceive and build meaningful connections between their past experience and its applicability in the school context, for example, connecting theoretical scientific concepts in the curriculum to real-life examples in practice such as valuing reasoning, providing analogies and experimentation (Grier & Johnston, 2012). Teaching methods and practices, and the ability to make connections between past skills and present teaching can also be influenced by the length of time and experience of the career change teacher in their previous field, time needed to plan and build these “theory–practice” connections into teaching and curriculum, workload constraints and whether their contributions are met with support and enthusiasm from school staff and students. The lack of longitudinal research on career change teachers means we do not know the answers to some of these questions and for how long teachers may make connections to previous work. However, as long as they continue to identify themselves with their previous roles and profession, relevant connections between past and present will be made (Grier & Johnston, 2012). Most significant of all perhaps is how career change teachers themselves make sense of the transition in their new role, their ideas and beliefs about teaching and teaching practices, how they consider themselves as educators and whether they believe they have the ability to apply previously acquired skills and knowledge into their teaching context (Tigchelaar et al., 2014). Guided by Schlossberg’s (1981) transition theory, we examine career change teachers’ ability to cope with the transition to teaching and what enablers and challenges exist as they learn to navigate and connect their prior learning experiences in their current role. Haim and Amdur discuss the 4 S’s of Schlossberg’s transition theory—situation, self, support and strategies, in the context of 36 career change student teachers’ ability to cope with the transition to teaching after participating in an alternative fast-track induction program (2016). They describe a situation which relates “to the person’s perception of his or her new role and the school context; self relating to one’s personal characteristics and resources for coping with the transition; support includes not only the actual support provided throughout the transition, but also to how this support is perceived. and finally, strategies as ways in which the individual actually copes with his or her new role and role requirements, particularly strategies that manage stress” (Haim & Amdur, 2016, p. 346).

3 The Teaching Practices of Career Change Teachers When we consider the teaching practices of career change teachers, we can think of two dimensions: firstly, the theoretical and conceptual knowledge brought from prior roles or prior education and how that is applied in school curriculum and subjects being taught, and secondly, the skills drawn from diverse life and career experiences such as problem-solving and critical thinking attributes that could be applied to teaching general capabilities (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority—ACARA) or life skills to students. Career changers look to multiple ways to offer a glimpse of their previous worlds to their students, and they

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may do this spontaneously and creatively during a routine class lesson (Varadharajan, 2014). The connection or transferability can extend beyond school content to trigger interest and enthusiasm among students for the subject or discipline area, helping students apply their knowledge to the workforce and in the real world (Tigchelaar et al., 2008). A science teacher, for instance, in order to dispel some of the myths about the scientific world, can talk about her contributions to the STEM profession in her previous role as a physicist and explain why STEM is important to solve some of today’s global challenges. In many ways, this attribute to spark interest in students is why many entered the profession and is the distinguishing factor from other teachers (Varadharajan, 2014; Varadharajan et al., 2020).

3.1 Connecting Prior Knowledge We noted in Chap. 5 that Jim taught physics, and his previous career included working as a manager in the construction sector. He studied astrophysics at university. Jim was able to describe how he connected his previous work experience as well as his knowledge of astrophysics to teaching subject matter content to students. I always hoped it [construction background combined with his qualifications] would help because I know I was using forces and things like that in my construction work, so it seemed like I would be able to apply a lot of that skill in [teaching] physics and it did. I think it really makes a difference. So, in that aspect, it gave me something different. I had this experience that I could share with them regarding that.

Jim felt he was able to transfer his competencies in engineering and construction to the classroom. As a physics teacher, he enabled his students to “see” the connection between what they were learning and how it is used in the practice. I could speak about direct issues that I had known which I thought made it way more relevant than the books were saying, so I could pitch directly to them as potential engineers, based on my experience teaching first year engineering and also in construction, I thought that really worked well with physics.

He felt that his prior work experiences “and dealing with other adults in a work environment” enabled him to be confident as a beginning teacher among other teachers and colleagues. Jim’s practical knowledge about physics and engineering and its applicability in the construction sector meant he explored creative ways of communicating and sharing that passion with his students, as this excerpt demonstrates: I think my construction background was really helpful. Because you have a lot of students that are going to TAFE to do apprenticeships, you have got a lot of students in physics, everyone wants to be an engineer or a pilot … so in the engineering aspect of it, I could say, “when we are on a job, we are building a suspended slab, the forces were this, the design had to be like this.”

Like Jim, Amy took every opportunity in her teaching practice to relate her past experience with the content being taught. With an engineering background and having

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worked in accounts and now a mathematics teacher, Amy gave examples of how she used her practical knowledge of mathematics in the classroom, for example, in explaining a mathematical concept. Amy spoke of how the “real numbers” made the connection “valuable” and “meaningful” to the students. I use real-life examples from my previous career, to explain things like consumer arithmetic, salaries and commission-based payments … that’s really connecting with the kids. I could see that they got something out of that and enjoyed that.

Amy strongly believed in the importance of providing a context to students when teaching mathematical concepts, whether it be through direct connections with her prior work or how certain concepts are used in everyday jobs by people who work in those jobs. She gave examples from her previous career when teaching concepts related to consumer arithmetic or teaching about wages and salaries. And that’s really valuable, for example, when I am teaching how to calculate commissionbased payments, I say, “this was my salary and this is how I worked it out and you know, what’s the difference”?...and they were real numbers and that makes it much more meaningful for the students when they can see one month I earned $2000 and next month I earned $10,000 and they go, wow (laughs) and so, that makes it real.

Similar sentiments were echoed by Tasfia and Matthew, two other teachers who shared their journey as part of Varadharajan’s, 2014 research study. As a mathematics teacher and having previously worked as an accountant, Tasfia’s knowledge about the real-world application of mathematics meant she was able to articulate the theory– practice connection effectively. At the same time, they might be spontaneous in how they apply their knowledge depending on how they see fit for their students and what works best in the circumstances. She quotes: I just keep giving them practical examples of how things are going to be in the outside world. Whatever I teach, I try and bring the outside world perspective. I think it is very important. Whatever concept I teach in maths, I try and bring the outside world experience. My real focus is ‘how is the concept related to the outside world’. For example, if we are doing ‘gradient’ or ‘slope’, so when I am doing my lesson plan, I make sure I incorporate all of those.

And as Amy notes, spontaneity could occur by “using throwaway lines that give teaching credibility” and generally “being able to find the most relevant thing that will be helpful in teaching the students.” Similarly, Matthew having worked in a range of diverse roles in the marketing field reported. if you are telling students that I am delivering the content to you through teaching you and assisting you with these skills and these skills will be relevant whether you leave at the end of year 10 to go and be an apprentice builder or ...what about if you start your own business, down the track, you need to know how to do a quote, advertising, marketing or whether you go on to tertiary education or further education.

In the above descriptions by Amy, Tasfia and Matthew, we can notice a recurrent theme of contextualization, used by teachers as a way of connecting their prior knowledge. Context was a “means” or tool that teachers used to apply or adapt their past

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knowledge in current teaching practices—such an approach could also be thought as either a personal characteristic or resource (“self” or “strategy” under Schlossberg’s transition theory) used to manage or navigate their transition process. Matthew had specific skills in marketing/sales, Tasfia and Amy had applied mathematical knowledge, and Jim had engineering and construction knowledge. They were each able to contextualize their experiences in their current role, and this framing enabled them to ease into teaching. We are limited in engaging with this concept further due to the sparsity of the recent literature in career changers’ adaptation or transfer of their earlier competencies into teaching practices, particularly in the context of school curriculum. The few studies that exist explore this concept in the context of career change teachers who come from STEM fields. We suspect this is because of the characteristics of STEM content and subjects that acts as an enabler to seamlessly traverse from field science to classroom science to examine the connections made (e.g., Chambers, 2002; Grier & Johnston, 2009, 2012; Powell, 1997). However, we provide a brief snapshot of previous studies here, primarily to highlight the similarities between our own research and other studies.1 Studies on career change teachers indicate they have a clear willingness to pass on knowledge and experience acquired in their earlier professions (for instance, Chambers, 2002; Marinell, 2008). Tigchelaar et al. note that career change teachers’ conceptions about teaching and learning are influenced by their earlier experiences (2014). Even though individuals may differ widely in how prior experiences manifest themselves, certain common characteristics found primarily in career changers, for example, their intrinsic choices and attributes to do with passion and commitment, enhance their motivation to pass on knowledge to their students. However, conceptions, especially during the transition phase, are multifaceted ranging in a continuum from content-oriented/teacher-centered to learning-oriented/studentcentered (Tigchelaar et al., 2014, p. 118). We can recall that something similar was noted by Amy in Chap. 4, as her thinking shifted over a course of time, moving from self-focus to student focus. In an earlier study, Chambers found that because teachers felt proficient in the content area, in solving instructional problems, in curriculum design and generally in their approach to the task of teaching, participants took efforts to help students to apply and understand the real-world applications of the subject at hand (2002). Similarly, Marinell’s study on second-career science and mathematics teachers also revealed participants’ use of real-world examples from their previous experiences to help students connect with subject content (2008). Real-world examples were also used by career change teachers in Grier and Johnston’s study where they demonstrated an “authentic caring for their students and student learning that was manifested in two ways: viewing student learning as their responsibility and through making content connections in their lesson plans and teaching by using real-world examples” (2009, p. 71). While some examples and activities were taken from their prior career, teachers used lesson activities found on the Internet that “required students to 1

There might be a minor overlap of studies that is covered in Chap. 8.

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see the connections between science and math in the classroom and real-life experiences” (2009, p. 71). Such sentiments to make content relevant for students’ future were echoed by Matthew, too, one of the teacher participants in Varadharajan’s (2014) study. Matthew saw care and flexibility as being central to his teaching philosophy, so students “know that you care about them, not just care about their content…and flexibility of both approach to the students and also to the syllabus and to the curriculum.” Students needed to see the different ways he cared for them including creating lesson plans that enable them to see the connection between the subject being taught and its many applications in everyday life. Because science and mathematics with their numerical concepts, experiments and laboratory work lend themselves more easily to making the theory–practice connection effective, we suspect that career change science and mathematics teachers can find ways to readily adapt or link their knowledge to curriculum and vice versa, which is why there seems to exist more literature in this area. STEM career change teachers’ ability to link prior knowledge with school content and curriculum can be considered a specific strategy (under Schlossberg’s transition theory) they desired to use in their teaching practices and as a mechanism to navigate the transition.

3.2 Connecting Prior Skills Career changers also bring a whole range of diverse and important employability skills considered essential for the workforce, including problem-solving and time management skills (Hunter-Johnson, 2015), communication and multitasking skills with a strong work ethic (Grier & Johnston, 2009), “occupation-specific” technology skills (Rowston et al., 2020) and autonomy and teamwork (Tigchelaar et al., 2008). Furthermore, career changers are characterized by qualities of maturity and confidence and other life skills that may allow them to adjust more easily to the demands of the teaching profession (Lee, 2011; Varadharajan, 2014; Varadharajan et al., 2020). In an earlier study of alternative teacher certification candidates, participants believed that “their experiences from previous careers such as practical real-world knowledge, effective interpersonal and organizational skills will positively influence their performance as teachers” (Salyer, 2003, p. 24). Through their prior work experiences, career change teachers would have had the opportunity to develop interpersonal skills and to learn flexibility and responsiveness to change. They may also feel they bring to the “classroom expert knowledge and patterns of thinking acquired in their first career and skills” in how to approach the task of teaching (Chambers, 2002, p. 215), contributing to being “agents for long term positive change within schools” (Trent, 2018, p. 944). Matthew believed his experiences gathered prior to school—including his interactions with people at his prior workplace—made it possible for him to be “confident, flexible, creative” in his teaching approach but also enabled him to “set my approach to the kind of teacher I would want to be” (as quoted in Varadharajan, 2014). In this sense, Matthew’s identity construction is underpinned by his efforts to align his teaching practices with his beliefs and values.

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Having worked elsewhere, career change teachers recognize how important it is for students to possess workplace skills to be able to succeed in career and life. Matthew emphasized employability and workforce learning skills to his students after coming across colleagues in his previous career in the marketing field who lacked effective written and communication skills. According to Matthew, these conversations arose spontaneously during the course of classroom teaching and discussions, further indicating career change teachers’ capacity and intention to help build students’ skills in these important areas (Varadharajan, 2014). Similarly, when Amy spoke of her high expectations from her students and the kind of “standard” she expected of them, it was about equipping them with skills they would need for later in life. I expect them to set out their book correctly and if they don’t I expect them to correct it because this is the stuff you need in life to be able to organise yourself, date your pages, know where you are at, be able to get somewhere.

Life skills also come from being a parent and raising families, a characteristic likely to be visible among mature-age workers. Elizabeth, another teacher participant, was a parent to teenage children and described the advantages of being able to relate to teenage students and utilizing some of her parenting experiences to instill a love of learning in them. I felt, (having teenage children) gave me a bit of an advantage. You know that I am quite used to talking to teenage children. I was able to keep in touch more with stuff that interested them, I knew what episode of the Simpsons they referred to illustrate some particular point or I knew what....talking about working out the frequency of a radio station, I knew what radio station they were likely to be interested in.....just minor things like that, I suppose just that bit of familiarity with the things they talk about, the things they are interested in.

A range of diverse skills that career change teachers bring from different contexts may also result in stronger appreciation of the profession, while having a “profound impact on themselves, their colleagues and students” (Lee, 2011, p. 2). However, prior knowledge and skills may not necessarily be the best weapon in all situations and may impact negatively in the new career. A whole set of complex factors influence the success or failure of connecting past knowledge with current career—individuals’ own perceptions of their skill and knowledge level and capacity to connect; type of teacher training programs they were part of; and needs and context of students and school circumstances are just some which we discuss below.

4 To What Extent Are Career Change Teachers able to Make Connections Between Past and Present While the literature emphasizes the positive aspects of what mature-age entrants bring to teaching, studies have raised questions about the extent to which connections between past knowledge and current needs can be made. Being an expert in one

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profession does not necessarily make one a good teacher, and transferring competencies to teaching is neither an automatic nor smooth process (Eifler & Potthoff, 1998; Tigchelaar et al., 2008), with differences between transferability and specificity acquired through “doing” teaching (Trent, 2018). Moreover, having been away from schools and the education system for some time, career change teachers, especially at the beginning of their career, might struggle with many elements that are part of their new career, in turn impacting their new identity construction as teacher. As Jim put it, the classroom presented: a whole different spectrum of behaviour management, task management … and the pedagogy and teaching [students] how to do things, getting the message across, even communicating with them. It was completely different … I thought [communicating with students] would be similar to an adult. Obviously, it is very different … and it takes a long time to really be able to manage that space really well.

As we have emphasized in this book in various chapters, career changers have the competence and strategies to adjust well to school demands. We also know that prior skills are highly relevant to the classroom and many career changers are keen on adopting methodologies that are student-centered that help to make the connections (Chambers, 2002; Haim & Amdur, 2016; Priyadharshini & RobinsonPant, 2003). However, connecting prior knowledge to the classroom is a different kind of skill—that which is familiar to career changers (prior knowledge) transposed into a new surrounding (the classroom). To connect these two things can pose significant challenges for career change teachers, and its success depends on several factors, including individual teacher characteristics, stage of transition/teaching, support they receive and the necessity of the skills in the classroom context. We try to unpack some of the issues here. Firstly, studies question the transferability of career change teachers’ competencies to the school setup (Eifler & Potthoff, 1998; Grier & Johnston, 2012). Even though many teachers possess significant expertise in a specific content area being taught, they may not easily be able to connect or transform their extensive work experience and non-textbook-oriented practices to create and implement conceptually rich and meaningful teaching practices in conventional school settings (Powell, 1997). Having content expertise or subject matter knowledge does not mean teachers are equally equipped with competent teaching skills or skills to identify or pinpoint the connection between their previous experiences in a content area and optimal ways “to teach” that topic (Trent, 2018). Career change teachers can struggle to be competent in pedagogical skills (how to teach the content and concepts) because they have been out of touch from education for a longer period than other new teaching entrants (Varadharajan et al., 2020). Besides, knowledge transferability or ability to see the connection from one context to another is a discrete skill that needs to be taught. If career changers do not have the opportunity to learn or receive training in this process, they may struggle with transferring their competencies in ways suited to students (Baeten & Meeus, 2016; Eifler & Potthoff, 1998; Grier & Johnston, 2012). Career changers would also have to rely on being given suitable opportunities to

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implement conceptually rich teaching practices or be able to create enabling conditions for those practices to occur—something that might not be readily possible in traditional school settings. Secondly, even in cases when the subject area being taught is similar to one’s previous career or role, for example, an accountant teaching mathematics, and the connections may seem obvious, it may still not always be possible to generate suitable or relevant theory–practice connections or give appropriate examples from previous life to share with students, in a manner that students can comprehend (Halladay, 2008). In Grier and Johnston’s study on career change science teachers, having a previous STEM career with relevant qualifications and experience did not necessarily translate to being a successful science teacher who could create engaging science lessons for students (2012, p. 42). Thirdly, in the transition process, particularly during the early days, teachers might focus on the skills needed for a new teacher (as with all new teachers), rather than thinking about ways on how to connect their prior knowledge in the classroom. Classroom teaching practices consist of several components and learning a whole new set of skills—curriculum familiarity, content mastery, lesson preparation and planning, classroom management, pedagogic competence, testing skills to name a few. This thinking may lead to some teachers parking or putting aside their prior knowledge, relying solely on their teacher preparation training to succeed in their current school contexts and teaching practices. Conversely, some career changers can resist learning new skills, believing their previous experience will stand them in good stead to perform the job of teaching (Haim & Amdur, 2016). Either way, the connection between past competency and current applicability is unlikely to be the focus for the new career change teacher entrant.

4.1 Entrenched Views and Impact on Teaching Practices and on Connections We further elaborate on the last point since having entrenched views or resisting learning new skills can impact both career changers’ current teaching practices and impede making successful connections between past and present experiences, thus neutralizing the advantage of utilizing career changers’ prior skills. Career changers’ own conceptions and beliefs about teaching and teaching methods can impact on their ability to share their past skills with students in the classroom. Teachers’ beliefs are influenced by their past experiences, for instance, their own schooling, and this then shapes their teaching beliefs about whether they should adopt a studentcentered/knowledge construction focus or teacher-centered/knowledge transmission focus and so on (Tigchelaar et al., 2014). If they have not had recent exposure to current educational practices and lack understanding about the evolving roles of teachers, there could be a tendency to harbor outdated views on students, student learning, how teaching and learning should occur and more broadly on the role and

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contribution of schools and education to our society. It is easy for career changers and any teachers to regress to “teaching the way they were taught” (Oleson & Hora, 2014, p. 29). Preexisting beliefs and conceptions and any deficiencies that arise can act as deterrents, impacting upon career changers’ current teaching practices and in their development. Jenne suggests that far from being agents of change in schools, career change teachers may hold “well-entrenched and rigid” educational perspectives and perceptions that were acquired during their first career and from other life experiences (Jenne, 1996, p. 6). Having formed firm views and beliefs on teaching and learning, some career changers may be unwilling to adapt to their new situation. Even though Jenne’s study examined the perspectives of some career change teachers in a rather limiting way by focusing on the experiences of ex-military personnel in the subject area of social studies, she raises questions about the flexibility and willingness of this group of teachers in knowledge construction. Jenne questions the nature of career changers and whether they are a conservative and traditional force, who prefer to “leave things as they ought to be” or are agents of change and transformation (1996, p. 22). Entrenched views can arise if some career changers fail to learn to adapt to new ways of teaching or learn to upskill because they have been successful elsewhere and think they have enough knowledge already. In other words, having a false sense of confidence can hamper their use of existing knowledge to connect in productive ways with students. Because of their experience and knowledge outside school settings, career changers might see other teachers in a “less experienced” light and form views on teachers’ capabilities that could be seen as prejudicial or condescending. Career changers want to be seen as different from other cohorts—viewing themselves and/or others as less/more knowledgeable might be one strategy they adopt to satisfy this purpose. Varadharajan found that Matthew quoted several instances to show career change teachers were far more likely to be an “effective” teacher than “traditional” teachers who have been in classrooms for a long period of time, showing tendencies of self-interest rather than student interest (2014). It must be noted that Matthew took care to indicate this was not a generalization by any means, acknowledging that every teacher is different having unique strengths and capabilities. The point being made, however, is career change teachers can have preconceived views about other non-career change teachers, in some ways overstating their own experiences and abilities. More recent studies point to the paradoxical double-edged sword situation that exists among career change teachers (Haim & Amdur, 2016) and career change preservice teachers (Varadharajan et al., 2018), partly emerging from their adjustment processes during career change and partly caused by external forces. Trent notes the positioning of career change teachers within dominant discourses of “traditional” and “conventional” teachers as well as participants’ self-positioning in practice as “innovative” and “risk-taking” teachers can cause tensions to teachers’ personal and professional identity (2018). The clash between “what I believe in” and “what the school wants” can be painful, causing antagonistic relations between different identity positions (Trent, 2018). Discourses and self-positioning can play a prominent

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role among career changers because they are likely to come into teaching with wellformed beliefs and ideas drawn from their previous lives or careers. The challenge is how each teacher deals with those ideas or beliefs. In Varadharajan et al.’ s study, one half of over 500 participating career change pre-service teachers perceived their student learning needs to be different from those of other pre-service teachers and the other half considered their learning needs to be the same as any other new teacher, desiring to acquire new knowledge in their new career (Varadharajan et al., 2018). The former group were looking for teacher education programs tailored to their needs, something which was lacking among many providers. In the same study, some career change pre-service teachers desired to be recognized for their “differences” or their expertise and knowledge, yet, paradoxically, others did not explicitly state they wanted to be recognized and perceived themselves the same as the rest of the new pre-service teachers (2018). Participants in the former category were disappointed at not having their former skills and qualifications acknowledged or accounted for in their studies, but questions remain as to whether they may bring with them a sense of entitlement because of being “older and experienced” and consequently carry with them stubbornness and resistance (to the point of being seen as arrogant) to new learnings and adaptations (2018). Career changers’ own conceptions combined with tensions and barriers that exist in education systems can be a double-edged sword in their paths to flourishment in the profession. We note here that resistance to learning is an undesirable trait in any teacher, and that any older teacher, career changer or not, might be prone to this. Moreover, it makes sense for an educational jurisdiction to recognize and capitalize on prior learning in any teacher, as they should in any student. The way in which career change teachers conceptualize their competencies matters. Tigchelaar et al. note that when earlier experiences/competencies are conceived or conceptualized as “sources of knowledge,” then competencies tend to be defined in terms of in deficit terms which needs to be addressed in alternative certification programs or formal training mechanisms (2014, p. 119). However, when career changers conceptualize their earlier experiences as personal qualities that they possess, such competencies are then viewed as strengths, which could be “enriched by theory and by mutually sharing expertise” (2014, p. 119). Career changers’ perceptions on how they conceptualize their competencies, whether it be sources of knowledge or personal qualities or in some other way, determine whether they can act as impediments or successes. Contrary to Jenne’s research, flexibility and adaptability to transition emerged as strong characteristics in the recent literature (for instance, (Varadharajan et al., 2020). Teachers see themselves as wanting to adopt alternative pedagogies and be agents of change in educational reform (Tigchelaar et al., 2008). However, teachers should also have realistic conceptions about teaching and learning and the necessary pedagogical or other support to prevent them from reverting to practices from their own school experiences that are not conducive to student learning (Haim & Amdur, 2016). Some of these discussions lead us to question whether career change individuals who enter teaching are being given too much credit for what they are “deemed” to possess and, at the same time, are too much assumed or expected of them as teachers.

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Returning to Schlossberg’s transition theory (1981) and the 4 S’s of situation, self, support and strategy, we conclude that all four elements have a role to play as we examine career change teachers’ teaching practices. The elements help us in understanding the extent of connections that are possible (or not) between career changers’ past knowledge and skills within their current context and the extent to which teachers are successful in career transition and construct successful teacher identities. Career changers themselves may see building connections between their past experiences and present context as a sense of trajectory or pathway for themselves, in their journey of change from one community to another (Grier & Johnston, 2012). Teachers’ conceptions and formation of assumptions about teaching and education systems, their preexisting beliefs that they bring to the profession, and openness or resistance to learning are all elements that speak to their self and situational context. The lack of formal or informal institutional support to combat these various internal and external struggles can add to the challenges they face with career transition.

5 Final Observations This chapter has set out examples of ways in which teachers drew on their prior skills and experience in respect to subject matter expertise and other skills once they became classroom teachers. Teachers brought their knowledge and experiences from their prior career, from their specialty degree (particularly when they moved into teaching the same subject in which originally qualified) or from past experiences and knowledge gathered from schools where they may have taught earlier such as when they were pre-service teaching. Connections with past skills occurred either through real-life examples (to explain concepts that they are currently teaching) from their previous job or degree qualification or by drawing upon their general experience and what they felt was important for students to know after leaving school. Even if their previous job did not directly relate to their teaching content, teachers were still keen to share the “outside world” or “real-world” perspective with their students (Varadharajan, 2014). The context of time is an important point to make when we think about connections made by career changers and how much of this occurs when teachers transition from their previous career. We anticipate that what has been discussed in this chapter, including the examination of theories around transition, is more applicable for teachers during the early transition phase and beginning of their teaching careers. In the first few years, career changers are more likely to examine, consider and work through the various ways of sharing their skills and knowledge with students where this is possible. No doubt, a combination of previous experience and teacher preparation program skills will influence their teaching and pedagogical approach and as teacher identities are constructed (Trent, 2018). As Tigchelaar et al. note, teachers’ beliefs and conceptions (indeed for all teachers), shaped by their earlier experiences, range through a continuum from

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content-oriented to learning-centered (2014). For some career changers, while they utilize their prior knowledge and share their expertise with students, their approach, especially at the beginning, could be more teacher-directed learning, presumably due to their own earlier experiences in schools. As time evolves and teachers have been in classrooms for a longer period immersed in current practices, while they are likely to draw less and less on their prior experiences, particularly specific content knowledge from prior roles, they could be more open to student-centered learning. It is important to note that this line of argument may not be true for all career changers, even during transition or at the early teaching phases. What is more likely to be shared consistently over time, and likely to have a greater impact with students, are career changers’ life experiences, organizational skills, personal qualities and workplace and employability skills such as communication, autonomy in problem-solving and professionalism, as well as aspirational skills of thinking beyond school. They have a stock of existing “ready-made” internal resources, in the form of experiences and attributes acquired from previous work, education, relationships and other life experiences which have become a part of their personality and way of life. Hence, these are the types of skills they are likely to transfer or share with their students which are likely to have a long-lasting beneficial impact on students’ lives. Making connections between past skills and current context requires guidance, direction and specific strategies that career changers can “apply” in ways that are pedagogically suitable and beneficial to students. Significant gains could be made in addressing how competencies could be transferred in specific ways (Tigchelaar et al., 2008). If teacher training processes and methods, both pre- and in-service, do not take into account their background or their diverse skills, and insufficient opportunity exists to help them learn how to translate their prior knowledge to schools, career changers may quickly become frustrated (Varadharajan et al., 2020). While research indicates a paradoxical situation with career changers, they need, as do all teachers, support and encouragement from schools and education providers to identify and hone their skills to unleash their best selves. This process should come naturally to learning places such as schools. As Haim and Amdur point out, “In order for them to translate these skills to the classroom and use them effectively, they need to be shown that the skills are relevant and be able to adapt them to the context of the classroom…through the provision of frequent contact with mentor teachers and pedagogical advisors to develop professional skills and transfer competencies” (2016, p. 364). Teacher training programs may also need to consider the relationship between theoretical and practical aspects and how these can be contextualized based on teachers’ prior skills through guidance from experts and peer agents (Haim & Amdur, 2016), perhaps from other career change teachers. Opportunities should be provided for teachers to reflect on their conceptions of teaching and learning (Tigchelaar et al., 2014). Career change teachers can be offered training and support strategies to transfer their competencies effectively and efficiently (Keck Frei et al., 2021). These support mechanisms add to the knowledge of factors that facilitate the career transition process, including informing the recruitment and retention of career changers in the profession.

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Salyer, B. A. (2003). Alternatively and traditionally certified teachers: The same but different. NASSP Bulletin, 87(636), 16–27. https://doi.org/10.1177/019263650308763603 Schlossberg, N. K. (1981). A model for analyzing human adaptation to transition. The Counseling Psychologist, 9(2), 2–18. https://doi.org/10.1177/001100008100900202 Tigchelaar, A., Brouwer, N., & Korthagen, F. (2008). Crossing horizons: Continuity and change during second-career teachers’ entry into teaching. Teaching and Teacher Education, 24(6), 1530– 1550. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2008.03.001 Tigchelaar, A., Vermunt, J. D., & Brouwer, N. (2014). Patterns of development in second-career teachers’ conceptions of teaching and learning. Teaching and Teacher Education, 41, 111–120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2014.04.001 Trent, J. (2018). “It’s like starting all over again”. The struggles of second-career teachers to construct professional identities in Hong Kong schools. Teachers and Teaching : Theory and Practice, 24(8), 931–950. Education Database. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2018.1477752. Varadharajan, M. (2014). Understanding the lived experiences of second career beginning teachers. [Doctoral Dissertation, University of Technology Sydney]. http://hdl.handle.net/10453/29255. Varadharajan, M., Buchanan, J., & Schuck, S. (2018). Changing course: The paradox of the career change student-teacher. Professional Development in Education, 44(5), 738–749. https://doi.org/ 10.1080/19415257.2017.1423369 Varadharajan, M., Buchanan, J., & Schuck, S. (2020). Navigating and negotiating: Career changers in teacher education programmes. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 48(5), 477–490. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359866X.2019.1669136

Chapter 7

A Phenomenological Approach to Understanding Career Change Teachers

1 Introduction Career change individuals’ motivations for choosing teaching later in life are complex and personal. However, there is a common thread in their search and decisions to embark on a teaching career which are made with reflective thought, purposeful inquiry and questioning. For some, their inquiry into becoming a teacher is derived from becoming intrinsically aware of what they wanted from life in the future. At the same time, there would be a recognition that teaching is able to fulfill what was lacking in their previous lives and careers. It is against this backdrop that we open this chapter to a phenomenological understanding of career change teachers to highlight the transformation that occurs in these individuals as they change their working environment and form new relationships in their new workplace. The thematic stories of Amy, Jim, Kamini and Sharon examined in Chap. 5 and their (and others’) teaching practices discussed in Chap. 6 acted as a first level of interpretive engagement with the teachers, their lives and their experiences. This mindful engagement has paved the way for a deeper phenomenological understanding of teachers discussed in this chapter. Taken together, Chaps. 5, 6 and 7 provide a holistic picture, revealing the personal journeys, trials and tribulations and hopes of career change teachers who are part of this book.

2 A Deeper Phenomenological Inquiry I want to understand the world from your point of view. I want to know what you know in the way you know it. I want to understand the meaning of your experience, to walk in your shoes, to feel things as you feel them, to explain things as you explain them. (Spradley cited in Kvale, 1996, p. 125)

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What is it like for someone who comes from a different career to be a teacher and how can we explore the impact of the internal and external adjustment processes that take place in the new role? A qualitative and interpretive lens allows us to gain rich and deep insights into people’s experiences during and after what is a deeply personal journey—a career transition. It is under these premises that this chapter is situated where we seek to understand the personal journeys of some of the teachers we have been introduced to and met in previous chapters (Chaps. 5 and 6). To help us navigate this process, we will be guided by a phenomenological inquiry with a focus on an existential understanding of the teacher participants’ lifeworlds through their lived experiences. We were introduced to the methodology of the book in Chap. 5, and we will be extending our understanding further in this chapter. In its broadest sense, phenomenology helps us understand our existence in this universe—how we live and what we live. The nature of this form of inquiry has been summarized in the book’s introductory chapter, and further explanation will be provided below to contextualize the phenomenological premise of this chapter. Following on from the stories we have seen in earlier chapters, we hope to provide a more insightful revelation into career change teachers’ lives and make a valuable contribution to the book’s premise of showcasing the diverse and meaningful aspects of this group of teachers. Using an existential lens, we understand our group of career change teachers, their relations with others and the meaning they create for both themselves and with others. An existential lens can also help us understand their nature and ways of being a teacher after changing careers. Existential themes underpinning career change teachers’ lived experiences that are discussed in this chapter have been adapted from Varadharajan’s earlier work (2014). The chapter is guided by the works of Martin Heidegger’s hermeneutic phenomenological approach to understand, describe and interpret teachers’ lived experiences in schools (1962). The works of Max van Manen (e.g., 1990) and Jonathan Smith et al.’s interpretive approach to inquiry research (2009) are also very relevant to this chapter as we attempt to make sense of interpretive phenomenology in the lived world of people and relationships. We also refer to John Dewey (1938), the educational philosopher and his principles to understand career change teachers as educators in their practice of teaching. Phenomenological inquiry of career change teachers will be examined under the following sections: 1. 2.

An existential understanding of teachers’ motivations to change careers Teachers’ lifeworlds: Lived relations and lived space.

At this point, it might be useful to recall the rationale behind choosing phenomenology as a mode of inquiry to examine career change teachers, detailed in the book’s introductory chapter.

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2.1 Rationale for a Phenomenological Inquiry and Its Use in This Chapter Firstly, teachers’ motivations to change careers and their stories about their life, career and school experiences are both personal and professional. They embody principles of deep self-reflection and self-questioning. These characteristics lend themselves to a qualitative and existential mode of inquiry. Secondly, an existential focus can lead to a more meaningful and richer understanding of some of the themes that emerged from the teachers’ stories, particularly differences between past and present careers including relationships with others. Thirdly, this book is an attempt to provide a fuller and deeper understanding of career change teachers’ lifeworlds,1 and a phenomenological inquiry allows us to achieve this purposefully. Apart from lending itself to an insightful and deep understanding of career change teachers’ decisions and their ways of practice in schools, a phenomenological inquiry provides an opportunity to examine the differences between teachers’ past and current contexts in a new light. For instance, what is it like and how does it feel for Amy, Sharon, Jim and other teachers in our study to work, communicate and “live” in a school whose environment is vastly different from their other workplaces? These types of existential questions have largely been unexplored in career change teacher studies in a school context. Fourthly, in phenomenological terms, lifeworld is referred to as the individual’s “world of immediate experience” and inner world of consciousness (Husserl, as cited in van Manen, 1990, p. 182). Gaining access to teachers’ lifeworlds, this way helps us understand the lived world of teaching that they occupy and that which they are aware of and experience in everyday situations and relationships. Fifthly, we recognize that all social phenomena need to be understood and interpreted through language and, as van Manen argues, all “phenomenological description is text interpretation” (1990, p. 39). Hence, in this chapter, it is through language that we will attempt to disclose the deeper ontological meaning of participants’ lived experience as revealed through the interpretive process. Lastly, a qualitative or interpretive focus is not uncommon in career change literature, though not examined in the way we have done in this book. Hence, this chapter and book build upon previous literature while ushering in a new dimension. It is to be noted that certain words used in this chapter signify a “phenomenological” meaning, for instance, “everydayness”; “orienting toward”; “ownedness”; “ways of existing,” and “becoming.” Later explanations and illustrations thereof will help to clarify and expose the intended meaning of these terms. We will now examine each of the two sections of a phenomenological inquiry. Participant profiles are in Chap. 5, and quotes are from interviews with career change teachers in Varadharajan’s, 2014 study.

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An individual’s world of immediate experience.

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3 An Existential Perspective on Teachers’ Motivations According to Heidegger, the human self is lost to the present moment in routine “everyday,” mostly mindless actions and tasks, without necessarily questioning ourselves (as cited in Dreyfus, 1991). The inquiring mind and the possibilities that can exist for the self thus remain either undiscovered or concealed. Career changers, like all of us, are similarly engaged in completing routine tasks and activities, carrying on lives in a mode of average “everydayness.” Teachers, like Amy, Tasfia and Matthew, conveyed a feeling of disappointment at living their lives in an everyday mode of “superficial” existence in their previous careers, whether due to stress or other circumstances. At some point during the time in their previous career, some talked about realizing the insignificance of being worried for seemingly trivial aspects of their work: “being stressed about something that really didn’t matter to me,” as Amy put it. While such day-to-day existence is inevitable, Heidegger (cited in Dreyfus, 1991, p. 27) described the normal everyday mode as being “inauthentic,” precluding us from attaining clarity and knowing our true self and the possibilities that are open to us in terms of what we want to achieve or become in the future. It is through a process of confrontation, self-inquiry, questioning and thoughtful reflection that we are able to discover pathways and possibilities for an “authentic” existence” (cited in (Dreyfus, 1991, p. 27). Heidegger used the term “ownedness” (Thomson, 2004, p. 444) as humans taking responsibility (owning up) for themselves for wanting to question and understand the way of life. The process of self-inquiry emerged when teachers like Tasfia and Matthew contemplated changing their careers to become teachers, and their ways of thinking included reflecting on what the change would mean to them intrinsically. Their inward reflection also included attempting to understand the deeper significance of such a change and what it meant to them in terms of how they wished to live in the world. Career change decision processes involved recognizing a lack of something in their present career and then inquiring inward in a search for a desire to improve from their current circumstance, which, for them, involved choosing a career in teaching. I wasn’t getting much out of the job, like, you know the personal satisfaction … It was because, you know, when I started thinking seriously, I thought with teaching, you are really doing something. (Tasfia) Looked back a lot and compared it and found [previous career] lacking and found teaching to be a much better choice. (Kamini)

Heidegger’s use of this recognition and awareness of inquiring into how we live in the world thus constitutes the first step of probing ourselves as we seek to question what we are at present, while, at the same time, becoming aware of other possibilities that may exist. This process of awareness (or an “uncovering” as Heidegger puts it) and recognition of the possibilities of becoming (what we want to become and avoiding what we do not want to become) is of an inward looking nature. It means to reflect and understand ourselves (now) in terms of the possible ways of becoming (future) (Heidegger, 1962). The process of “transformation” (of the self) occurs

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through awareness and looking inward at ourselves. It involves questioning our ways of living in the world, leading to ways of becoming more informed and more educated about ourselves. Heidegger likens the process of the becoming of the self to a “coming home” or “returning to the things themselves” because that is what truly matters—a true self-understanding (1962). Career changers in Varadharajan’s original study recognized that a career in teaching will be able to fulfill their inward search and give them personal and intrinsic rewards. Each of seven career change teachers had a view of what being a teacher meant to them, depending on their circumstances and experiences. They recognized the power of becoming a teacher as an enabler to take them away from their “average everydayness” of living. Participants articulated their intrinsic reasons to become a teacher, expressed in words such as “personally satisfying and rewarding” (Tasfia) and “intellectually stimulating” (Amy) or “sharing passion” (Jim). They all had an awareness and a knowing of teaching being a career that would provide personal fulfillment. This was something that their prior careers could not provide. I thought with teaching, the personal satisfaction and you are really doing something for the community, you know, making a difference. (Tasfia) I have got a passion for science … and it’s sharing that … if you look at all the great scientists and physicists like Einstein, they all went to teach, that’s what I feel like. (Jim).

Matthew articulated his desire to follow his inner altruistic voice. He felt that becoming a teacher would give him the possibility to transform students’ lives: It was altruistic and I wanted to do something that made a difference. (Matthew).

Pedagogy, the concept of how one learns, can be articulated as a form of phenomenological or human inquiry. Dall’Alba noted that pedagogy can be understood from an ontological perspective (2009). In other words, our inquiry into ourselves is a form of pedagogy in that we become educated or learned about who we are. Max van Manen suggests that when someone says they are being called to teach, that calling itself represents pedagogy in a phenomenological sense. In other words, pedagogic calling has a deeper existential significance (1982). Teachers like Kamini, Sharon and Matthew described how they were called to pedagogy and responded: I always kinda thought I would become a teacher, like that was the career path that was set out for me before I even started looking out for a career. (Kamini)

Their inner voices that had remained concealed represented a desire to teach to which they responded when making the career change. Matthew, Kamini and Sharon all had well-paying jobs but responded to the inner call of “wanting to do something that made a difference” (e.g., Matthew). Wanting to be a teacher was responding to the pedagogic call inside them. Previous literature on career change teachers refers to such teachers as “home-comers” (Crow et al., 1990). When teachers in our study like Sharon and Kamini explain that “teaching was at the back of their mind” (Sharon), the “coming home” was akin to returning to the pedagogic call they had always heard but to which they had not responded. It was as if the pedagogic call had gestated until the time of the career change move.

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4 Prior Literature Existential perspectives on teachers’ motivations can also be argued from published studies on career changers. A changing perspective on life, the lack of opportunity to inquire into personal and moral dimensions in previous careers and a realization that teaching is not just better suited to one’s professional goals but closely aligned to personal values and priorities feature strongly in the literature (for instance, Priyadharshini & Robinson-Pant, 2003; Williams, 2013). The literature speaks of expressions such as “personal and moral dimensions of the reward structure” (Watt & Richardson, 2008, p. 423) or to “pursue important personal, intellectual and emotional goals” (Williams, 2013, p. 59), all of which opened up possibilities for an “authentic existence” as Heidegger would put it. Responding to the call of teaching is closely accompanied by a desire to make a difference to students’ lives. Teaching is intrinsically fulfilling and meaningful, but something that can only be achieved through “giving” (of themselves) to others. Powers noted career changers’ “desire to subtly make a donation of themselves” (2002, p. 312)—termed “altruism.” From an existential position, this means students are always and already present in teachers’ intrinsic and altruistic motives and in their desire to understand themselves through educating students. For this reason, career changers joining the teaching profession for altruistic reasons feature strongly in the literature (Priyadharshini & Robinson-Pant, 2003; Tigchelaar et al., 2008; Watt & Richardson, 2008; Williams, 2013; Williams & Forgasz, 2009). Career change teacher studies have also focused on the meaning and relevance of teacher identity leading to growth and development which bears similarities with an ontological and existential approach to understanding teachers (Williams, 2010, 2013). Teachers’ various prior identities had to be negotiated and reconciled by “drawing on the expertise that the previous career had given … in order to construct a new professional identity (as an expert novice) as a student teacher” (Williams, 2010, p. 646). Teacher identity for individuals is not just intrinsically related to their relationship with others (Akkerman & Bakker, 2011), but also with self in the form of self-dialogues and engagement with different parts of the self. From an inquiry point of view, this concept of understanding teacher identity in both multiple (self with others) and single (with self) terms is interesting and relevant in terms of how humans create meaning for themselves in and through their lived relations with others. In summary, career change individuals’ motivations for choosing teaching later in life are intrinsic and personal. However, a common thread that runs through the intrinsic search is career changers’ decisions to embark on a teaching career that are made with reflective thought, inquiry and questioning. The ability to recognize the potential of teaching as a fulfilling career, in contrast to what was lacking in prior careers, is noteworthy. Even before they entered the profession, a phenomenological perspective can be observed as they searched for meaning. These individuals also looked beyond themselves in the search for meaning—through sharing and transforming students’ lives—and perceived themselves, as Chambers states, as, “becoming agents of social and educational reform” (2002, p. 214).

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In the next section, this argument is extended in the lived relation existential theme to demonstrate how teachers make meaning as a classroom teacher in their engagement with students.

5 Teachers’ Lifeworlds Teachers’ stories, as we encountered them in Chap. 5, are based on their lifeworlds, that is to say, their everyday experiences in everyday situations and relations in their varied roles. Experiences are narrated contextually and temporally, moving from their past lives to their present and their future. Experiences are also built around their current social environments and in relation to others in schools as well as in the context of their previous social and relational environments. Changing careers altered these teachers’ worlds not only in terms of who they worked alongside and where their workplace was situated, but also in how they made sense of those changes. A qualitative human science approach, which has both a philosophical and a practical perspective, can be both insightful and messy as one engages with the chaos of the lived world (Smith et al., 2009). However, the messiness can lead to a rich understanding as long as one is attentive to the messiness. In the following section, we describe the lifeworlds of teachers using the existential themes of lived relation and lived space. Max van Manen brings out the existential themes of lived relation and lived space as a pathway of entering the lifeworlds of human beings and understanding lived experiences (1990). The themes emerged in Varadharajan’s, 2014 study and have been adapted for this chapter. In drawing out the themes, it is not being suggested that they are exclusive in some way to career change teachers or that the themes and subthemes may not apply to other teachers’ lifeworlds. The intention here is to apply a phenomenological lens and be able to uncover teachers’ lived experiences, including relationships with students using that framework.

5.1 The Theme of Lived Relation Lived relation is essentially making sense of ourselves and each other through our interpersonal relations. Williamson indicates that we live our lives both in and through others so that our understanding of who we are and who others are is intersubjective (1998). Our lived relation with others and the interpersonal space we share with others are fundamental to our existence, constituting the relatedness to the world. In existential terms, this relationality theme captures our search for what is meaningful through communality, which refers to shared intersubjective understanding (Burch, 1991). Through meaningfully understanding others around us, we can understand ourselves better. Communal understanding leads to enhanced self-understanding.

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The purpose of this theme is to focus on the meaning that teachers created from their relationships with students. The theme is significant for career changers because of a change in their work environment and a shift in relationship. For most of them, their relations and who they interacted with changed from being with adults to mostly interacting with young people. In a practical sense, this meant a major shift, with teachers having to adjust in how they work, communicate and relate and how to create meaning in the communal shared relation shared in the classroom with their students. References to these adjustments were made in Chaps. 5 and 6, for example, when teachers tended to treat and talk to students as adults, and their teaching practices were influenced by their past experiences. However, as noted earlier in this chapter, career changers’ personal motivations to enter teaching are driven by the desire to make a difference to students’ lives, which is significant from both a pragmatic and existential perspective. Burch notes about space and location and that who one is or what one becomes depends on where one is around others (1991). Thus, relation or relationality and space or spatiality are closely connected as participants attempt to make sense within the new space and in the new relations around them in schools. In the following sections and themes, an argument for teachers’ lived relation through pedagogy (as a form of phenomenological inquiry) is put forward. A phenomenological orientation to pedagogy enables us to see the implicit and explicit meanings contained in lived relation and in their ability to be aware of being a teacher. Existential pedagogy can be understood when it is contextualized within the pedagogical relationship that exists between teacher, student and subject matter. Guided by the following existential definition of a pedagogue by Max van Manen, lived relation under the themes of “care” and “awareness of students’ becoming” is discussed. Pedagogy as a form of inquiry implies that one (the pedagogue) has a relational knowledge of children, that one ’understands’ children and youths…. a pedagogue is an educator who feels addressed by children, who understands children in a caring way, and who has a personal commitment and interest in children’s education and their growth towards mature adulthood. (van Manen, 1994, p. 139).

5.1.1

Care

Caring is central to the act of teaching. Care is often spoken of by teachers when they invoke the importance of “being there” for the students. Noddings explains that to care means to care for someone, thus being grounded in individual relationships between persons (2003). The different forms of teachers’ care and concern for their students are illustrated, for instance, providing student empowerment and agency as noted by Eaker-Rich and Van Galen (1996); promoting active and participatory learning as noted by Rice (1996); and engaging children to wonder and be curious as noted by Hove (2011) or in Dewey’s (1938) words, preparing students for meaningful experiences and educational growth. Max van Manen points out that because pedagogy, in a phenomenological sense, means much more than the normal process of teaching and imparting teachers’ knowledge of the subject, it exists in every situation and in every moment (1982, p. 291). Pedagogy is, in fact, care. We now examine

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how pedagogic care is depicted in teachers’ lifeworlds and in their lived relation with students. The elements of genuineness, questioning and experiencing wonder bring to the surface examples of situations that demonstrated teacher care. The significance of these elements and the experiences of teachers given below needs to be read in light of their intrinsic and altruistic motivations for entering the profession as noted in previous chapters and the existential argument that has been posited in the previous section. Genuineness has been explored using Matthew’s experience. Questioning and experiencing wonder has been explored using Kamini and Amy’s experiences. Example—Matthew’s genuine care Matthew’s approach and ability to speak to his students about challenging situations, taking time to understand their actions and behavior, talking it through with them and educating them about the fundamentals of right versus wrong and acceptable and unacceptable behavior are reflective of his efforts to build relationships while showing care: helping to turn these boys who can be trouble in different classes into young men and you know … and I spent 40 minutes with them about it and again knowing some of the personal stories with the kids … So, I guess when they know that you care about them, not just care about their content.

By giving students the opportunity to reflect for themselves about their actions, he was able to build trusting relationships and demonstrate the genuine care he felt for them. A pedagogical relationship is, as Max van Manen points out, a fundamental guarantee that the teacher is there is committed and can be counted on (1994, p. 38). Matthew notes: The most important thing is to be … seen as someone who can be trusted, someone who is always going to give their best and someone who will be consistent with their expectations but [students] can also expect a lot from me as well.

There were other examples of Matthew’s willingness to “be there” for his students, resulting in a worthwhile experience both for him and for the students: Another kid who I had in my Year 11 legal studies class who again got asked to leave but, I’d constantly try and support him … and you know that will go back to the principal’s reports and when he is leaving. Once he had left the school, he ended up writing me a letter to thank me. So, you know, from two boys who were generally not overly interested in school to take the time out to do that was very rewarding.

Matthew’s ways of being a pedagogue involved a genuine attempt to recognize and draw out the “good” in his students. Matthew therefore gave meaning to himself as a good teacher by “doing things right” when it comes to educating children (van Manen, 1982, p. 291). Indeed, as van Manen points out, it is about understanding what is good, which gives meaning to competence when we speak of an adult as a “good” teacher (1982, p. 292). By responding meaningfully to situations as well as by engaging thoughtfully, Matthew displayed consistent efforts to foster character

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building in his students. His intrinsic and altruistic reasons for entering the teaching profession constituted his motivation to genuinely care for his students; they were “under his care.” Example—Kamini’s questioning and experiencing wonder Pedagogy in a phenomenological sense is also about questioning reflectively one’s thoughts and actions, theorizing as it were about the meaning of what we are doing and what we are seeking and perhaps having doubt in oneself. The act of questioning, in a pedagogic phenomenological sense, means to care. Kamini pointed out numerous times how being a teacher meant always developing and being better tomorrow than today. She reflected upon her ways of being a pedagogue by constantly questioning her actions to come up with better ways of doing things: Like you think, ‘Oh, [name of student] would have got that if you had just explained that in a different way’ … I have never had a day where I have gone home and thought, ‘Oh, you did everything right today, that was wonderful, good on you, good job, have a bit of a lie down’. At [Kamini’s previous job], the job is done or it wasn’t done … it was kind of like the issue gets solved … with teaching, you are always constantly looking to get better.

Max van Manen points out that one must actively “listen” to pedagogy, in terms of inquiring, in order to be able to act in a pedagogically better way in the future (1982), precisely what Kamini was striving to do. In the larger existential sense, she questioned the meaning of being a teacher and the purpose of her existence. Her prior career experiences also served as impetus to think about what teaching meant to her now in her life. Kamini recalled and reflected on her lesson plans and strategies at different moments and situations in time to find ways that could improve the educational outcome of her students. She constantly strove to be a better teacher in her questioning and thinking. In the back of my mind, I’m thinking, what will we do for news topic talks for next week or have I really given this girl enough work with her reading or at 3am, I am thinking, ‘ah, I can get up now and plan for the...unit for next term.

Her pedagogic thoughtfulness involved acting with awareness and sensitivity in the everyday educational moment. The pedagogical competence of the teacher also manifests itself in reflective theorizing, as Kamini demonstrated, “reflectively bringing to speech the meanings of pedagogic thoughts and actions” (1982, p. 294). Kamini’s response is characteristic of most teachers and shows care and concern. What was evident was a pedagogical mode of caring as she oriented herself in the relationship to provide the best possible learning opportunities for her students. Thoughtful pedagogy is thus more about being aware of oneself as a teacher and of one’s orientation to teaching so that pedagogy is recognized as “always becoming” and “never already there.” Hove notes that to wonder is at the center of what it is to be human (2011). Thoughtful pedagogy is about being aware and experiencing a sense of wonder in the classroom. One such pedagogical moment of wonder could be seen when Kamini reflected on and recounted her “everyday little buzzes” in school. She found

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extraordinary qualities in her children in the very ordinary moments of the day. “it’s like opening a present on Christmas morning, just to have their little brains open and to see the meaning made in them.” Her wonder at those pedagogical moments can be interpreted as having pedagogic care toward her students. Kamini’s pedagogic calling at the time of her career change decision, in terms of always wanting and waiting to become a teacher, gave her the skills needed to recognize and experience the wonder that existed in the classroom. According to Hove, to wonder is to be engaged in the current of familiar experiences (2011). Kamini’s attentiveness to seeing wonder in pedagogical moments revealed a new richness in the everyday situations in the classroom. She experienced something extraordinary in the ordinary. Kamini always knew that one day she would become a teacher. Being called to this place called school created life-affirming moments for her in her caring relations with her students. You see, that kind of thing, it just when they … when you do … I am explaining something and they are really engaged and then you let them go ahead and complete a task and they just fly and they come to you with their work and their eyes are big and they are proud and they look at you and say, ‘Aren’t I wonderful’ and they are wonderful and you just … ah, that’s making me a little teary … Just looking at them, you know, little smiles or when they get a concept that you didn’t think that they could get and they look at you and they are proud and you’re proud and it’s all just … it’s filled with kind of little life-affirming moments.

Kamini’s “constantly looking at ways to get better” is how she perceived herself, under the theme of lived relation. Her openness to letting herself be challenged in the job shows her care and commitment to “being a teacher forever now.” Example—Amy’s questioning Amy, too, talked about how she questioned herself on what pedagogy meant to her as someone with prior experience: “I also view teaching pedagogy through the lens of an ‘outsider’ and am always questioning what I do in the context of a world beyond the classroom.” Such reflective questioning could be viewed as a form of pedagogic theorizing and may lead to positive changes in her teaching practices. To see pedagogy beyond what can be seen through the naked eye and still be inspired by it is thoughtful pedagogy. Thoughtful pedagogy seems to assume more significance when career changers like Kamini and Amy come into the profession with an intrinsic desire to not only teach but also bring prior knowledge about the outside world, leading them to question possibilities that exist for their future. As Amy put it: “Teachers are always developing—which is daunting but also very exciting. To think that in 20 years’ time I’ll still be developing as a teacher is inspiring to me.” Amy, Kamini and Matthew’s pedagogic care manifested itself in their genuineness in orienting toward students, in their thoughtful questioning and in their experiencing wonder in pedagogical moments. Teachers were drawn into lived relation with students with a greater understanding because they were pedagogically thoughtful and oriented to caring.

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Awareness of Students’ Becoming

Career changers’ awareness of the future of their students can be understood from both an existential and a pragmatic perspective, and we take our inspiration from Dewey in this regard (1938). Teachers’ prior experiences gave them knowledge of a world outside school and the possibilities that existed for the students beyond school. We saw in Chap. 5 how teachers drew on their prior career and life experiences in some form or other. They were able to draw on their experiences because of their own knowledge and awareness of the outside world combined with the present and constant awareness that students will one day become adults and step into that outside world. They were aware of what we call, in phenomenological terms, students’ “becoming”—what students will become beyond their schooling. The pedagogic care expressed by teachers is closely linked to what is called an awareness of students becoming adults. Matthew’s genuine understanding of his role in character building in his students is a direct response to his recognition of students becoming adults and his orientation toward that journey. Kamini’s thoughtful questioning of ways of being a teacher is closely aligned with how she viewed students’ growth and development. Having prior career and life experiences meant that the teachers were keenly aware of students’ lives beyond school and of their own contributions to helping students grow into adults. It is also possible to understand career change teachers’ awareness applying Dewey’s language—as having a quality of “maturity” borne out of practical wisdom and knowledge. Dewey’s language needs to be noted here—“maturity” (1938, p. 31) of experiences of educators in terms of their ability to make appropriate judgments, enabling them to evaluate and enhance continued growth among students. Such dynamic experiences, derived less through knowledge and more through “practical wisdom,” enabled career changers to make wise and mature judgments when they became teachers (Field & Latta, 2001, p. 885). They were able to take up their relevant past experiences and suitably and selectively “apply” them (as Dewey puts it) in the current context and conditions of being a teacher. There also existed a certain continuity of experiences—what career changers possessed by way of prior knowledge and skill in one situation became an instrument to meaningfully construct future experiences as a teacher. In fact, the ability to connect past learning situations to new material and to help students to be able to see continuity in their learning journey is a quality that is attributed to effective teachers (Masters, 2012). Dewey frequently stressed the role of the educator in preparing students for meaningful experiences and educational growth. “The fuller and richer the experiences of the teacher, the more likely he will use them in a liberating way” (cited in Archambault, 1964, pp. 155–156). Dewey’s argument extended beyond content and learning, to life and character building skills and the “formation of emotional and intellectual attitudes” (1938, p. 35). Again, one can observe parallels with teachers like Matthew and Kamini, who were not only able to see life beyond school but also valued education for what it would bring to the students in the future. They perceived themselves as being able to provide pedagogy that best prepared each student to face the

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world, developing students’ skills and capabilities that paid attention to the social and emotional dimensions of intelligence (Education Council, 2020). To summarize, the theme of lived relation describes how teachers embodied an ontological perspective with students by being caring and thoughtful and by creating awareness of life beyond school.

5.2 The Theme of Lived Space Lived space inquires into how we experience our everyday affairs in the space we are in. By seeking to understand our existence in lived space, we uncover the meaning of the fundamental dimensions of our lived life (van Manen, 1990, p. 103). As noted previously, there exists an ontological interdependence or engagement between human beings and the world. We understand the world in spatial terms because we inhabit it by means of the body. Existential space is what the lived body feels and experiences. Spatiality is the understanding of who we are in terms of where we are. The lived body anchors itself toward the world that it is most comfortable with and this is when we can say that the lived body is spatially “at home” (Talero, 2005, p. 444). Pragmatic spatiality or the descriptions and experiences of physical space are also useful to know since this provides a pathway to uncovering existential spatiality. For instance, space connects us to the environment beyond us and gives us a sense of belonging or alienation, depending on the kind of experience we have with space. The situations we are in and the experiences that occur can cause us to alter our whole sense of how we orient our lives (Talero, 2005, p. 453). Thus, as Max van Manen says, “we become the space we are in” (1990, p. 102). Lived space is significant because a change in career has caused a change in an individual’s work environment and their notion of space and their ways of living have undergone transformations. Career change teachers’ thinking about space provided unique insights as they transitioned to school from different environments. At the most basic level, the differences lay not only in the physical structure of space but also in the relations that existed between teachers and the people and space they were situated in. Specifically, the classroom as a workplace environment was fundamentally different from their previous workplaces, requiring mental and physical adjustments at various levels. In existential terms, the school as the spatial environment, having become the center of the world of the lived body of teachers, meant that the lived body needed to adjust itself in the course of determining where its preferred existential spatial level was. However, the process of anchoring or gearing itself to the new optimal spatial level to create new meaning in this existence was both challenging and liberating, depending on each teacher’s experience. Using elements of “bells and rules,” “personal space” and “beast that needs to be tamed,” we highlight examples from teachers’ experiences to invoke the theme of spatiality.

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Examples—The lived space of Amy, Jim and Kamini Schools follow rules and procedures and work to set times for classes and activities. Career changers found it hard to follow school timings and rules at specific times during the day or when instructed by a certain outside puppeteer, the “bell.” Schools lacked flexibility and freedom in the way they were used to in their previous work environments. They were able to take breaks and did not have to strictly follow any set time frame in the way school curriculum and class timetables dictated. Amy considered the school to be an “odd” workplace with the need to adhere to “rules and regulations.” I found the whole school environment very different from any other work experience I’ve had. Because it is an institution and because of the rules and regulations, you’re going by the clock, it is so rigid, you know, you can’t just walk out and go to the toilet…it was really odd to go back in that life cycle of the school … In some ways, you feel like you are the student again.

The spatial level that Amy’s lived body inhabited had been stable until now but became uprooted with the changes in the environment and the body no longer felt spatially at home. Her use of language to differentiate the “work world” from “school” suggests she perceived the spatial differences that existed between the two. Jim expressed similar sentiments: Biggest thing in [school vs work environment]...we could have one and a half hours of lunch in a social environment but discussing some work issues and whatever. You’d be able to set your own breaks and … then to be controlled by a bell, seemed very childish for me as an adult to have to follow these same rules and … You had to be in a certain place in a certain time.

In an existential sense, the parameters of school time spatiality made Amy and Jim feel “restricted or boxed in” (Talero, 2005, p. 452). They felt a lack of freedom, changing their configurations of their self and their world. Both Amy and Jim then had to find new ways to orient to the space, that is, school, to find a new sense of stability and connection. They learnt to renegotiate meanings now as a teacher and in the space belonging to school. The lived body thus required a certain gearing or spatial adjustment. Sharon, however, had a different view, and for her, school space meant a freedom that had not existed in her prior career. Sharon considered the school as “any other workplace” where it is possible to take breaks just as in any other work environment: “You sign out, get in the car, go to the cafe and come back.” She captured her feelings of constriction in one of her previous workplaces as being confined inside a “cupboard.” Being a teacher provided the flexibility and autonomy to be able to “run my own day.” Being in a school environment was a liberating experience for Sharon. Actually, I really like the aspect [at school] that you run your own day. Whether you have a good day or a bad day, you run your own day. And get to do whatever you want to do, I really like that aspect.

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Examples—The lived space of Tasfia and Kamini Lived space also consisted of creating meaning, in the personal space that teachers were in and part of. Tasfia and Kamini expressed their spatiality and shifts in lived space through the concept of personal physical space. Non-existentially, the term personal space refers to the region surrounding a person which they regard as theirs. Maintaining a certain physical “proxemics” or distance helps to create a bubble, thus shielding oneself from others. We may consider it an encroachment on our personal space if that distance is violated although this could vary depending on who the others are in our near proximity. Personal and physical space could take on a whole different meaning when career changers come into the school environment. Tasfia and Kamini were challenged by having to share their personal space with students. They had to share their lived body or embodied space with students in the classroom and felt their personal space being constantly encroached on during all their work time, both within and outside the classroom. Tasfia spoke of the challenges of having to negotiate the differences in personal space and her feelings of shock and frustration: You are sharing your own personal space with so many … kids talking and squabbling … there is so much noise everywhere. It is just constant … at my previous work, it was so quiet; everybody did their own work … You get used to that quietness and you have your own personal space, but at school, even walking in the corridor, you are sharing your personal space with so many.

Kamini, too, described her struggles of her personal space being encroached upon, to the extent that she could even hear children’s voices in her sleep: “I would go to sleep and I would just hear in my head, ‘Ms P, Ms P, Ms P’ … It was like little peckings in your brain and it was just constant.” Kamini’s description of the differences between what personal space meant to her in her previous career (sitting alone in her office; taking breaks as needed; and going for walks during lunch) and how that personal space was taken over in school such that there existed no such thing as personal space is poignant and highlights the kind of spatial adjustment the body needed to undergo in the process of becoming a teacher. In a subsequent conversation, Kamini indicated how she had subsequently become habituated to the noise and space and she “doesn’t even really notice the little peckings in her brain” anymore. Interpreted existentially, her lived body stabilized, binding itself to the world she now occupied in the new spatial environment of the school. Examples—Amy and Jim In the school environment and in the classroom, teachers like Amy and Matthew found ways of expressing their spatiality and existence from both beginning teacher and career changer perspectives. As a beginning teacher, Amy wanted to connect with the space (and perhaps “own” the new space), that is, the classroom, and looked for mechanisms to create meaningful experiences in her spatial environment. She was challenged by the classroom and its dynamics and had to find ways and means by which to understand, learn and make sense of it all:

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In terms of managing the class, management of adults is very different from the classroom … I had no experience that I could really draw on … I felt I wasn’t in control as I should be.

Her vivid description of the classroom “as a beast that needs to be tamed” reflects her feeling that she could make spatial connections with the classroom as long as she had control of it and was able to manage the dynamics. Over the course of being a teacher and in subsequent conversations, we learnt that Amy made adjustments to her optimal spatial level (through strategies and mechanisms) that were comforting to her existence in the classroom: I feel I understand more how the classroom works and what things you can do to change the dynamic in the classroom … So, taming the beast is a little bit more possible. I have got a whip in my hand now … They are strategies that are effective and … makes me feel more in control.

Jim’s response also provided a similar perspective on how he made spatial connections (again, achieved through control) as a beginning teacher: If you are going to have a talk with a student, places where you know, it’s going to be the right place to have it, positions where you can be in control and assert your authority.

For Jim, his existence as a teacher and how the body determined where his spatial level should be were connected with where and how he engaged in conversations with students in the school space. While one may not necessarily agree with how Amy or Jim may have reached their optimal spatial level through control in classrooms, the point is to emphasize the negotiations needed by the lived body to adjust and reorient itself in the new spatial environment to achieve a sense of belonging. Moreover, teachers’ meanings given to their spatial existence are not fixed, but evolve and vary depending on experiences and time. To summarize, teachers’ descriptions of what spatiality meant to them varied depending on their prior career and environment, and their priorities in that environment such as freedom, flexibility and personal space. As beginning teachers, participants like Amy and Jim also negotiated their existence in their new spatial environment through management and control. Through a change in their work environments, teachers experienced a shift in their optimal spatial level and found ways to anchor themselves in this new environment. Spatial relation is necessarily linked with lived relation as teachers learnt to negotiate the changes in their workplace environment and create meaning for themselves in the school space in and through their relationships with students.

6 Challenges in a Phenomenological Inquiry An existential inquiry into career change teachers’ school experiences can be both exhilarating and limiting. Exhilarating because teachers’ stories and experiences are illuminated with a unique, deep and rich perspective. However, as we noted in our introductory chapter, lived experiences are personal, varied, subjective and open to

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multiple interpretations, which raises challenges of truth and subjectivity. The inquiry presents a dimension of reality or truth that is socially and politically constructed, and with no clear, preset rules to follow, challenges related to subjectivism are inevitable. There are also other challenges such as the situational constraints that shape inquiry, the value-laden nature of inquiry and interpretive paradigms, notions such as unreliability, subjectivity and individual bias as well as the production of texts that are ambiguous, not precise or rigorous (Denzin and Lincoln, 1998; van Manen, 1990). Some of the challenges related to a phenomenological inquiry are examined below. A phenomenological inquiry does not follow clear and preset rules; rather, the methodology is a thoughtful procedure of radical inquiry to disclose the truth (Burch, 1991, p. 52). Standards of rigor in a phenomenological inquiry are decided and established in relation to what we are seeking to understand—the subject matter in question. Burch points out that “phenomenology establishes the justification for its procedure in and through its actual process of inquiry into the subject matter and is thus self-defining and self-legitimating” (1991, p. 53). As a method of inquiry that delves into the experiences from the perspective of the participant, challenges associated with subjectivism start to emerge. Firstly, lived experience descriptions (from the participant perspective itself) are never the same as lived experience itself. It is not possible to understand lived experience in its original state or form—neither from the participant who experiences and describes it nor from the researcher who seeks to interpret the experience. Describing, recounting or reflecting on lived experience is never the same as when it immediately manifests or occurs. Secondly, researchers would never be able to understand or grasp the lived experience of teachers as they live the experience. No amount of phenomenological attentiveness can bring to “know” what it is like to be a career change teacher, since the researcher is not the career change teacher. Additionally, the researcher may be challenged by their own prior understanding and preconceptions of what they know about career change teachers. So, how are we to claim what we know and how can we attempt to disclose and explicate the underlying intelligibility of lived experience that already exists? Some of the ways in which the limitations were overcome are stated below.

6.1 Striving for Openness and Rigor A revisit of the following quote introduced at the beginning of the chapter helps to understand what openness and rigor might mean in a phenomenological research. I want to understand the world from your point of view. I want to know what you know in the way you know it. I want to understand the meaning of your experience, to walk in your shoes, to feel things as you feel them, to explain things as you explain them. (Spradley, cited in Kvale, 1996, p. 125)

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Gadamer states that “it is enough to say that we understand (others) in a different way, if we understand them at all” (1975, p. 264). Understanding others in deep and personal ways, in this case, research participants, is by no means an easy task nor an easy journey for the researcher. The task for a phenomenological researcher is to attempt to “disclose the truth of selfhood” (van Manen, 1990, p. 48)—that which may consist of a common world of possible meanings—and uncover the essence of “otherness” through the dimensions of a hermeneutic (i.e., interpretive) situation (van Manen, 1990, p. 48). Hence, when we ask ourselves “what is it like to be Amy?” we are actually inquiring into the meaning of being Amy, a career change teacher. The methodology allows us to “borrow” Amy’s experiences (as well as her reflections on her experiences) in order to uncover and understand the full and deep meaning “of an aspect of human experience” (van Manen, 1990, p. 62). No doubt, the meanings that the researcher accords will be different from the meanings given by Amy herself. The important thing is to be open and aware of what one can and cannot bring to the interpretation. Recognizing and being open to such interpretations is an important component of a phenomenological inquiry to ensure academic rigor and achieve reliability. A second important point is that a phenomenological inquiry requires the researcher to be alert and aware of how the methodology may present itself in the course of the research study. Academic rigor thus constitutes an openness of what is to come and, simultaneously, an awareness and understanding of the various challenges that this methodology can pose. One also needs to demonstrate “sensitivity to context” (Smith et al., 2009, p. 180) at every step in the research journey, from reading about existing literature to presenting research findings. The mechanisms of critiquing and questioning to see and grasp afresh the world of teachers were used and reused in Varadharajan’s study (2014). Going back several times to understand (and relearn) teachers’ historical and social context became the source of objective critiquing and questioning as well as access to teacher consciousness. The process enables to think and question critically how teachers’ past and present contexts were significant (or insignificant) in the understanding of teachers’ lived experiences. The technique of “bracketing” or suspending one’s prior assumptions and beliefs is significant in a phenomenological inquiry that allows attentiveness to insights and understandings and be able to experience something in its purest form “as it is” (van Manen, 1990).

7 Conclusion “Life experiences and background are key ingredients of the people that we are, our sense of self. To the degree that we invest our ‘self’ to our teaching, experience and background therefore shape our practice” (Goodson, 2014, p. 40). Every career change teacher will have unique experiences, both past and present, depending on their individual circumstances and background. The purpose of the chapter was to provide rich insights into the processes of meaning making during

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career change. This chapter brought out two existential themes of lived relation and lived space to help understand how teachers made meaning in their lives after changing careers to become a teacher. Phenomenology and existential pedagogy were used as mechanisms to achieve this inquiry, and a phenomenological and pedagogic analysis of teachers brought out the affective nature of each participant. Qualities such as pedagogic thoughtfulness, care, sensitivity, genuineness and awareness of students’ becoming brought out teachers’ inner passion and drive. Teachers’ unique life experiences played a key role in the process that helped shape who they are as a teacher.

References Akkerman, S. F., & Bakker, A. (2011). Boundary crossing and boundary objects. Review of Educational Research, 81(2), 132–169. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654311404435 Archambault, R. D. (1964). John Dewey on education: Selected writings. The University of Chicago Press. Burch, R. (1991). Phenomenology and Human Science Reconsidered. Phenomenology + Pedagogy, 9, 27–69. https://doi.org/10.29173/pandp15150 Chambers, D. (2002). The real world and the classroom: Second-career teachers. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 75(4), 212–217. https://doi.org/ 10.1080/00098650209604935 Crow, G., Levine, L., & Nager, N. (1990). No more business as usual: Career changers who become teachers. American Journal of Education, 98(3), 197–223. Dall’Alba, G. (2009) Learning professional ways of being: Ambiguities of becoming. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 41(1), 34–45.https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-5812.2008.00475.x Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (1998). Collecting and interpreting qualitative materials. Sage Publications. Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education. Collier MacMillan Publishers. Dreyfus, H. L. (1991). Being-in-the-world: A commentary on Heidegger’s Being and Time, division 1. MIT Press. Eaker-Rich, D., & Van Galen, J. (Eds.). (1996). Caring in an unjust world: Negotiating borders and barriers in schools. State University of New York Press. Education Council. (2020). Looking to the future: Report of the review of senior secondary pathways into work, further education and training June 2020. Field, J. C., & Latta, M. M. (2001). What constitutes becoming experienced in teaching and learning? Teaching and Teacher Education, 17(8), 885–895. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0742-051X(01)000 38-5 Gadamer, H.-G. (1975). Truth and method. Seabury Press. Goodson, I. F. (2014). Investigating the life and work of teachers. Eesti Haridusteaduste Ajakiri. Estonian Journal of Education, 2(2), 28–47. https://doi.org/10.12697/eha.2014.2.2.02b Heidegger, M. (1962). Being and Time. Harper & Row. Hove, P. (2011). Pedagogy in the face of wonder. Phenomenology Online. http://www.phenomeno logyonline.com/sources/textorium/hove-philo-pedagogy-in-the-face-of-wonder/ Kvale, S. (1996). Interviews: An introduction to qualitative research interviewing. Sage Publications. Masters, G. N. (2012). Enhancing the quality of teaching and learning in Australian schools: Submission to the Senate Inquiry on Teaching and Learning (maximising our investment in Australian schools). Australian Council of Educational Research. https://research.acer.edu.au/ tll_misc/16

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Noddings, N. (2003). Caring: A feminine approach to ethics & moral education (2nd ed). University of California Press. Powers, F. W. (2002). Second-career teachers: Perceptions and mission in their new careers. International Studies in Sociology of Education, 12(3), 303–318. https://doi.org/10.1080/096202102 00200095 Priyadharshini, E., & Robinson-Pant, A. (2003). The attractions of teaching: An investigation into why people change careers to teach. Journal of Education for Teaching, 29(2), 95–112. https:// doi.org/10.1080/0260747032000092639 Rice, S. (1996). Dewey’s conception of “virtue” and its implications for moral education. Educational Theory, 46(3), 269–282. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-5446.1996.00269.x Smith, J. A., Flowers, P., & Larkin, M. (2009). Interpretative phenomenological analysis: Theory, method and research. SAGE. Talero, M. (2005). Perception, normativity, and selfhood in Merleau-Ponty: The spatial ‘level’ and existential space. The Southern Journal of Philosophy, 43(3), 443–461. https://doi.org/10.1111/ j.2041-6962.2005.tb01962.x Thomson, I. (2004). Heidegger’s perfectionist philosophy of education in being and time. Continental Philosophy Review, 37(4), 439–467. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11007-005-6886-8 Tigchelaar, A., Brouwer, N., & Korthagen, F. (2008). Crossing horizons: Continuity and change during second-career teachers’ entry into teaching. Teaching and Teacher Education, 24(6), 1530– 1550. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2008.03.001 van Manen, M. (1982). Phenomenological pedagogy. Curriculum Inquiry, 12(3), 283. https://doi. org/10.2307/1179525 van Manen, M. (1990). Researching lived experience: Human science for an action sensitive pedagogy. The Althouse Press. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315421056 van Manen, M. (1994). Pedagogy, virtue, and narrative identity in teaching. Curriculum Inquiry, 24(2), 135. https://doi.org/10.2307/1180112 Varadharajan, M. (2014). Understanding the lived experiences of second career beginning teachers. [Doctoral Dissertation, University of Technology Sydney]. http://hdl.handle.net/10453/29255 Watt, H. M. G., & Richardson, P. W. (2008). Motivations, perceptions, and aspirations concerning teaching as a career for different types of beginning teachers. Learning and Instruction, 18(5), 408–428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2008.06.002 Williams, Judith. (2013). Constructing new professional identities: Career changers in teacher education. SensePublishers. Williams, Judy. (2010). Constructing a new professional identity: career change into teaching. Teaching and Teacher Education: An International Journal of Research and Studies, 26(3), 639– 647. ERIC. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2009.09.016 Williams, J., & Forgasz, H. (2009). The motivations of career change students in teacher education. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 37(1), 95–108. https://doi.org/10.1080/135986608 02607673 Williamson, B. (1998). Lifeworlds and learning: Essays in the theory, philosophy and practice of lifelong learning. National Institute of Adult Continuing Education.

Part III

Career Change Pre-service and In-service Teachers: The Journeys of Student Teachers and Classroom Teachers

Chapter 8

Career Change Student Teachers: Lessons Learnt from Their In-school Experiences

1 Introduction While previous chapters have examined career change teachers in classrooms, student teachers’ experiences in teacher education programs have not been explored. This chapter proposes to fill this gap. Career change student teachers (CCSTs) enter teacher education programs with different needs, capabilities and aspirations from those of their school-leaver counterparts. These differences come into stark contrast during professional experience (also known as practicum or field experience), when student teachers spend extensive periods in schools as part of their teacher education program. In particular, the struggles of juggling financial, family-related and study demands during their professional experience are noticeable. The chapter seeks to understand career change student teachers’ perspectives on professional experience, enablers, barriers and suggestions to better meet their needs during this period. The chapter is part of a broader study that was conducted on career change student teachers by Varadharajan et al. to examine career change student teachers’ backgrounds, learning needs and experiences in teacher education programs. Results of the broader study were published in the form of a report to the funding body1 and in other publications (Varadharajan et al., 2018, 2020). Recommendations for schools, supervising teachers and teacher education institutions that might improve this cohort’s school experiences including their professional

1 Varadharajan,

M., Carter, D., Buchanan, J. & Schuck, S. (2016a). Understanding career change student teachers in teacher education programs. A report written for Australian Teacher Education Association. https://opus.lib.uts.edu.au/bitstream/10453/49551/3/27FA07FFC6EC-43B5-9460-05D84519278E%20am.pdf. This chapter is an adaptation of the following published article: Varadharajan, M., Carter, D., Buchanan, J. and Schuck, S. Career change student teachers: lessons learnt from their in-school experiences. Aust. Educ. Res. 48, 107–124 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-020-00381-0.. The article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021 M. Varadharajan and J. Buchanan, Career Change Teachers, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-6038-2_8

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experience are proposed. Some of the thematic findings and suggested recommendations may overlap with the overall recommendations discussed in the concluding chapter of the book.

2 In-school Professional Experiences of Teachers 2.1 Context In-school professional experience (PE) is an essential component of pre-service teacher preparation to help teachers bridge the theory–practice gap (McGarr et al., 2017), entailing complex demands for all stakeholders, including student teachers (Le Cornu, 2016). “Practice teaching” (Le Cornu, 2016) allows the student teacher, under supervision, to gradually transition into the classroom environment, while providing “authentic learning opportunities” (Morrison, 2016, p. 106). Time allocations for PE in teacher education programs have increased in recent years (Cohen et al., 2013) underscoring the importance of PE for improved student teacher practice in actual classroom settings (Morrison, 2016). Research investigating student teachers’ experiences highlights numerous themes, the most prevalent being that student teachers highly value their school placements (Le Cornu, 2016; Smith & Lev-Ari, 2005) as opportunities to: “test” coursework theories in the classroom; receive “on-the-spot” feedback from supervising teachers; experience progression from observations to independent whole-class teaching; and spend sustained time in a school setting (Choy et al., 2014; McGarr et al., 2017). Student teachers rely heavily on key university and school personnel (Le Cornu, 2016; Morrison, 2016) during PE. Positive interactions, as well as the efficiency, competence and knowledge of key personnel, affect the overall student teacher experience. Though numerous studies have investigated PE’s value for student teachers (e.g., Le Cornu, 2016; Morrison, 2016), most of this literature does not distinguish between the different student cohorts undertaking this experience. Given the differences in backgrounds of student teachers (such as career changers and student teachers who have just left school), research differentiating between the diverse cohorts’ needs and experiences during PE is timely. Regarding career changers, while there is a body of literature as has been noted in other chapters (Anthony & Ord, 2008; Richardson & Watt, 2006; Tigchelaar et al., 2014 to name a few), very few studies specifically examine CCSTs’ experiences during their PE. Small-scale studies have been conducted to examine on this topic, for example, Crosswell and Beutel (2017) in Australia, Etherington (2011) in Canada, and Priyadharshini and Robinson-Pant (2003) in the UK. However, very few large-scale studies have been undertaken in Australia specifically examining CCSTs’ PE experiences.

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Career change student teachers may enter professional experience with different expectations and experiences from those of recent high school graduates (Etherington, 2011; Varadharajan & Schuck, 2017). Their competing personal, financial and professional demands come into particularly sharp focus during professional experience. Instances of stressors could include financial responsibilities to family, sometimes as primary or sole breadwinner, with a corresponding need for paid employment, as well as time and emotional demands of caring for children and possibly elderly parents while managing teacher study demands (Varadharajan et al., 2018). Such challenges can amplify during PE, affecting overall health and mental well-being (Grant-Smith et al., 2017). Schools and teacher education providers can play an important role in assisting CCSTs during this very demanding transitional period in their lives. There is, therefore, a need to consider how career changers might be impacted by PE.

2.2 Literature The following small-scale studies indicate several common issues experienced by career changers during practicum. Examining CCSTs’ identity and resilience, an Australian study of 30 career changers found that the PE provided opportunities for participants to check and challenge their “anticipatory teacher identities” (Crosswell & Beutel, 2017, p. 421). CCSTs were proactive in “self-initiating coping strategies” with or without supervising teacher support” (2017, p. 426). Supportive relationships, particularly with supervising teachers, however, are crucial in maximizing resilience as shown in Beutel et al.’s study of nine CCSTs (2019). However, while CCSTs may be highly motivated and resilient when facing challenges, Wilkins’ UK study of 20 career changers found they have a higher attrition rate (2017). The study attributes this to PE providers not acknowledging their distinctive needs and contributions. We add here that attrition costs both the profession and the individual. Etherington’s study of six Canadian CCSTs revealed: “increased family responsibilities, increased levels of stress, and academic demands that are seemingly unreasonable or too difficult” (2011, p. 260). The main difficulties reported were inflexibility and lost opportunities to demonstrate initiative or creativity. Previous teaching or related experience can afford some advantage, however. For example, Kertesz and Downing (2016) researched the PE of a cohort of former adult educators and found that they adapted their adult teaching approaches relatively easily to a school context. CCSTs’ perceptions of university inflexibility with PE placements, course demands and school culture can directly affect their decisions to remain in or leave the profession (Priyadharshini & Robinson-Pant, 2003). The 34 participants in this UK study felt there was no allowance for parents of young children when organizing PE (2003, p. 107). The full-time nature of the teacher education course made childcare provision particularly difficult for the study’s participants. The ability to meet personal demands (such as family duties or having to juggle multigenerational care) ranks highly among career changers and a factor that teacher education programs

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need to keep in mind to retain career changers in the profession (Cuddapah et al., 2011). For many career changers, from positions of high professional and personal responsibility including managing staff and large budgets, and/or raising a family, the PE can constitute a “culture or a reality shock” requiring an attitude shift adjusting to school as a workplace (Haggard et al., 2006; Priyadharshini & Robinson-Pant, 2003). Older, career-experienced individuals may have “high expectations of study and classroom interactions” (Etherington, 2011, pp. 276–277) and might be more resistant than their younger counterparts to supervisor criticism. They may also “display a low tolerance for bureaucracy and hierarchy” (2011, p. 274) and can find the rigid, inflexible nature of school “archaic” and “regimented” (Priyadharshini & Robinson-Pant, 2003, p. 108). Etherington suggested improving CCSTs’ school PE by constructing “a more equitable autonomous practicum” and providing “more open dialogue” (2011, p. 274). Personalizing the training and induction experience to suit CCSTs’ needs is recommended by Wilkins, supporting a “diverse range of entrants to flourish” (2017, p. 186). Recognizing that the length of time career changers has been away from school and their preference for practical components, Baeten and Meeus suggest including a “significant” amount of field experience in teacher preparation programs (2016). They also suggest a better integration model between coursework and field experience for teachers to experience an immersive school culture and be better prepared (Baeten & Meeus, 2016). Ultimately, PE provides opportunities for workplace integration through professional learning, enabling students to become familiar with all aspects of the classroom. The chapter identifies experiences peculiar to CCSTs, highlighting the unique challenges and benefits experienced on the PE. For this chapter, a CCST is defined as someone over 25 years of age, who has entered a teacher education program eight years or more after leaving school and/or worked in a previous career for over two years.

3 Research Design and Methodology The broader study, from which this chapter is informed, developed and implemented a national survey in Australia with quantitative and qualitative components to investigate CCSTs’ backgrounds, learning needs and experiences in teacher education programs. It aimed to inform teacher education providers about how best to support and acknowledge CCSTs. Feedback from a pilot survey to CCSTs in the authors’ institution served to improve design and establish rigor. Ethics approval was sought and obtained at the university where the research was conducted. An online link to the survey was disseminated to the 34 Australian universities offering teacher education and was distributed to CCSTs enrolled in 29 of them, via their faculty deans or heads of schools. Five universities declined to disseminate the

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surveys. A filter question excluded non-career change pre-service teachers. Firstyear student teachers were excluded, being deemed to have insufficient experience for responses. Responses were received from all states/territories, with the majority from New South Wales, Tasmania and Victoria. The survey comprised demographic questions on respondents’ previous work and qualifications; Likert scale questions to determine participants’ motivations for choosing to teach and the attributes they hoped to bring to the profession; and openended questions garnering qualitative data about participants’ learning needs and expectations, and life and work experiences. In all, 508 complete responses from CCSTs were received. For this chapter, we have included study components that concerns the respondents’ PE experiences. Participants responded to the following questions and prompts: • How satisfied are you with the PE program (“practicum”)? (6-point Likert scale: 6—very dissatisfied; 5—dissatisfied; 4—somewhat dissatisfied; 3—somewhat satisfied; 2—satisfied; 1—very satisfied). • Please state aspects of the practicum you found most valuable (open-ended). • Please state aspects of the practicum you found least valuable (open-ended). • Do you have any suggestions to better meet the needs of career change student teachers during practicum? (open-ended). The study adopted an interpretive inquiry approach (Lincoln, 1995). Dewey’s experiential learning theory (1938) of how individuals learn from (and use) past experience to gain and share knowledge guided the overall study. Data analysis included data reduction, coding of common views and outliers and then categorization into themes (Boyatzis, 1998), with researchers working in pairs to attain inter-rater agreement.

4 Findings and Discussion Of the 508 responses, over half (59%) had undertaken at least one PE. The findings and discussion derive from this sample of 298 respondents’ views. When asked about their level of satisfaction on the 6-point Likert scale, more than two-thirds (68%) of those who had undertaken PE indicated being “satisfied” or “very satisfied.” The questions about the most and least valuable features of the PE elicited 289 responses and 234 responses, respectively. Some of the emerging themes most likely apply to all student teachers. For instance, the value derived from classroom teaching and the support from supervising teachers appears universal (for instance, see Beutel et al., 2019). Similarly, lack of support during PE and a heavy workload were concerns common to all. Nevertheless, the prior experiences of CCSTs in the workplace and beyond and the likelihood of different personal life experiences may mean that they derive distinctively different experiences, meanings and conclusions from PE compared to those

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of recent school-leavers. Here, we focus particularly on those responses that are distinct from career changers, while commenting briefly on aspects common to most pre-service teachers.

4.1 Most Valuable Aspects of PE The aspects that participants found most valuable during their PE were: authentic real-life classroom practice; working with teachers; and mentoring (see Table 1).

4.1.1

PE as Authentic, “Real-Life” Classroom Practice

56% of respondents appreciated “the direct experience of teaching” (Respondent 163) and indicated it was an essential supplement to coursework. They noted various positive aspects: Real life exposure and experience in the classroom; Opportunity to see how learning occurs for different students outside of reading texts and research material; Opportunity for personal growth, development and self-confidence; networking and opportunity for volunteering. (R488). Having the in-classroom experience was so valuable to myself and my studies. Without having the practicum experience and mentor teacher’s advice and guidance, I would have seriously doubted whether teaching was for me based on the course content alone. (R184).

Notable in some career changers’ responses was how the PE re-affirmed or validated their decision to teach. We know from previous career changer studies that those choices were more commonly personal and intrinsic (for instance, authors 2014; Hunter-Johnston, 2015). Examples include: Every practicum I have been on was inspiring and justified my decision to take on a new career. (R282). The opportunity to be in the classroom from first year allowed me to be confident that I had made the right career change decision. (R252). Hands on experience in the classroom and in my case being in a school with a reputation for being less than ideal gave me a chance to truly test my resolve and wish to enter the field of education. (R470). Table 1 Most valuable aspects of PE

Theme

Number of responses

Percentage (approximately) (%)

Authentic “real-life” classroom practice

163

56

Working with teachers

62

21

Mentoring

43

15

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The final comment above indicates that the CCSTs saw value even in the face of challenging circumstances as these experiences gave the students an opportunity to assess their reasons for changing professions and to test their decisions. The PE also gave respondents occasion to experience contemporary classroom environments, possibly quite different from when they were in school: Actually, being in a classroom environment and being able to see how the classroom has changed since I was at school. (R248). Good to be able to get an idea of what a classroom/students are like these days. (R377).

Overwhelmingly, respondents saw value in the authenticity of the classroom experience, the “real life” (R193) of a school. They signaled that the hands-on experience was particularly valuable when they worked alongside in-service teachers, observing and implementing diverse content material and classroom management strategies. One respondent reported having “loved the practical work and being in a classroom and learning—this was more beneficial than any of the theory subjects” (R4). Several respondents appreciated opportunities to put theory into practice. PE is where university content metamorphosed into classroom strategies. It was great having a little taste of the real world as any education program is going to feel a little bit artificial without links to what really goes on in the classroom. (R502). It gave me exposure to the real world of teaching, and this has to help when I take on a full-time role. I believe I would have been ‘out-of-depth’ without the practicum. (R357).

Such observations are common to many student teachers, who generally value these aspects of PE (e.g., Choy et al., 2014). However, given that this group had not been in schools for many years, and their recent experiences were in other workplaces, they were coming afresh to the school environment, unlike the recent school-leavers (Baeten & Meeus, 2016). Our respondents observed how their PE helped them “gain the most insight into what it is like teaching in schools” (R201). The experience provided these career changers with first-hand experience of how contemporary schools work daily: from morning assembly to student assessment and faculty meetings. Their observations were made as “outsiders” coming from different fields of endeavor. seeing how the current system works, and where it does not… insight into the difficulty of actually working in the industry (10-12 hour days, 6 days a week). (R300). very confronting to see how much admin is loaded on to teachers. (R31).

These responses illustrate a key distinctive feature of this cohort: that their experience of previous workplaces influenced their insights and responses regarding the PE.

4.1.2

Working with Supervising and Colleague Teachers

Twenty-one percent of respondents appreciated and valued their interactions with other teachers during their PE. They commented on the modeling and support from

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their supervising teachers and valued their feedback, which they were able to action immediately on PE. Their responses indicated they appreciated opportunities to share and discuss, receive feedback and observe the experienced teacher, enabling them to build relationships with school personnel, learn strategies and techniques and reflect on their own emerging practice, such as: Receiving guidance and advice from experienced teachers. (R55). Have a working teacher show and provide examples of theoretical concepts learned in class. (R470). Learning from experienced teachers by observing their methods and strategies. (R75).

Entering their future workplace for the first time, respondents valued the relationships, engagement and related benefits that the PE provided. Participants appreciated the “ability to meet and share ideas with existing teachers” (R180), who acted as mentors in many ways. Their confidence in the above responses indicates another distinctive quality of these CCSTs. As with all student teachers, this cohort noted the value of PE in helping them understand and glean advice from experienced teachers on classroom management techniques and behavior management strategies. They appreciated the experience of encountering a variety of teachers and schools, enabling them to observe different classroom management practices and contexts. Comments included: Watching experienced teachers handle the dynamics of the classroom. (R464). Interaction with real teachers, experiencing school life, meetings…learning how I interact with students, getting invaluable feedback and support from ‘the people on the ground’ teachers!! (R238).

4.1.3

Mentoring

Mentoring and mentor relationships also featured prominently in participants’ responses. Typically, schools appoint a staff member to supervise and work with pre-service teachers. This mentor teacher bears responsibility for observing, advising and, ultimately, assessing the practicum performance. Having a mentor over a period provides opportunity to get familiarized with all aspects of the job under guidance and for mentors to observe students’ learning over time (Baeten & Meeus, 2016). Forty-three respondents commented positively on meaningful interactions with either a formal mentor or a supervising or experienced teacher. Respondents appreciated the genuine commitment they observed in teachers to make their PE experience a “positive and worthwhile experience” (R284) and the collaboration initiated by the mentor teachers. Participants noted the key role mentor teachers played in contributing to their learning and involvement in the classroom. Great teacher mentor who offered a lot of valuable, constructive feedback and allowed us to get really involved in the classroom. (R303).

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The mentor teacher shared great knowledge with me and allowed me to teach full days. (R151). The mentors I have had have been very supportive and professional. They each contributed immeasurably to my learning. (R159).

In addition to the above three major themes, participants also valued in-school opportunities to practice: developing and implementing lesson plans; assessing student work samples; and reflecting on their developing practices in light of immediate supervising teacher feedback. Survey respondents grew in their ability to understand classroom dynamics and student needs, to build positive relationships and to make pedagogical decisions based on knowledge of individual students. Being involved in students’ learning and seeing the results from their teaching re-affirmed some of our career changer respondents’ choice to become a teacher. Opportunity to lesson plan…teach the class on your own and have responsibility for them…ensured me I was studying the right thing and was sure of my career choice. (R387).

To summarize, a majority of respondents found the PE worthwhile and valuable in experiencing contemporary classrooms and they expressed appreciation for the interaction they had from supervising teachers and mentors. It affirmed their personal and intrinsic motivations to become teachers. The language describing their PE also reflects their theory–practice understanding, informed by their previous work experiences.

4.2 Constraining Factors of PE The survey question concerning the least valuable aspects of the practicum elicited significant issues pertaining specifically to CCSTs and their circumstances. The question garnered 234 (out of the 298 who had undertaken PE) written responses from participants. Seventy percent of respondents had chosen teaching because it offered a balance between work and family. However, participants battled to maintain a work-life balance when undertaking PE (Table 2). Table 2 Constraining factors of PE

Theme

Number of responses

Percentage (approximately) (%)

Balancing work, family, study and PE

101

43

Financial burden

62

26

Inadequate support

39

17

Hardships in securing placement

23

10

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The two main themes were (1) balancing the demands of work, family and study and (2) financial burden. The other themes relate to lack of adequate support, challenges in securing a PE placement and a lack of recognition of CCSTs’ work and life experience by the schools.

4.2.1

Balancing Work, Family, Study and PE

Forty-three percent of respondents unambiguously cited stressful periods during PE in the context of their other commitments. Undertaking PE, including lesson preparation, over several weeks, alongside assignments, was burdensome in conjunction with full-time jobs and family responsibilities. Some struggled to organize suitable childcare arrangements; others juggled multiple tasks. They and their families experienced physical and mental stress. For example, the PE “increased stress on my children when I had to call in every favor of every family member to care for my kids” (R451). Such tensions can conceivably cause teachers to burn out and consider resigning. This may be particularly so for women career changers, given resistantto-change societal imbalances of childrearing and housework contributions (ABS, 2017; Cuddapah et al., 2011). Requirements to complete university assignments added stress for CCSTs who had little time or energy for this after a full day at school, given their carer responsibilities. Respondents were unprepared for the sheer workload (one reported five assignments due during PE, and another 12 more due throughout the semester). Some tasks, they felt, were “unrelated and irrelevant” (R36), while one respondent contended that the assignments “do not help with content knowledge or lesson planning” (R201) and are stressful for pre-service teachers who are “busily focused on creating lessons, building relationships and understanding the content of teaching” (R201). University projects took valuable time from a “focus on learning and developing my professional practice.” (R323). Another participant, whose assignment load included a 40% weighting on essays, recommended that the emphasis for assignments during PE should be on pedagogical practices involving developing relationships with school mentors and the like. Many respondents questioned the rationale for assignments, arguing it was more valuable to assess their teaching abilities than their essay-writing skills. One CCST reported being asked to review videos about the introduction of a set of Australia-wide, government-sponsored teaching standards that were no longer available online and remarked that such “lack of preparation would never be accepted in my previous work environment” (R170). Respondents referred to the highly demanding administrative requirements, which some considered “needless paperwork” (R40) “in addition to lesson planning and other expectations” (R57) which detracted from their PE. The task became even more difficult if there was support or direction from the university or the school perceived as inadequate by respondents. In addition, these administrative tasks included writing up full lesson plans for a fortnight’s teaching, which some found particularly onerous. One respondent believed that PE involved “too many un-assessed hurdle tasks that made the practicum workload too much” (R130).

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Numerous respondents claimed that they were subjected to what they considered to be unrealistic demands, such as when teachers “handed me full teacher loads from day 3!” (R321). This resulted in working until “2 am and 3 am every night, planning, finding resources and getting to know my content and pedagogical knowledge” (R321), an “unreasonable” expectation. For CCSTs who were parents/carers, this proved particularly onerous. School staff might assume CCSTs can handle such pressures, being older than the “school-leaver” student teacher and/or because they have previous work experiences, and therefore are assumed not to need support.

4.2.2

Financial Burden

CCSTs with family and carer responsibilities encountered acute financial stresses. Some career changers may be able to negotiate time and pay with current employers, while others may not. Stress can center around the financial burden that eventuates from forgoing paid employment while on PE, as well as the cost of buying study materials such as textbooks. The financial strain, for example, presented additional difficulties for those trying to secure and pay for childcare during the PE. Taking time from work resulted in loss of income, a particularly acute problem for breadwinners. We note that Australian women are typically less well paid than men (Workplace Gender Equality Agency, 2018), compounding the issue for them. One respondent indicated a four-week absence from paid employment which was “a strain financially and also for my employer” (R113). Other examples include: Hardest aspects were – blocks of time where I was unable to earn money. (R450). It is extremely stressful trying to support a family when the nature of Prac means I am unable to work in my usual job for 5 weeks... no work means no pay! (R421)

As eager and enthusiastic career changers might be about PE, it can exact a considerable financial cost, making teaching unattractive, particularly for those previously in well-paid professions. As one respondent observed (*with an inclusion of an emoji for a smiley face), The 12 weeks of practicum over 2 years is a nightmare financially. I am very lucky that I work in a lab that runs 24 hours 7 days a week, so I do not have to take all the time off and can make up some hours at night and on weekends. As you might imagine this will also be very difficult, as it will mean that I have less time for lesson preparation. I am ready and eager to take on these challenges, as I am very excited about becoming a teacher. I get paid well so I have gone to part-time to make it easier. For the next 2 years though, I will be poor* I also have 4 children. (R481).

Income loss was particularly worrisome for CCSTs already facing challenges of juggling study, work and family. One respondent observed The physical burden of maintaining a full-time job whilst attending the required sessions. Later, the financial burden of leaving employment in order to undertake a further two months’ Practicum (R114).

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Respondents reported an inability to plan and make suitable family arrangements prior to commencing PE due to uncertainty about dates, adding difficulties for those with young children.

4.2.3

Inadequate Support from Supervising Teachers

Student teachers, including career changers (Etherington, 2011; Tigchelaar et al., 2014), often report a lack of support during PE. In the case of career changers, it may be that mentor teachers are unsure how to support these mature-aged teachers. The CCST might not know what to expect and how to approach their mentors for support. For instance, I am afraid that because I am old, younger mentor teachers may find me threatening, when in fact I am probably less confident than I was when I was the age of average pre-service teachers. I need encouragement. (R292).

Other criticisms included perceived indifference among school supervising teachers: “being supervised by a teacher who wasn’t interested in showing you the ropes of teaching” (R43) and dealing with the “antiquated attitudes of staff” with an “inability to understand how someone would want to begin a career in teaching at my age” (R192). Survey respondents commented on various situations in which they felt undersupported or even undermined, leading to disengagement, lack of interest and stress. Not having a supportive or engaged/committed mentor teacher makes the experience stressful and difficult. (R382).

Inadequate support from a mentor teacher might be particularly demoralizing for a CCST, with previous work experience and ideals to draw on. Career changers with a strong work ethic may feel their lack of confidence impacts not only on them but also on their students. One participant felt “like I am not doing justice to the students.” (R237). Another respondent recounted an experience where the supervising teacher felt threatened by her, and this led to a feeling of isolation and helplessness. Examples such as these could be pertinent, as previous research has shown school staff sometimes do not know how to handle, respond to or support older pre-service teachers (Varadharajan, 2014).

4.2.4

Securing a Practicum Placement

Forty-four percent of participants indicated they chose online or distance study mode for their university studies. This is unsurprising considering career changers are employed and have family responsibilities while studying, precluding them from attending face-to-face lectures. However, the need for CCSTs to secure their own PE

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placements is more common in distance education courses. Given the vast geographical spread of students participating in a distance course, universities may be less able to assist placing student teachers, than is the case with on-campus courses. Finding a school and organizing placement consequently added further challenges for career changers. Twenty-three respondents identified securing a PE placement as problematic, affecting their overall enjoyment and appreciation of the practicum. Responses indicated difficulty in finding a school willing to offer a placement, with one student reporting making 50 telephone calls before securing one. This might also mean that multiple students contact the same schools, which is less efficient than a centralized, university approach. This issue was particularly difficult for the relatively small number of students (5) who were attempting to place themselves in remote locations. These respondents expressed their frustration by noting that they, like their urban counterparts, also have family responsibilities, and the time and associated pressure to find placements added to the overall stress of the PE. Haggard et al. (2006) also raised this issue, suggesting sufficient prior notice on practicum placement is required so individuals can organize their lives, particularly those with young children.

4.3 Lack of Recognition of Prior Experiences by the School We concur with previous studies on the need for schools and institutions to acknowledge and recognize career changers’ prior experiences (e.g., Haggard et al., 2006; Priyadharshini & Robinson-Pant, 2003). Six respondents expressed frustration at a perceived lack of recognition by their host school of their prior experience in education and elsewhere. One respondent was dismayed that no exemptions were given in recognition of past employment as a school liaison officer in the previous seven years, while another commented that supervising teachers were probably unaware that the CCSTs could be well qualified in other fields. One respondent expressed frustration at having to undertake a five-week practicum in an early childhood center after having worked in the sector for 25 years. However, it is interesting and curious to note how only a small number raised the issue of lack of recognition by schools, considering this is a significant issue for this cohort when it came to their university experiences and expectations as found in other studies (e.g., Hamilton & O’Dwyer, 2018; Varadharajan et al., 2020). Participants also raised other issues such as theoretical disconnects between university studies and practicum, or “disparity between theory taught and reallife application in an actual classroom” (R193). One respondent noted a contrast between teacher/mentor practices and attitudes, and pedagogical principles espoused by university courses. In summary, while some challenges reflected all student teachers’ PE experiences, others seemed specific to CCSTs. These include the onerous difficulties of managing practicum alongside family and associated workloads, financial constraints, the lack

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of recognition of prior experiences and, for some, the need to organize placements. For salaried career changers, income loss during PE combined with balancing worklife commitments was highly challenging. The stresses of finding affordable and timely childcare while securing a PE placement could contribute to financial and mental burdens on CCSTs. We need to consider all these factors to optimize CCSTs’ experiences and retain them in(to) the profession. While we, like other researchers, acknowledge that this cohort is quite distinct from other pre-service teachers, it is important to remember they are new to teaching just like other student teachers, undergoing the same experiences. Hence, several of the following recommendations might also benefit other student teachers. Our research shows that career changers are a “paradoxical” cohort seeking to be treated the same as any other student teacher in some instances but in other cases, expecting differential treatment, aspects we have touched upon in previous publications (e.g., Varadharajan et al., 2018) and in other chapters of this book.

5 Recommendations Based on the findings and considering the particular needs and circumstances of career changers, we offer the following recommendations for universities and schools accepting CCSTs into their classrooms. The recommendations intend to enrich the experience of CCSTs in their teacher education courses and PE, resulting in a successful transition to teaching (Crosswell & Beutel, 2017). We also concur more broadly with previous studies that call for personalizing the preparation and induction experiences of CCSTs to meet their specific needs (Wilkins, 2017) and for support through suitable mentors who understand career changers (Tigchelaar et al., 2014). A note: A more detailed discussion of overall recommendations for career change teachers is discussed in Chap. 11. Recommendations from this study are included too. However, there are a few recommendations outlined below that felt relevant to be mentioned here, in accordance with the chapter findings, conclusions drawn and to align with the article from which the chapter is informed. Where possible, repetition has been avoided, however, some overlap might be inevitable.

5.1 Recommendations for Host Schools The findings indicate that greater flexibility to accommodate CCSTs’ other commitments would enhance the overall PE experience, including working alongside career changers to organize PE and adopting a strategic approach in relation to mentoring them.

5 Recommendations

5.1.1

151

Negotiating the PE

Individual negotiation between schools and pre-service teachers regarding the timing of PE might be of value. Conversely, some respondents found it difficult to organize their placements and needed university assistance accordingly, so there is clearly a fine line between independent negotiations and compliance with set arrangements. This is particularly challenging for career changers enrolled in distance study mode, who are typically required to organize their own placements which consumes considerable time along with their work and family commitments. Initiatives to support career changers’ PE need to take into account their life circumstances that would assist to slightly ease the pressure and which might be less disruptive for schools.

5.1.2

Strategic School Mentoring of the CCST

Mentoring support for career changers may require specific attention in light of their age and experience. A “one-size-fits-all” approach may fall short of meeting the needs of all pre-service teachers. It would be valuable for schools to support their pre-service teachers with regard to their needs, circumstances and abilities. A student teacher wishing to declare that they are a career changer could have this acknowledged by the school. This will enable supervising teachers to address specific concerns; ensure CCSTs are allocated to teachers who are comfortable working with them; and offer any opportunities commensurate with their experiences. Schools could allocate school mentors for CCSTs, based on their ability and prior experience to communicate meaningfully with this group. For example, a suitable mentor might have previous experience beyond education, to guide, extend and facilitate professional networks for this cohort within and beyond the school community (Crosswell & Beutel, 2017). Effective placements with suitable mentors support teacher professional growth, and they are more likely to stay in teaching (Baeten & Meeus, 2016).

5.2 Recommendations for Teacher Education Providers 5.2.1

Greater Flexibility in the Duration, Timing and Workload of the PE

Lack of flexibility was a source of consternation and frustration for respondents, who reported difficulties in balancing work and family affairs due to length of PE, and assignments, compounded by forfeiture of paid employment. Unfortunately, universities may have limited scope for change here, due to time-tabling and the completion of other subjects along with PE. CCSTs’ needs are idiosyncratic, so a one-time frame-fits-all approach is unlikely to suit everyone, adding considerable

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administrative workload to universities. All options need to be explored to determine if, how and in what form flexibility can be offered for career changers.

5.2.2

Appointment of a Designated University Liaison Officer

This issue relates to the above recommendation, given the often particular circumstances of the CCST. One possible “pathway” is for a designated staff member in a university’s PE office to act as a liaison person between the CCST (and all pre-service teachers) and schools to help address problems and challenges. Linked to this, universities that do not guarantee secured placements for students might consider doing so for students who request it. This, too, has some inherent challenges as universities are constrained by the requirements of teacher registration and accreditation bodies that may demand particular configurations of PE. As can be seen, each of the above recommendations comes with its own caveats and limitations, with regard to equity and/or administrative/financial burdens or compromised authenticity.

6 Conclusions CCSTs are learners, as are all teachers. Accordingly, nurturing their learning and the performance of their duties should form an instinctive element of a school’s collective professionalism. We recommend a combination of challenge and support. Challenge: Along with Etherington (2011) cited above, we recommend that supervising teachers assume high expectations of all student teachers under their supervision and provide suitable opportunities to challenge them. We also contend that supervising teachers play a critical role in empowering agency and growth among CCSTs (Beutel et al., 2019). The findings here suggest that, perhaps even more than their younger counterparts, CCSTs will match, if not exceed, schools’ expectations. Support: We accept that schools exist for their students, not their teachers. We contend, however, that offering support should not be a difficult or unfamiliar task for experienced teachers, given that the teaching profession is charged with differentiating the curriculum according to its students’ needs and with focusing on its students’ achievement and potential. Universities may be able to complement these forms of support by considering the timing and duration of PE, in the context of other study-related deadlines and expectations and providing a dedicated officer to whom CCSTs can turn for advice or support. Some respondents’ universities appeared conspicuous by their silence and invisibility during PE, and fee-paying students are entitled to feel aggrieved by this. CCSTs are more likely than their younger counterparts to be cognizant of the impact of university fees and more vocal about it. In particular, assistance in securing placements, where this does not already occur, would be of value to many student teachers. However, this has staffing implications for universities.

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Universities may be limited in their ability to help CCSTs, especially if issues of equity are considered. What might be needed are scholarships, provided perhaps by universities, governments or other sources such as philanthropic bodies, that help “tide over” CCSTs through the fiscally difficult teacher education period. If fiscal support applied only to PE periods, the funds needed might not be excessive. As shown by our findings, improvements here are likely to benefit particularly women and students in isolated areas, two groups whose needs have repeatedly been unmet. Meanwhile, schools in isolated areas cry out for staff (Buchanan, 2016). The above processes represent an investment in the human capital of fledgling teachers. The processes are likely to pay dividends at least equal to the effort expended, in terms of improving learning for pre-service teachers, for the students in their care and for the profession more broadly.

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Haggard, C., Slostad, F., & Winterton, S. (2006). Transition to the school as workplace: Challenges of second career teachers. Teaching Education, 17(4), 317–327. https://doi.org/10.1080/104762 10601017410 Hamilton, M., & O’Dwyer, A. (2018). Exploring student learning approaches on an initial teacher education programme: A comparison of mature learners and direct entry third-level students. Teaching and Teacher Education, 71, 251–261. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2018.01.011 Kertesz, J., & Downing, J. (2016). Piloting teacher education practicum partnerships: Teaching alliances for professional practice (TAPP). Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 41(12), 13–24. https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2016v41n12.2 Le Cornu, R. (2016). Professional experience: Learning from the past to build the future. AsiaPacific Journal of Teacher Education, 44(1), 80–101. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359866X.2015. 1102200 Lincoln, Y. (1995). Emerging criteria for quality in qualitative and interpretive research. Qualitative Inquiry, 1(3), 275–289. McGarr, O., O’Grady, E., & Guilfoyle, L. (2017). Exploring the theory-practice gap in initial teacher education: Moving beyond questions of relevance to issues of power and authority. Journal of Education for Teaching, 43(1), 48–60. https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2017.1256040 Morrison, C. (2016). Purpose, practice and theory: Teacher educators’ beliefs about professional experience. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 41(3), 105–125. https://doi.org/10.14221/ ajte.2016v41n3.7 Priyadharshini, E., & Robinson-Pant, A. (2003). The attractions of teaching: An investigation into why people change careers to teach. Journal of Education for Teaching, 29(2), 95–112. https:// doi.org/10.1080/0260747032000092639 Richardson, P. W., & Watt, H. M. G. (2006). Who chooses teaching and why? Profiling characteristics and motivations across three Australian Universities. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 34(1), 27–56. https://doi.org/10.1080/13598660500480290 Smith, K., & Lev-Ari, L. (2005). The place of the practicum in pre-service teacher education: The voice of the students. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 33(3), 289–302. https://doi.org/ 10.1080/13598660500286333 Tigchelaar, A., Vermunt, J. D., & Brouwer, N. (2014). Patterns of development in second-career teachers’ conceptions of teaching and learning. Teaching and Teacher Education, 41, 111–120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2014.04.001 Varadharajan, M. (2014). Understanding the lived experiences of second career beginning teachers. Doctoral Dissertation, University of Technology Sydney. http://hdl.handle.net/10453/29255 Varadharajan, M., Buchanan, J., & Schuck, S. (2018). Changing course: The paradox of the career change student-teacher. Professional Development in Education, 44(5), 738–749. https://doi.org/ 10.1080/19415257.2017.1423369 Varadharajan, M., Buchanan, J., & Schuck, S. (2020). Navigating and negotiating: Career changers in teacher education programmes. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 48(5), 477–490. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359866X.2019.1669136 Varadharajan, M., & Schuck, S. (2017). Can career changers be game changers? Policy, research and practice concerning career changers. In J. Nuttall, A. Kostogriz, M. Jones, & J. Martin (Eds.), Teacher education policy and practice (pp. 83–95). Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/ 978-981-10-4133-4_6 Wilkins, C. (2017). ‘Elite’ career-changers and their experience of initial teacher education. Journal of Education for Teaching, 43(2), 171–190. https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2017.1286775 Workplace Gender Equality Agency. (2018). Graduate gender pay gaps persist. https://www.wgea. gov.au/wgea-newsroom/graduate-gender-pay-gaps-persist

Chapter 9

How Do STEM Career Change Teachers Experience the Transition?: A Comparison Between Dutch and Australian Teachers

1 Introduction Career change teachers with STEM expertise can bring unique insights into the classroom. STEM literacies and qualifications help prepare students and the future workforce for a career not just in science, mathematics, engineering and technology (STEM) but also equip them with twenty-first-century foundational skills and attributes that are highly regarded by employers. Many developed countries are facing a shortage of STEM-qualified teachers. Subjects such as mathematics and science are taught by teachers who do not necessarily have qualifications in these subjects. The value and expertise career change teachers with STEM backgrounds bring to the classroom and the broader implications among key stakeholders in education and beyond are discussed in this chapter. Findings from a joint research project conducted in Australia and the Netherlands are shared to understand the motivations for career change and the enablers and barriers as they move from being a STEM professional to a classroom teacher. As educational researchers from two developed, yet different countries, the authors share a common interest in the needs and experiences of career change teachers with STEM backgrounds and the impact that this cohort can have on student learning and STEM literacy. Both countries face STEM teacher shortages, and both share common policies concerning STEM education and preparing students to be STEM-literate for the twenty-first century. There is also an increasing trend of career changers from STEM disciplines who are teaching STEM subjects, in both Australia and the Netherlands. The chapter utilizes “boundary crossing” as a framework to understand the journey of career change teachers with STEM background, outlining strategies and suggestions for schools and policymakers with a view to attracting and retaining more STEM professionals to teaching.

Dr. Lesley de Putter, Assistant Professor, Eindhoven School of Education, Eindhoven Institute of Technology (TU/e) is a guest co-author of this chapter. © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021 M. Varadharajan and J. Buchanan, Career Change Teachers, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-6038-2_9

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2 Context and Background Literature Career change teachers with STEM backgrounds are defined as those who have obtained either qualifications in one or more of the STEM areas and/or have worked in STEM or a STEM-related field prior to completing a teacher training course with a view to taking up teaching as a career. While career changers might have had STEM qualifications or been employed in any one of the four STEM areas, they are generally employed either as science or as mathematics teachers in secondary schools, and this has been the primary focus of this chapter. Mathematics and the natural science subjects (biology, chemistry and physics) are taught as separate subjects in both Australia and the Netherlands in upper levels of secondary education. In lower levels, subjects that combine (some of) the natural sciences are sometimes taught in the Netherlands, in favor of the separate ones. In Australia, science is taught as a combined subject at the lower levels, as a way of providing knowledge about the biological, physical and technological world and bridging understanding across the disciplines in science (ACARA, n.d.). Engineering and technology as discrete subjects are not taught at the secondary school level in the Australian context. They come under technology and applied studies (TAS) which is a broad subject that can also include agricultural and food-related knowledge and skills, ICT knowledge and skills (programing), textiles design and more (NSW Government: Department of Education, n.d.). In the Dutch context, engineering is not taught as a separate subject either at school level. There is, however, an elective subject called Research & Design which aims at teaching children the basic skills of both the research and engineering (design) practice and focused on acquainting students with STEM professions (Thomas et al., n.d.). Schools often teach a subject called Technology, which can incorporate anything from robotics to sewing clothes and from soldering to woodwork (e.g., see (Technicles, n.d.). In Dutch schools, career changers often teach mathematics, or the pure sciences such as physics, chemistry or biology, but are also often seen entering Research & Design since these subjects align more closely with their previous professional experiences and expertise. Career changers in Australia often teach science or mathematics at the upper secondary level. In Australia, with the announcement of STEM Education as one of the four key pillars in the National Innovation and Science Agenda in 2015 by the Federal Government, and the subsequent endorsement of the National STEM School education strategy 2016–2026, there has been an all-encompassing momentum focusing on “increasing student interest in STEM-related fields and improving students’ problemsolving and critical analysis skills” (ACARA, 2016, p. p.4). The overall STEM agenda vision framework for twenty-first century Australia has focused on both improving STEM literacy and promoting student engagement as well as thinking beyond STEM education so STEM skills and knowledge are applied to address local and global challenges and to improve Australia’s competitiveness in a global context. The Chief Scientist emphasized the link between needs and capabilities in his vision put forward in the paper STEM: Australia’s Future in 2014, for students to have “clear pathways from the classroom to a career in the STEM economy” (Office of

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the Chief Scientist, 2014). A 1% growth in the STEM workforce results in large economic benefits—$57.4 billion to GDP over 20 years (PWC, 2015). In the Netherlands, the focus has been on attracting more students to STEM education, both in secondary and in higher education (Platform Bètatechniek, 2009). This approach was successful; however, the project came to an end in 2016. The new challenges in education are a new curriculum from primary and secondary education (e.g., see Curriculum.nu, 2020) and addressing teacher shortages (Voion, het Arbeidsmarkt and Opleidingsfonds voor het voortgezet onderwijs, 2018). Like other developed countries, the shortage is caused by an aging teacher population aggravated by a decline of interest in becoming a teacher, especially in primary education and STEM secondary education (Buchanan, 2020; Weldon, 2015). To counter this trend, the Ministry for Education, Culture and Science initiated a project that involves all stakeholders: the Ministry (who provide funding), teacher education institutes, school boards, governmental and commercial job agencies, industry (by allowing employees to spend one working day per week on teaching or so-called hybrid teachers) and local councils (Voion, het Arbeidsmarkt and Opleidingsfonds voor het voortgezet onderwijs, 2018). The Brainport project was initiated in 2018 to promote economic growth through technological advances. The Brainport area is geographically situated in and around Eindhoven where large tech-companies develop and export technologically advanced products and ideas, attracting many STEM professionals to the area. It was agreed with the government in 2018 that major stakeholders in the Brainport area would involve more stakeholders in the continuation of technology-driven economic growth, including educational institutes from primary to university levels (Brainport Eindhoven et al., 2019). The push for a STEM agenda is in part in reaction to too few Australian students being engaged and studying mathematics and science in schools, and a decline in the overall performance in STEM subjects in international test results (such as PISA). The latest PISA results for both Australia and the Netherlands show a continued decreasing trend of student performance in mathematics and science, as compared to previous years, with students falling behind their counterparts in comparable western countries in both mathematics and science (OECD, 2019a, 2019b). PISA 2018 results indicate that there are fewer disadvantaged high school students who perform well in tests in Australia as compared to students who are advantaged and perform well. This is despite the fact that students’ performance is less strongly associated with socioeconomic status than on average across OECD countries (OECD, 2019a). Australia’s students are also faring poorly in national tests, such as the NAPLAN, which has recently introduced a science literacy test for 15-year-olds (year 10). Results indicate only 50% of students are reaching the required proficient standard (Carey, 2020). The challenges of STEM learning in Australian schools is further compounded by an unbalanced and fragmented STEM curriculum and a shortage of STEM-qualified teachers, particularly in rural and remote locations (Timms et al., 2018). In Australia, various sources over a period of years indicate that between about a third and fifth of secondary mathematics and science teachers are not qualified to teach the subject/s, with the rates varying across disciplines (McKenzie et al., 2014; Thomson et al., 2021; Weldon, 2016). This results in science and mathematics, particularly in senior

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school years, being taught by out-of-field teachers. The trend of students being taught by unqualified or out-of-field teachers and consequently fewer students taking up STEM subjects in senior years and beyond is further confirmed by organizations such as Australian Mathematical Science Institute (AMSI) and Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (AATE) who point to the long-term consequences of failing to address these critical national challenges (Independent Education Union of Australia New South Wales/ACT branch, 2019; Thomas et al., n.d.). Students who are not taught by teachers with expertise in their disciplines means they have few classroom role models to inspire and create passion in them. They are less inclined to pursue STEM studies and careers to develop interdisciplinary solutions to complex societal problems (Thomas et al., n.d.). The Netherlands faces similar challenges in STEM teacher shortages. The shortage of STEM teachers foreseen by the Dutch government in 2003 and recounted in 2013 by VOION remains unresolved (Lubberman et al., 2013; Voion, het Arbeidsmarkt and Opleidingsfonds voor het voortgezet onderwijs, 2018). For the region around Eindhoven University of Technology, there is a projected shortage of upper secondary physics, chemistry, computer science, and mathematics teachers until 2024 (Voion, het Arbeidsmarkt and Opleidingsfonds voor het voortgezet onderwijs, 2018). Addressing the shortage of STEM, as well as primary school, teachers are an important priority for Dutch government policy makers. Between 12 and 20% of all classes in secondary education are taught by (as yet) unqualified teachers. According to Den Brok et al. (2017), unqualified teachers are more likely to leave the profession (46%) than teachers who have some form of pedagogical qualification (25%). The attrition figures in the Netherlands in general are between 15 and 25%. The group leaving the teaching profession is described as unqualified teachers with low self-perceived teaching competence and low pedagogical skills perceived by students (Den Brok et al., 2017). Research as well as industry experts agree that teachers have a strong influence on students’ engagement and interest in STEM subjects, their performance in STEM subjects and on how students view mathematics and science in terms of future careers (Marginson et al., 2013; Thomas et al., n.d.). According to the Australian Council of Learned Academies (ACOLA), countries that lead in STEM education and workforce skills have well-trained, inspirational and confident teachers in STEM disciplines (Marginson et al., 2013). In the USA where the recruitment and retention of qualified STEM teachers is being recognized as a critical component to the provision of high-quality STEM education, STEM teachers are more likely to “have attended a selective college, have a graduate degree, and have a STEM qualification” (Nguyen & Redding, 2018, p. 10). Without being taught by specialist and qualified teachers, it is difficult for students to get the full appreciation and knowledge of science and mathematics and its real-world application in practice. Science, by its very nature and conception, is driven by curiosity and imagination and students benefit from being exposed to opportunities and environments that can trigger that curiosity. A study that surveyed students to examine their experiences after exposure to a “Mission to Mars” program concluded that they had a better understanding of the true nature of science, which included imagination and creativity (Kingsley et al., 2019). While

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this kind of exposure may not be available to all students, it highlights the importance of the need to instill interest and passion and provide students opportunities to work on authentic real-world problems. Attracting teachers who either have STEM qualifications or have been STEM professionals prior to entering the teaching profession can play a critical role to address STEM teacher shortages and enhance student engagement. Recommendations to build a strong STEM teacher workforce who have expertise and knowledge have been put forth in education policies and initiatives. For instance, in Australia, Timms et al. clearly state that career changers from STEM areas should be targeted to boost the workforce (2018). Similarly, the 2014 report from the Office of the Chief Scientist also observes the need to ensure that scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians are involved in the STEM teacher education content (2014). From the figures in Staff in Australia’s Schools data, it can be seen that more than 50% of teachers in the Australian teacher workforce have qualifications in fields other than education (McKenzie et al., 2014). While clear statistics or data on how many mathematics and science school teachers have switched careers from STEM fields in Australia is lacking, there is enough evidence to suggest there is an increasing trend of those who join teaching from other professions and anecdotally to infer that some come from STEM or STEM-related professions. Accurate data on career changers in teaching has been difficult to establish, as noted in Chap. 3 of the book. In the Netherlands, the influx of STEM teachers from a career in industry or academia was estimated to be around 200 in the years 2010–2013, which is 12% of total STEM teacher graduates in that period (numbers reported by the Dutch Ministry for Education, Culture and Science: Directie Kennis OCW-DUO IP 2020). These career changers have an average age of 36, with a large spread (21–51 yrs old). Fifty-four percentage of them are male with 90% holding a university degree (not in education). On average, 70% of STEM teachers in this 2010–2013 cohort were still teaching in 2020. From 2014 on, studies did not denote the number of STEM teachers separately from other career changing teachers (e.g., language or history teachers). On average, 30% of students in teacher education were career changers from 2015 to 2019 (Directie Kennis OCW-DUO IP, 2020). The career changers in this report are officially registered, since they received a government grant to switch to teaching. No numbers for career changers that paid for their own teacher education are available. An average of 14% of all classes in STEM subjects were taught by (“documented”) career changers in 2018. After three years of teaching, 30% of the career changers (in general) were found to still be employed as a teacher (Directie Kennis OCW-DUO IP, 2020). Grier and Johnston’s, (2009) study reported that STEM career change teachers demonstrated an “authentic caring for their students and student learning that is manifested in two ways: through making content connections in their lesson plans and teaching by using real-world examples” (p. 71). Bringing wide content knowledge and having practical experiences in STEM-related fields may also lead to more “authentic science teaching” (Grier & Johnston, 2012). Experts from the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering ATSE note a common characteristic of effective STEM education initiatives around the world, that is, for students to become

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engaged in authentic real-world problems (Thomas et al., n.d.). Attracting career changers to Australian classrooms addresses both real-world experience gaps and teacher shortage in STEM subjects. STEM career change teachers also bring the technological skills, and soft skills such as flexibility, communication and presentation skills from their previous workplaces that are useful and transferable to their work as classroom teachers (Cuddapah & Stanford, 2015; Grier & Johnston, 2012; Marinell, 2008; Rowston et al., 2020). As former practitioners in these areas, they can make science and mathematics instruction more relevant to students, for instance, by giving concrete examples or case studies of mathematics and science and their application in practice. Students are then able to make the relevant connection between key concepts and their use, thus sparking interest and enthusiasm to study in STEM discipline areas and better preparing them for post-secondary opportunities (Koehler et al., 2013). Varadharajan’s previous research on career change teachers also shows that this cohort exhibits qualities of self-confidence, creativity and passion (2014), skills that fall under the ambit of “inspirational teachers” (Office of the Chief Scientist, 2014). However, having a previous STEM career with relevant qualifications and experience does not necessarily translate to being a successful science teacher (Burton & Burton, 2016; Grier & Johnston, 2012). Tigchelaar et al. report that teachers entering the profession at a later stage in their career have different needs and show different growths in teacher concerns than other students in teacher education (2014). Although career change teachers with STEM backgrounds can apply for an assessment rather than a standard teacher training course, the course and classes they attend operate within regular teacher training institutes where no specific attention is paid to this student cohort whose backgrounds and experiences are different (Tigchelaar et al., 2014). Teacher education programs may be ill-equipped to harness the relevant applied knowledge that career changers may bring or to translate scientific knowledge into productive student learning environments (Burton & Burton, 2016; Johnson et al., 2015). Suitable learning opportunities may not exist in programs that enable career changers better connect theory and practice. Koehler et al. note that alternative certification programs that exist to attract STEM career changers would need to do much more for preparing and sustaining candidates for a promising teaching career, for instance, to maximize the diverse backgrounds of participants, build competencies using mentors and through professional development (2013). In addition to problems in teacher education, career change teachers can struggle with making the connection to transform their extensive work experience, personal beliefs about learning and non-textbook-oriented practices to create and implement conceptually rich and meaningful teaching in conventional school cultures (Powell, 1997). Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) or the knowledge of how to teach is not a practice that may come easily to STEM professionals (Snyder et al., 2013). While career changers may be proficient in technological skills, the confident application of such skills in educational contexts may be lacking (Rowston et al., 2020). Cutler’s case study of nine career change professionals to middle-grade science and mathematics teaching suggested offering leadership opportunities beyond classroom teaching as these individuals often come with leadership experience from their

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previous field (2017). School administrators and colleagues and the school culture in general can also play a crucial role in welcoming these teachers from a different background to their new working environment and thus retaining STEM career changers in teaching (Watters & Diezmann, 2015). Career changing teachers’ experiences in their prior career can be an influential factor in the type of teacher they become and role model they embody to their students. For instance, they may not encourage students to take up careers in STEM or STEM-related professions if they themselves have not had a positive experience or if they believe opportunities to pursue a STEM career do not exist (McDonald, 2017).

3 The Current Study The study seeks to investigate STEM teacher professionals in schools and their contributions toward building a STEM-literate workforce. Focusing on career change mathematics and science teachers in secondary years, the study examines how their backgrounds as STEM professionals act as enablers or barriers to their teaching experiences in schools, with a view to making the teaching profession more attractive to professionals from STEM fields. Researchers from Australia and The Netherlands came together to understand STEM career changers’ experiences and contributions in their respective countries. The joint study was in part motivated by common challenges facing both countries in STEM education and with a view to identifying relevant strategies and recommendations that can be applied in both contexts. The research questions in this joint study were: • What are the motivations of STEM professionals that lead them to change careers to teaching? • What are the enablers and barriers experienced by former STEM professionals when they start teaching mathematics and science in schools? • How do we attract STEM professionals to the teaching profession?

3.1 Approach and Methodology The study is guided by a qualitative framework to understand and examine the experiences of STEM career change teachers. Qualitative studies provide opportunities to gain rich and meaningful insights into individual perceptions (Miles & Huberman, 1994), which can lead to informing how we can shape educational policy and practice using participant voices. The joint collaboration was considered as a form of learning involving boundaries, and the study sought ways to connect and collaborate across sites and across institutions (Akkerman & Bakker, 2011). Differences between the two sites existed, including research approaches, context of the educational system, the set-up of the

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school system, the opportunities available to STEM professionals to become STEM teachers and the precise meaning of academic language to name a few. Boundaries as a potential learning resource was used to navigate through those differences in the journey as “co-researchers.” Care was taken to communicate often and in detail to be able to successfully understand and navigate the learning potential of boundaries such that the research could be conducted validly and reliably in both sites. Boundary “crossing” is also applied in the context of understanding the journey of STEM career change teachers as they crossed the boundary or site from practicing STEM to teaching STEM, entering into an unfamiliar territory, facing the “challenge of negotiating and combining ingredients from different contexts to achieve hybrid situations” (Akkerman & Bakker, 2011, p. 134). Questions put to participants enabled us to determine the extent to which they were successful in “building bridges between both worlds” (2011, p. 140) and what more could be done to make the path smoother for these boundary crossing individuals. The research questions were answered by using a multiple case study approach. The case study method was helpful to understand the motivations for change, barriers, enablers and suggestions for future career change teachers with STEM backgrounds in sufficient detail to be able to do justice to the individuals who participated in the research. A cross-case approach allowed for comparison between the cases within one country and across the two countries. Through these approaches, it was possible to draw valid conclusions on teachers’ motivations for change, enablers and barriers, and provide suggestions to counter the STEM teacher shortage in both sites. A semi-structured interview protocol was constructed around the topics of the research questions. The participants were asked about their background characteristics in the general flow of the questions. The themes of the questions were: motivations for change, barriers and enablers and suggestions for attracting future professionals from STEM backgrounds. Example subjects of the questions were: “What did you study?” “What careers did you have prior to teaching?”. These questions were followed up by inquiring after the participants’ reason(s) for changing careers and how that change happened: “What made you change your career? Can you describe your transition period?”. Then the participants were asked what enablers they had for their new career that they had learned in their previous one(s). This was followed by questions on the barriers they had encountered when becoming a teacher. Finally, the participants were asked for advice on how more STEM professionals could be attracted to the profession of STEM teacher. For the Dutch participants, the semi-structured interview protocol was translated into Dutch. The purpose and intention of all questions was discussed to ensure the Dutch-English translation was successful. This interview was conducted in English and transcribed. It was then coded by both researchers as described in the next section.

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3.2 Data Collection and Analysis Participants were approached through the network of teachers each researcher had, being part of a teacher education institute. The topic of the interview was such that in the Netherlands participants outside the network expressed interest in joining the study. To be able to compare coding and analysis, one career change teacher from a STEM background from a bilingual school (English and Dutch) was chosen as a participant in the Netherlands. In total, ten career change teachers with STEM backgrounds of whom three were department heads were interviewed in Australia (Sydney area). In the Netherlands, 14 career change teachers with STEM background and three school principals were interviewed (Eindhoven area). See Tables 1, 2 and 3 for details. The interviews were conducted between June 2018 and March 2019 in the respective countries. All interviews were transcribed verbatim. Each of the interviews was analyzed first using a within-case, then a cross-case approach (Miles & Huberman, 1994, pp. 90–142, 172–177 respectively) to be able to identify motives. The withincase analysis proceeded from describing verbally represented meanings to identifying and naming recurrent motives per topic (Miles & Huberman, 1994). The crosscase analysis was used to ascertain how the population of career change teachers from STEM backgrounds viewed these motives. A motive was defined as recurrent, when it fulfilled the decision rule that four or more of the participants made statements about it. Next, the motives were aggregated into larger themes. Computer programs were used (NVIVO, MS Word add-ons) to facilitate the coding of phrases and to allow for comparison. All the above analysis steps were carried out independently by the two researchers as a means of member checking (Lincoln & Guba, 1985). Each researcher systematically coded one of the other’s interviews. Next, the motives that emerged from each interview were discussed to check for reliability of coding. For all motives, themes were set and agreed upon after thorough discussion. Subsequently, all interviews were analyzed as agreed. Where discrepancies occurred in the resulting aggregated themes, these were resolved by comparing, discussing and rephrasing the definition of the themes to cover each researcher’s opinion. We stress that with the exception of a few themes, most of the identified themes across categories apply across all career changers more broadly. This was because although participants did talk and respond to some of the questions as STEM professionals, it was more from a career change perspective that they were able to discuss and share their experiences as teachers. For this reason, readers may find that themes and underlying messages resonate with discussions from previous chapters. However, because they were career change teachers from STEM backgrounds, we have attempted to capture the “STEM career change teacher” voice in all of the themes (Table 4).

Gender

F

F

F

M

F

M

F

M

F

F

Pseudonym

Alice

Margaret

Nicola

Graham

Sheena

Sam

Mona

Alexander

Phoebe

Jasmine

B.Sc., of arts (pure mathematics and French); Law; MBA

B.Sc., in pure mathematics

B.Sc., and M.Sc., in industrial chemistry

B.Sc., of science (Chemistry); M.Sc., in commerce (HR)

B.Sc., of electrical engineering; M.Sc., of science (Research); M.Sc., of technology management

M.Sc., in electrical and electronic engineering

B.Sc., of chemical engineering and M.Sc., of Business/Technology

B.Sc., of manufacturing/Management

B.Sc., of civil/Environmental engineering

B.Sc., of mathematics and B.Sc., of computer science (hons)

Educational background

Table 1 Teacher participants in Australia, Sydney area

Lawyer/Business consulting

Software engineer

Industrial chemist

Laboratory manager

Technology design and development

Sensor management/Defence research

Mining and operations/Sales manager

Contracts and supply chain logistics

Environmental engineer

Investment bank: Fixed income research team

Previous STEM career

Maths/ex-Head of maths

Ex-Maths

Science/Head of science

Science/Chemistry

Science/Physics

Mathematics

Science/Chemistry

Mathematics

Mathematics/Head of mathematics

Mathematics

Current teaching subject

15+

1

9

4+

12+

7+

5+

7+

7+

13+

Teaching years

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Table 2 Teacher participants in the Netherlands, Eindhoven area Pseudonym

Gender

Educational background

Previous STEM Current teaching career subject

Teaching years

Beth

Female

M.Sc., petroleum and mining engineering

Energy industry Physics

1 (new teacher)

Dorothy

Female

Ph.D. chemistry Semiconductor industry

Chemistry

7+

James

Male

M.Sc., architecture

Architect

Physics

4

Mark

Male

M.Sc., mathematics

Program manager high-tech industry

Mathematics

1

Hugh

Male

B.Sc., science technology and engineering

Thin film technology

Physics

13+

Allard

Male

M.Sc., chemical Chemical engineering research

Chemistry

1 (new teacher)

Mike

Male

M.Sc., mathematics

ICT marketing

Mathematics

6+

Tom

Male

Ph.D. biology

Biology researcher

Biology

1 (new teacher)

Cliff

Male

M.Sc., business Project administration management and natural medicine

Mathematics

1 (new teacher)

Oliver

Male

B.Sc., electronics

ICT expert and sales

Mathematics

15+

Richard

Male

Ph.D. mathematics

Mathematics researcher and semiconductor industry

Mathematics

11+

Fay

Female

M.Sc., electronic engineering

Technology manager

Mathematics

10

Bart

Male

M.Sc., architecture

Architect

Physics

5

Rita

Female

B.Sc., chemistry and laboratory

Chemical analyses for medical applications

Chemistry

15+

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Table 3 Principal participants in the Netherlands, Eindhoven area

Principal

No of students

Mr. Reed

All

typesa

2099

Mr. Thomson

All typesa

1887

typesa

1544

Mrs. Collins a all

Table 4 Categories and themes

School type

All

three secondary school levels under one roof

Category

Aggregated themes defined

Motivations for change

• Push and pull factors • Altruism • Stress

Enablers

• Real-world perspective, connectivity and related knowledge • Work-related professional and organizational skills • Professionalism and professional approach • Flexibility

Barriers

• Inflexible work environment • Workload • Work and team culture

Attracting more STEM teachers

• Monetary issues • Teacher education pathways • (Un) Familiarity

The themes from both countries on the subject of why these STEM professionals changed to teaching are presented per topic below to answer research question one. Likewise, the themes that are considered enablers and barriers are presented. Finally, the aggregated views of the participants on how to attract more STEM professionals to the STEM teaching profession are presented. Quotes from teachers in the Netherlands are indicated as “NL,” and quotes from teachers in Australia are indicated as “AUS”.

4 Study Findings 4.1 Motivations for Changing Profession The first theme that emerges is that there often seems to be a combination of push and pull factors. The combination of having a family life and professional demands from the previous job is one often mentioned as a reason for change. There were influences to a large degree by family circumstances, in the case of the female participants, in

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particular, by their concerns about their children’s care and what they saw as the family-friendly nature of teaching. At one point I was doing a professional development course and one of the exercises was to pitch to your husband why you were not coming home that night. I couldn’t do it. I went home that night and wrote my letter of resignation the next morning. - Fay (NL). The work I was doing in consulting was terrific but took me away from home a lot. I got divorced and I actually needed something practical because I had the children with me and so I couldn’t leave home and leave them. They were quite young, and I didn’t want them to be in before and after care and vacation care the whole time so I actually for absolutely practical reasons chose to do a Masters of Teaching. - Jasmine (AUS). When I had my kids, it didn’t fit in as well and I watched my girlfriends go through that as well and what they had to do to adapt to having kids in an engineering industry and teaching obviously then I rethought and went, well I always wanted to be so now is the time to do it so that was why it was after number two and by the time I had three it was like this isn’t going to work and that was a good time to change. - Margaret (AUS).

Moving countries or to a different state can also trigger change in a career, especially when combined with family reasons. I guess the tipping point was when we had to relocate to Tasmania and we had to fly in/fly out and that started taking a toll in terms of your social and your family and being away from home for so long at a time. - Alexander (AUS). I stopped work when I had my children. Then, after we emigrated to Australia, I wasn’t working anyway, and it was a good opportunity for me to then pick up and do the teaching degree that I’d always intended to do. - Sheena (AUS).

Another theme is the need for a job with a more altruistic nature, the person coming from a job that is based on making money (for others) only. This can sometimes be combined with long-term interest either to pursue a teaching career or an interest in the process of teaching. You know I felt like I was making the rich richer, that was my job. I think I was quite done with that at a certain point. That is why I went into human resources a bit more. - Beth (NL). I was sick of being around cost-cutting, sick of being around businesses that are in trauma and I suppose I was looking for something a little bit more enduring, a little bit more stable and a little bit more altruistic. … I needed a new start. – Graham (AUS). My intention was always to give teaching a go. I didn’t know how suitable I was going to be, but that intention was always there, but I knew that that was always waiting in the back. I didn’t have to rush things. - Alexander (AUS).

Stress is also commonly mentioned as a theme, though usually combined with the feeling of need for a change either in family time or in altruism. According to the company, they would expect that you’re working until 10 o’clock at night and you’re working on weekends and you’re travelling and it just doesn’t lend itself to that so it was probably driven by family and thinking we both can’t have this type of career … I decided then to go into teaching. - Nicola (AUS). Well, the architectural work was not easy to come by, and I had to work far away from home. A lot of travel time and then some private matters finally got me thinking. I taught in professional education before and so [...]. - Bart (NL).

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Reasons can also be driven by being attracted to the “ideal working conditions in the field,” though this may prove to be an illusion. I think the other thing is I’ve said it was a secure job. That can be a big attraction … It is a stable job and great holidays and it’s very family friendly. - Jasmine (AUS). It’s recession-proof. Yeah, it was a drop down in salary, but it was consistent, so I wouldn’t have to be worried well, this is after the experience of being fired. I probably wouldn’t have to worry about that experience again. - Sam (AUS).

Some “just have to be teachers,” because it comes naturally to them, or they stem from a teaching family. When I left home, my family and close friends placed bets on how long it would take for me to go into teaching. My father was a teacher, but he warned me off really. Still, I am happy where I am now. - Richard (NL). I knew where I was getting into. My parents were teachers, my parents-in-law are teachers, my best friend is a teacher. In a sense it felt like coming home. - Dorothy (NL).

As indicated earlier, motivation themes are not unique to the STEM career change cohort. The findings strongly concur with previous research on career change teachers and reasons for choosing teaching as a profession.

4.2 Enablers The most common themes were real-world perspective, connectivity and related knowledge. Participants found that they were able to draw on many of their previously developed skills and experience once they became teachers. Their students appreciated their ability to bring a real-world perspective to the classroom. They were able to better connect with their students by drawing on their experience to explain the relevance of topics to the world outside school or by providing examples from their previous job to explain concepts that they were teaching. As one of the participants, Jasmine, expressed: What I think career change or STEM teachers bring is, it’s a different perspective on the world and that is not school - University - school. -Jasmine (AUS).

The STEM professionals in this study considered that their previous career provided them with skills and experience that assisted them in their teaching career. All the participants mentioned that being able to connect syllabus content to realworld examples was motivational for the students and earned them credibility as a practitioner with experience other than teaching. When prompted for how they brought in their experience from their previous career into teaching, participants described various ways they were able to achieve this in ways that made the mathematics and science content more interesting, real and relevant. So, teaching Chemistry, it was a direct relationship to what I had done before. I mean, I could tell them the techniques. I could tell them examples of how it was applied in mining.

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I operated certain instrumentation, which I was familiar with and I could just go off that. I didn’t need a textbook. I could tell them about potential careers in mining where Chemistry could lead them. All these sorts of things were just automatic, and I didn’t need to refer to any books. - Alice (AUS). I can tell them what working life is like, because I lived it. [...] When we talk about factories, I have seen how big they are. I pushed the buttons; we built and explained the mechanisms to others. So I am used to visualizing how these plants work. - Beth (NL).

Mathematics teachers who had engineering backgrounds felt at ease teaching content and were able to describe to students the relationship and relevance between the two disciplines. For instance, Margaret gave an example of teaching a physics/engineering principle relating to simple harmonic motion in water tanks, which she then applied in a mathematics unit to explain to students how waves can be added and subtracted. Thus, she was able to use her work on engineering projects to create mathematical models for teaching students. To quote Sheena, an ex-engineer: When we teach things like standard deviation, the most common example to use – and I do use this one a lot because the kids relate to it – is the mark scaling and talking about that, but I was also able to show them how it can be used in industry for video tracking and using things like the least-squares algorithm, which then has got all of the math embedded within it.-Sheena (AUS).

Those with business and business-related qualifications were able to share multiple examples from their experience to teach specific mathematics topics such as those related to cost and income curve and how business and boardroom decisions have underlying mathematical principles. Nicola details this in her response: So I try where I can, to put my previous work experience and say, “These are the types of things that we make business decisions on” and it’s not as simplistic…but I can explain the basic reason why we do that because companies can’t exist if they continue to lose money and so forth so that does help and for me it’s not a weird concept. It’s a real-life thing that I lived and breathed. -Nicola (AUS).

Having a computer engineering and programing background gave Phoebe abundant potential to explore innovative ways of teaching mathematics to her students, such as using codebreaking to teach algebra. As she explains, I can make any kind of demonstration happen on the screen and actually I now find myself coding a lot in GeoGebra. It’s not really coding in the way that we code it but to demonstrate stuff so I wrote a GeoGebra demonstration for Vectors so that you could manipulate a bucket that turns around and all the water falls into the bucket or not and that sort of thing and coming at it as a programmer has great advantages, otherwise you wouldn’t know how to structure or how to make it happen. -Phoebe (AUS).

Two teachers who worked in research after their Ph.D. indicated they felt more at ease with the more research-oriented aspect of their subject. There is a lot in biology that we do know, but there is much more that we do not yet know. And how that works is what I enjoy teaching them. – Tom (NL). I think it is important to prepare my students for university, so I use abstract math to convey abstract mathematical ideas, I think that is important. I also use modern day math, such as cryptology and how internet security works. – Richard (NL).

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Similarly, teachers who were teaching physics and chemistry spoke of how they brought in their scientific knowledge to the classroom and were able to talk about direct relationships between concepts and applications, such as mining applications (Alexander) or how an instrument works (Mona). Mona noted that even though some instruments may be obsolete, her prior working knowledge means she is able to talk to students about the instrument intricacies and troubleshooting, something other teachers would not have been able to do, as they “would never have seen one in their lives.” Having worked in the mining industry, Graham was able to see and make students aware of the connection between subject matter content and its practical application. To quote: When they talk about mineral beneficiation so there’s a lot of mining-type stuff that’s covered because I spent four and a half years, five years in the mining industry so we teach about flotation, we teach about mineral processing, we teach about say copper recovery. Well, I’ve worked in those areas. - Graham (AUS).

The teachers were keen and passionate to promote the profession as best as they could to enable more students to pursue STEM subjects. Career changers appeared to recognize the issues of skills shortage and gender imbalance facing the STEM discipline and, thus, were keen to play their part in making the profession attractive to the younger generation. They understood the significance of triggering students’ curiosity and enthusiasm to effect change. Because they could comfortably talk about careers in science or engineering and related work experiences, as well as convey a better understanding of the applications of STEM concepts to the real world, students were exposed to hearing about the various possibilities that they otherwise might not have heard. To quote: I think if you’ve got background knowledge that you can bring and you’re passionate about your subject they respect you for that. I can use those great stories from where I used to work to give students an idea of what’s possible out in the workforce, especially the older ones when they’re starting to think about what am I going to do with the rest of my life. - Sam (AUS).

and I had one group of Year 9 girls, they just came into the room one day and they were all really, really excited, they’d found out that I used to be an engineer and it kind of gave them a bit of drive, really, to try and do well in math, and then they could talk to me about the fact that they wanted to go into engineering, and what sort of things they needed to do, and that kind of thing. I think, also, kids generally just respond well to the fact that you have used math in real life, and that you do know which bits will or won’t be as useful, depending on what they’re planning to do. - Sheena (AUS). Whatever I had that I had learnt in my past experience I could transfer to them and get them really enthusiastic about Science. To go and consider Science as a career path and that there are endless possibilities out there so that was what I was trying to do to try and promote that field and at the same time show them the possibilities and opportunities they might not have even considered and I felt that I was able to deliver and actually get that across to them and they understood. They could ask more questions and I could put them in touch with certain people that I knew or get certain materials that they were after, so I had those links still to industry, which was really good. – Alexander (AUS).

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The second theme centered around work-related professional and organizational skills. The teachers had developed a wealth of other skills during their careers, which they found to be valuable assets both in the classroom and in the wider school context. They indicated that their experiences in project management enabled them to plan and structure their work relatively easily. Having had the experience of working in a technical/corporate environment with task and managerial responsibilities and requirements to meet tight deadlines, some gave an impression about the easy-going nature of teaching. There was even a tone of criticism about other teachers’ lack of experience and the lack of professionalism in the teaching profession generally. Such remarks are not uncommon as can be seen in previous literature and authors’ own work (e.g., Varadharajan, 2014). School work is very easy to structure. You know what to plan, which dates the tests can be, and compared to working in a company the results of your work come in really quickly. -Mike (NL). In terms of Civil Engineering, it is all about project management and meeting deadlines and that works brilliantly in the teaching professions. You project manage and you meet deadlines and so those skills are very definitely utilized within head teaching, possibly more than classroom teaching so I think that that very definitely, very definitely applies and again some of my sources of frustration when that’s not a universal approach but I definitely think it works at a Head Teacher level. - Margaret (AUS). That’s another thing where I can add value because for 15 or 20 years I have worked on Project Teams and had to deal with some people who didn’t contribute and all this stuff on time, all those types of challenges that you have in business; people management and negotiation and delegation and presentation skills. I can add value in that way as well. – Nicola (AUS). (Traditional) Teachers are wonderfully well-intentioned people, but they don’t have project management skills. They may have project management skills, but they’re not taught the way an Engineer is taught about how to manage a project. They don’t have financial management skills and, whilst they’re again well-intentioned, most teachers don’t get the discipline that’s required for continuous improvement. - Graham (AUS).

Career change teachers with STEM backgrounds’ experience in technology in its various facets was another important skill they brought to teaching. Being employed in STEM or STEM-related industries may have given career changers more exposure and experience in such skills, as a necessary element of their job (e.g., Rowston et al., 2020). Teacher participants were highly comfortable and confident in working with programs such as Excel Spreadsheet and Google Drive. They spoke of this experience as a valuable asset both in their teaching practice and in transferring their knowledge to other teachers. In fact, they stated about the two distinct roles (among other various roles) they seemed to have—as a teacher and as a technology expert. My main skill that has had a massive effect on my teaching – not directly the teaching, but the career of teaching – is my technology skills. Just being able to use a computer really, really well. I guess that’s another part of my career that I wasn’t actually expecting, is to become tech support. - Sheena (AUS). I think that by virtue of where I came from. I can run a completely different kind of lesson so if I wanted to and I don’t actually do, I can use the computer to my advantage so for the Stats Course that we just did I went and I used Google Sheets and I programmed all these formulas into the Google Sheets and everybody could participate in the class at once

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whereas if you were a career teacher (traditional), you don’t necessarily have that kind of time to learn how to program the sheets and so you always bring in your skills and you draw on whatever you know. - Phoebe (AUS).

The teachers took it upon themselves to use their excel skills to improve school assessment processes, something that Oliver, a teacher in the Netherlands, found lacking in his school. This example also demonstrates self-driven initiatives shown by career change teachers to solve problems they encountered in schools. It was surprising to me to find that no one quality checks assessments. It is what I used to think of as normal. So I am the one for our (mathematics) department to make excel files year after year comparing assessment results. Quality assurance really, I figured they had someone for that. - Oliver (NL).

Another theme that emerged often was the career change teachers with STEM backgrounds’ professional approach. The teachers commented on the professionalism and professional approach to work that they had acquired as a result of working in STEM industries, attending board meetings, meeting stakeholders and engaging with staff from different levels. This translated into their work and teaching practices, and they felt the approach was helpful as a teacher and in their interactions with students, their parents and colleagues. For career changers, a professional attitude meant treating their job and colleagues in the same manner as they would have in other workplaces. They took pride in representing themselves to external parties and related this to how they behaved in their old workplace. With respect to students, a professional approach meant viewing them as “clients,” and ensuring students get the best possible “value” for their “time” in the classroom. This approach was particularly evident in the cases of those teachers who taught in private schools, where student fees are high. Though this “business model” approach may not apply to all career changers and more significantly, may not necessarily be the right approach to view students, it helps to understand the career change teachers’ mindset and reasoning behind this approach. Career change teachers in Australia as well as the Netherlands noted they did not necessarily find the same “level of professionalism” among their colleagues in the teaching profession. They attributed this to the hierarchical nature of school management limiting the opportunity for teachers to have agency and responsibility to take decisions over matters, leading to less opportunity to engage professionally. Younger teachers also have less experience in other kinds of roles because they may not have had the exposure in other work environments. I think it is mainly that you have work experience, that you have grown up. I mean, if I compare myself with 23-24-year-olds that come straight out of teacher education and are put in front of a classroom, I think that is much harder. Much harder to provide a structure to work by or gain control over the group. I have already learned to work with people, even if we don’t agree on a personal level Bart (NL). Career change teachers come in with a level of professionalism, which isn’t necessarily seen in a Graduate; I think that’s a huge step up. The expectation of workload is I think, again, a big advantage to what you expect of yourself within a workplace. Being able to separate your workplace from your, I suppose, your homelife and personal life; being able to step into

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a professional persona for want of a better term which you do in private industry. You put on your suit and you go off and you represent your Department. That’s a huge advantage. - Margaret (AUS).

Several Dutch career change teachers indicated that they do not understand the work pressure their teacher colleagues report on. This could be because they had more experience working under pressure which led them to build on time management skills. They were grateful to have more time in their hands to focus on other things after work instead of the stresses they encountered in their previous careers. I set my goals, work my hours and then it is done. - Hugh (NL). We get to go home on time, no one phones me up at night to help fix an emergency in the plant. - Beth (NL). When a family member is ill it is ok for me to take some care-leave. - Fay (NL). Management skills are lacking because most people who have gone into a leadership position in schools of course have gone school/University/school and actually don’t have any other paradigm or no other knowledge or understanding of different structures and so it’s perpetuated. - Jasmine (AUS). I think I approach teaching differently to others because of my background so I see that the students are my customers and I’m providing a service and that the parents are entitled to expect a quality product. - Nicola (AUS).

The theme of flexibility emerged as career change teachers in the Australian study regarded adaptability as one of their key strengths. Having a flexible “cando” attitude proved beneficial in many respects as they learnt to cope with the challenges and struggles that come with teaching, requiring them to adapt quickly to new workplaces and teaching students. In some ways, the nature of being adaptable and open to new changes occurred quite naturally and instinctively to the career change Australian teachers, having faced challenging situations personally and professionally. As a school teacher now, flexibility manifested itself in several ways—being able to be innovative and adapt their teaching methods and style to suit student needs and learning; having a “can-do” attitude to get things done to meet deadlines and approaching issues from a problem-solving perspective. However, as one career change teacher noted, not all career change teachers may have this quality and would depend on the sorts of career and life experience trajectories of each individual. When I started I just was given the syllabus and then I knew the content that I had to deliver and at first it was a bit rigid and the students found it perhaps a bit bland and not engaging enough and I sensed that and so I developed more prac work and tried to incorporate it as often as I could …and so I started trying a few things and I found that they (students) responded well to those. - Alexander (AUS). When I was working in the financial industry, I worked long hours and we never got paid overtime. If the job needed doing – Budget Night – we’d stay back. That was just part of the job and you’d be there to whatever time at night...so I guess from that point of view, that’s another thing I bring is flexibility. If something needs doing, then I’ll do it. - Alice (AUS). You’ve got to be flexible and I think coming from an engineering workforce and being able to problem-solve and being able to think around a different solution was very beneficial for me but I’ve also seen career change teachers that are rigid and cannot do that and it is that flexibility that’s really needed. - Margaret (AUS).

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In the Netherlands, similar experiences are reported, with a focus on a “can-do” attitude that is viewed more from a company perspective. Similar to Miriam (AUS), Beth mentioned that in a company, especially as an engineer, you are trained to work independently and devise workable solutions in a limited amount of time. This is considered “normal” practice, and these skills then get transferred in the school context. The wait-and-see attitude of her teaching colleagues therefore surprised Beth. You are not waiting around for the principal or head of department to tell you to fix something. -Beth (NL).

One of the school principals, Mrs. Collins, indicated that when she asks a teacher to investigate something at the beginning of the school year, she does not expect an answer before Christmas, and then expects “I did not have time to look at it.” Her experience with a career change teacher is that he provides a written concise report on the subject within two weeks after asking and inquires after the follow-up.

4.3 Barriers Some of the barriers experienced in the teaching profession are not unique to the STEM career change cohort but are common challenges faced by the teaching cohort in general. Pupil behavior, perceived workload, school context and job satisfaction are factors that influence stress levels of teachers most (Barmby, 2006; Smith & Bourke, 1992). A contrasting theme of inflexibility of the school as a workplace emerged first. Career changers struggled with getting used to the culture and workings of a school that was fundamentally based on a different set of ideology as compared to their previous workplace. Adjusting to the bureaucratic and rigid nature in which the school functioned proved mentally challenging and frustrating. Participants gave several examples that described the bureaucracy that existed within school boundaries, which slowed the processes to get things moving. They were also frustrated with other staff members who did not share their same ideological principles. Part of this struggle can be attributed to their experience and exposure in corporate for-profit oriented environments which was very different to service-focused sectors such as schools and the education sector more broadly. Hence, even though career changers entered the profession with altruism and intrinsic motivations, they found it difficult to adapt and alter their behavior or change their principles. Moreover, they were not sufficiently prepared for the workings of the school culture—a workplace that was largely governed by bells, timetables and rules. They viewed their new work environment as inflexible and restrictive which further contributed to their disillusionment. There’s definitely been some frustrations because when you work in a very well run multinational company and you get to some of the bureaucracy and inefficiency of the school because the school is designed to educate and not to be profitable and it’s not always the

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most efficient system so I think sometimes the administration in a school I found frustrating and you don’t have that free enterprise mentality. Nicola (AUS). If you’re from a disorganized way of doing things you will never fit into a school system. You have to come in on time. You can’t go and just take random coffee breaks. You’ve got to go with the school program and that’s another thing that I think was a challenge for some people. - Alexander(AUS). At the school where I work it is, if you work here now and in ten years’ time, nothing will have changed. No vision on a future [education] or change. – Rita (NL). When you move from a role where you’ve got a lot of autonomy to an environment driven by bells so that was one of the first things I noticed. – Graham (AUS).

Frustration was not just directed at people but also toward the content and curriculum and what could and could not be achieved in a given time frame. Though they brought passion and creativity in their STEM teaching practices as mentioned in the enablers, they were not able to implement their ideas to improve learning, wishing for more flexibility in the way subjects and the curriculum were organized to allow for creativity. It’s so regimented, the system, the curriculum, that there is no room...because there’s no flexibility. - Mona (AUS). I think when you’ve worked in a company where you’re awarded for being creative, that doesn’t always lend itself to a very jam-packed curriculum. - Nicola (AUS). The capacity to make your own decisions or make your own way even if you’ve got a project that you’re working on, you know where you’ve got to go with it but the way you go is your own as long as you do a good job. You don’t have that. It has to be done in a certain way and that’s a restriction. - Jasmine (AUS).

Some of the former STEM professionals were not anticipating the workload that they would face as teachers. This second theme can be a trap for career change teachers who expect teaching to be an 8 am–3 pm job, no extra workload beyond that, with the added bonus of school holidays. With these preconceptions and false expectations, teachers face a different reality and soon come to realize that teaching involves a whole lot more than delivering lessons in a classroom. The sheer nature of teaching—the persona of being in their best form in front of the class for a continuous stretch of time, was mentally and physically exhausting. To add to this, other components—the curriculum and content preparation, lesson planning, being on playground duty, taking on extracurricular activity, after school marking and so on which form part of teachers’ role—was not something career changers were prepared for. The workload seemed relentless, in an effort to constantly “keep up” with everything. When combined with the financial hit that they were experiencing, it was not hard to understand their feelings of frustration and anger. Ongoing workload can affect their mental and emotional health and like other teachers. It is the adapting, everything is new, I need to build up routines. That takes up so much time and I notice that I am searching for a way, and the one I chose might not be the right way, so I have to go back. And the deadline comes up. You can’t just postpone exam time because I am not ready. It is a balance that I have to find. - Beth (NL).

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the physicality of it surprised me of being on your feet for so long and being on display for all of your day. You’re in front of a very critical and erratic audience known as adolescents and then had to turn around and in your “free time” of which there was very little, prepare for the next day and of course at times you were very unprepared. - Jasmine (AUS). After all of those careers, teaching is easily the hardest job by a long way. It’s the only job I’ve ever had where I’ve spent time at home actually doing things to keep up with what I need to do during the day. Every other job I’ve had, or career move, has always been if I was doing something at home it was to improve myself rather than just keep up, but teaching is just all about keeping up. - Sam (AUS).

Contrastingly, there are also former STEM professionals who experience the opposite here, finding that in a teaching job they can plan their work and get it finished, whereas in their previous job it never ended, including eating into private time (see push and pull factors in Sect. 3). A third theme in the barrier category was the work and team culture. Participants recalled their frustrations with staff and colleagues in schools, where ideas and new ways of doing did not count or were looked upon with skepticism. Again, having been in management roles and around workplace structures that promoted ideas to flourish, they found it hard to understand the school culture. It was as if they were constantly trying to tread a fine line between trying to “step outside the box,” and having to restrain themselves so as not to over-step or contradict senior management. I was put down from my immediate Supervisor when I did try and step outside the box...I was put on certain classes that needed resources created because they knew that I would create them and at the same time you’d get pulled back in for stepping outside of the box too much. - Margaret (AUS).

Some found it astounding to deal with a general lack of professional approach in running meetings and working through points of actions in an inefficient manner. They found this extremely hard to get used to and having to shift their mindset and ways of working. The quotes below depict both their sense of frustration and helplessness, with an almost kind of “give-up” attitude. It is hard to imagine what their mental thought processes are, among these challenges, when they clearly enter the profession with aspirations and motivations. Challenging the status quo is very difficult. Introducing new ideas is very difficult even if, as I would because of my previous experience, if I had a new idea or something I thought we should introduce or a different way of doing things I’d do the research, a complete presentation; all that sort of thing. It doesn’t matter. Yeah, it’s very difficult to change mindsets. Jasmine (AUS). I am not sure whether I could spend more time on [the topic] mathematical skills, I would like that, but you are dependent on your colleagues and their way of working in the department. If they don’t want to, I can only have a bit of time in my classes to [work on that]. - Cliff (NL). Sometimes I feel like I sit in meetings and it doesn’t matter whether the person does that thing or not whereas in my previous job if I didn’t do all these tasks by a deadline then I wouldn’t have a job so I don’t think that schools have that mentality, the performance mentality maybe. - Nicola (AUS).

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The unprofessionalism of my colleagues. We will put it that way. I was not used to that. I was used to a very professional corporate world. Where you said you were going to do something, and you did it. And, if people ask for your input on something and you give it, they use it. And things were very clearly communicated through one channel and suddenly in the school environment none of those things were happening. - Fay (NL). The narrow-mindedness. ‘I will not accept you as a colleague because you have just started, and you have no qualifications. And then I should give you my assessments? No way.’ You get stuck in a political debate between principals and their teachers, horribly unprofessional. - Mike (NL).

In the Netherlands, there seems to be a lack of recognition of previous experience, and not all principals seem to be aware of the expertise and possibilities career change teachers with STEM backgrounds bring to the school. As one teacher put it: I worked at Philips for many years on thin-film technology. [...] I have a lot to offer to the school, but they are not really interested. Luckily my colleagues are. [...] It took the school three months and the bankruptcy of the firm that installed it for the school to allow me to repair and reprogram the air conditioning system. - Hugh (NL).

The principal formulated this same experience as: Well, we have one [teacher] that worked on ventilation systems at Philips, so we have an older building, and then his specific expertise was useful. But not all CCTs (Career change teacher) have such a matching expertise. - Mr. Thomson (NL).

The principal was under the impression the career change teacher with a STEM background was an expert in ventilation systems, which allowed him to be able to fix the broken system. The actual experience of the CCT was in a very different field that is, in thin-film technology, such as used in video tapes or nowadays the production of plasma or thin-layer screens. It was the career change teachers’ can-do/problemsolving attitude and having a broad set of skills that enabled him to fix the issue to do with the venting system, despite not having the specific required experience. Australian participants echoed similar sentiments about the lack of recognition and made mention of being reconciled to being at “the bottom of the pecking order,” referring to being treated the same as other beginning teachers despite their career and life experience. The realization that their prior skills are not being recognized and that they need to start all over again to prove themselves was mentally challenging and frustrating. It required them to make mental adjustments to get used to reporting structures and being at “the bottom of the heap” again. Nobody is going to care what you’ve done before in terms of what you might be able to contribute to the school beyond what you do in the classroom. - Jasmine (AUS). it was a bit of an adjustment to come in and be at the bottom of the pecking order, so you’ve got people that are like 26 or 27 who are now your boss that you’re reporting to and you think, gosh you don’t really have a lot of life experience…..if you come from a senior position – I mean you’re already taking a massive pay cut to come to teaching; if you can’t also adjust your attitude in that context then you are going to battle. - Nicola (AUS).

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4.4 Attracting More STEM Professionals A key factor in attracting STEM career changers to the teaching profession is financial incentivisation. For STEM professionals, the drop in salary proved a major disincentive to taking up a career in teaching. Having to give up an attractive wellpaid salary that took care of family and mortgage commitments was not easy. Most participants knew about the drop in salary which would impact on their financial situation, but their altruistic motives played strongly pushing them toward teaching. For some, the realization of salary differences only came later by which time they were already committed to teaching. Not all STEM professionals acquired a teaching degree or license during their initial education. When you don’t have a job, switching to teaching is not so bad. Fay (NL). I have five children and I had a decently paid job, so I conferred with other career change teachers and my wife on how to make my desire to change to teaching work for us. - Mike (NL). You know, I actually am going to receive more pension money when I retire than I now earn with this teaching job. - Mark (NL). Every now and then I would think about going into teaching, but there were two things that held me back; first, the pay; … I haven’t looked at the pay, on purpose, because I didn’t want to get put off. In hindsight, I probably should have looked before I started.” - Mona (AUS). you know, going from an engineering salary, say, these days, $150,000 potentially for anyone who’s 35 to 40 and been working in engineering full-time, to then go to a teacher’s starting salary of $65,000, $68,000 that’s quite a jump, so most people who go into teaching do so because they want to, they don’t do it for the money. - Sheena (AUS).

A related aspect of teachers’ frustrations related to differences in structures of pay scales between teaching and their previous profession. They were used to performance-related pay structures in their previous STEM careers and being appropriately rewarded for their work. Coming into teaching, they found it hard to understand the reasons why pay scales were structured the way they were, with no monetary recognition of teachers’ efforts and performance. Many career changers, particularly in Australia, felt that a teacher’s salary should be linked to merit based performance, rather than being based on a common scale such as the number of years one is employed. Participants directly attributed low salary and the structures that exist within the system as reasons for inability to attract qualified STEM career changers to the teaching profession. In the Netherlands, an attempt has been made to create such a performance-based salary, but this was quickly hushed due to fear of favoritism caused by a total inexperience of school principals and department heads to execute the necessary performance assessment. Different from Australia is that the Dutch salary system does allow for previous salary when hiring teachers. It does mean that career change teachers with STEM backgrounds are often found in the final salary scale and do not receive a yearly increase.

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It just makes my blood boil in that every teacher in this State, there’s a common pay scale, so it doesn’t matter whether you’re a primary school teacher that’s waiting for five years to get your first permanent gig or a Physics teacher that they can’t attract. They will pay them the same amount of money to the cent. - Graham (AUS). A frustration is it doesn’t matter how hard I work or what a good job I do, I get paid exactly the same as every other person with the same level of experience. Whereas in private enterprise you get rewarded for your efforts and your achievements, in teaching you get rewarded for how many years you’ve been teaching. - Nicola (AUS).

Secondly, if we are to attract STEM professionals to teaching in schools that face shortages of STEM-qualified teachers, career pathways to transition should be smooth, seamless, and clear, with removal of unnecessary barriers and place hurdles. Participants in Australia recalled the barriers they experienced when attempting to find employment as a public school teacher. They found that the process and steps of applying for a position in public schools (that falls under the Department of Education) were not clearly explained to prospective candidates and they were not given a fair opportunity to prove their credibility and expertise as a STEM professional. Some questioned the decision-making processes itself, referring to the bureaucratic and rigid nature followed in the public education system and contrasted this with private schools who were more open to recognizing the value of STEM professionals. A general lack of criticism with the public education system that did not value creativity and entrepreneurship and hence crucially missing out on recruiting them was clear in their responses. The Dutch cohort did not encounter such experiences, since in the Netherlands 98% of schools are state funded and each local school has its own hiring policy. The general agreement is that privately owned schools pay a lower salary and are less attractive to apply to. Getting in the door of public education I found really difficult and got rejected quite a lot of times. The private systems were much happier to give me an interview.- Mona (Aus). I tried to get a job in a public school and I applied for a couple of different jobs and I couldn’t even get an interview and I think ‘do people in those situations who are making those decisions, are they valuing previous experience’?.. because to them I was a brand new teacher...There were a number of people in our cohort that applied for both public or Government schools and private schools and most of us have ended up getting jobs with private schools because I think they’re a bit more open to career change people and maybe they’ve had more success with it, so they can see the benefits that we bring to the job. Nicola (AUS). It’s like they have this system and if you don’t jump through all their little hoops in the system in the way that they want you to jump, it’s like you can’t even get a foot in the door. - Nicola (AUS).

Thirdly, creating opportunities that help promote teaching among industry professionals that act as an enabler to attract and retain STEM career changers in teaching was mentioned by participants. There are already career change teachers employed in schools and utilizing them effectively to reach out and target other prospective individuals from STEM industries can create new opportunities. Alexander, an Australian career change teacher, referred to using “team teaching” with his exindustry colleagues as a mechanism to introduce classroom teaching to those who

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may be interested in switching careers. This can act as a win–win for both the students who are exposed to an expert from outside on a particular subject content and for prospective career changers who are able to get a “taste” of what teaching looks like before they commit themselves to the career change. Increased knowledge and awareness about teaching prior to entry is one of the key factors for career change teachers’ success and long-term retention (Den Brok et al., 2017). For instance, some participants from the Netherlands were unaware of the eligibility rules for teaching particular school subjects until they were well underway into their teacher education program, during their internships. Though there was a general agreement that teaching is not for everyone, if other STEM professionals could show “How much fun it is!” -Beth (NL), more people might consider this pathway. No doubt the implementation of such strategies would need the support and cooperation of school leadership for it to be successful. whether it’s possible to get them in with industry to try and get them into the classroom first maybe as teaching partners or team-teaching, just to give them a go. We’ve been engaged with some people from industry and I’ve team-taught with another person and they seem to enjoy that. They’ll get a feel for what it’s like, if you understand like try before you actually start going into the course. - Alexander (AUS).

In addition to the above reasons articulated by participants to attract more STEM professionals into teaching, Australian participants also highlighted other ways to attract and retain career changers. Because these are more general recommendations applicable to ALL career changers, suggestions will be included in concluding chapters where we examine a series of various strategies that can be employed to recruit, attract and retain career changers in the teaching profession. For example, participants like Jasmine and Alexander discuss strategies for prospective individuals to be better informed about the teaching profession so they understand and are better prepared for what is in store.

5 Discussion and Implications Utilizing boundaries as a potential learning resource proved beneficial in the collaborative study. The framework created the possibility of looking at oneself through the eyes of the other, engaging in a “perspective-taking” process to see things in a different light (Akkerman & Bakker, 2011, p. 145). The study also found that despite diversity in sites and socio-cultural differences between the two countries, notable similarities were visible in participant responses. STEM career changers’ learning processes and their actions and role are relevant in the global context and warrant further investigation. Applying the boundary crossing framework as explicated in the methodology, the research findings indicate continuity of practices and experiences across sites for STEM career changers in their journey from being a STEM professional to a STEM teacher, as well as establishing new forms of learnings in their role. Crossing is not free from tensions, challenges and

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barriers, as found in the study results. On the one hand, career changers are in a unique and valuable position to effect change in schools, but they always run the risk of never fully belonging or being accepted to create the change. Additionally, they may also struggle internally to cope with the transformation and changes in professional identity (Snyder et al., 2013). The experiences of the interviewed teachers indicate how career change teachers with STEM backgrounds could make a successful career in education, especially when the discipline is open to knowing what these career changers can bring to the school. Overall, the aspect for STEM career change teachers’ enablers and barriers encountered, were seen among the general career change cohort, while some of the enabler themes could be characterized as specific to the STEM cohort. Motivations for changing profession seem to differ little between Australia and the Netherlands and are similar to those cited in literature on career changing teachers (e.g., Snyder et al., 2013; Tigchelaar et al., 2014). In both countries, career change teachers with STEM backgrounds report that push and pull factors, such as moving to a new city, stress or loss of previous job and altruism, influenced their decision to choose a teaching job. Family influences played a strong role for participants in the Netherlands, and though this factor was not examined among Australian participants in this current study, previous research conducted on a general career change cohort by Varadharajan (2014) showed this to be an influencing factor. To facilitate the change, a grant for schools to hire and train a career change teacher was created in 1995 in the Netherlands. The rules are strict and could benefit from experiences and recommendation in this chapter, since none of the Dutch participants in this study were eligible for the grant. To increase the number of career change teachers with STEM backgrounds, a scholarship for people wanting to become a teacher could prove more fruitful. Similarly, barriers found in this study generally match the literature on career changers/boundary crossers and seem non-specific to the STEM career changing teachers. Stress associated with teacher workload is a common phenomenon across the profession, and can hit career changers particularly hard, perhaps due to the false sense of initial expectations they had when choosing teaching as a career (e.g., Buchanan et al., 2013). Similarly, frustrations due to constraints imposed by bureaucratic systems and curricula is commonly indicated in the broad career change literature (e.g., Watters & Diezmann, 2015). Feeling isolated, excluded and struggling with identity due to a lack of a conducive working relationship with colleagues are again recurrent themes mentioned in previous studies (Schuck et al., 2018). The enablers: real-world perspective, connectivity and related knowledge, workrelated professional and organizational skills, problem-solving skills, professionalism and professional approach found in the Australian and Dutch CCTs match those cited in previous research into this STEM population (e.g., Grier & Johnston, 2012; Watters & Diezmann, 2015). The practical nature of science and mathematics subjects gave career change teachers ample opportunities to find ways to share, connect and integrate their experiences and STEM applicability in school learning. An enabler visible in the population studied here: flexibility, the can-do attitude has not been described before in the Dutch context, though the ability to take initiatives

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to solve their own problems, for instance when teaching, is an enabler that both Australian and Dutch teachers share. Taking charge of situations was “standard” practice in their STEM profession such that they were able to translate successfully in their new profession. These enablers should be recognized by school and department heads, since they are opportunities that have the potential to improve the poor student performance in STEM subjects. Students’ interest and attitudes toward science is not diminishing, as indicated in a recent Australian survey of 15-year-olds but the performance is (Education Matters, 2019). Most teachers in the study who teach mathematics and science subjects in schools come with high-level qualifications and/or diverse employment experiences both in other STEM areas, such as in engineering and technology as well as in non-STEM fields. The Australian study further indicates that most participants considered themselves “technological experts” and in fact, their information technology experience was utilized in schools, to an equal or a greater extent than their experience in their subject field of science or mathematics. However, as Rowston et al. note, it is important that occupation specific technology experiences be suitably aligned to facilitate meaningful learning of curricula content through (pedagogy) integration practices (2020). Overly simplistic and prescriptive uses of technology can hamper career change teachers’ potential, further restricting their development and understanding of effective technology pedagogy (Rowston et al., 2020, p. 698). All this points to the fact there exists a talented untapped pool of teachers that schools can draw from to increase their supply of STEM specialist teachers who have an effective understanding of selecting appropriate learning activities, giving helpful explanations, asking productive questions to build STEM literacy in students (Weldon, 2016, p. 1), and serve as role models to students. As STEM professionals, they enable students to better engage with the world, while able to respond creatively to emerging challenges. Moreover, “integrated STEM education,” whereby students experience meaningful learning through integration and application of mathematics, technology and/or science, is gaining increasing importance in the field of STEM (Thibaut et al., 2018) and STEM career changers expertise or experience in engineering and/or in technology can only serve to enhance benefits to students, creating both skills transferability and economic and non-economic benefits. Supporting and encouraging that interest is important, and STEM career change teachers can certainly play a role to make a difference to student engagement as we have seen from this research. Considering the future skills and capacities that are required for twenty-first-century learners and beyond and the continuing dominance of the automated and technological revolution, the importance of teaching all four STEM subjects (either as separate or in a combined fashion) cannot be underscored. Schools and teachers seem not to have kept up with the changing needs of society. The curriculum, in its current and over-crowded form, makes it challenging to add new subjects to senior years. As has been noted previously, the shortage of specialist teachers in science and mathematics has compounded the problem, with more and more students being taught by out-of-field teachers. For the career change teachers with STEM backgrounds in this study it would seem that “advertising” or selling the profession is an important factor in attracting more

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STEM career change individuals. Besides monetary incentives and providing a clear transition pathway that recognizes their skills and attributes, teaching as a profession itself needs to be promoted as fun and rewarding if the cohort are to be successfully retained, especially in schools where they are needed the most (Nguyen & Redding, 2018). A Dutch initiative to achieve this is found in the Brainport region. Hybrid teaching was conceived, where companies allow interested staff members to teach in secondary or higher education, without loss of salary. In the two years the project is now running 38 hybrid teachers are successfully employed in both industry and school (Brainport Eindhoven et al., 2019). For STEM career changers to feel confident to teach students content in efficient ways linking theory and practice, program instructors in teacher training programs should consider activities that promote active modeling of theory application and other methodological approaches to align course assignments with clinical interfaces (Koehler et al., 2013). Though challenges in theory–practice connection was not particularly a barrier for participants in this study, it is important for training providers, policymakers and practitioners to embrace that STEM industry experience does not equate to STEM teaching expertise (Koehler et al., 2013). It is only then that changes can be experimented to promote “user-friendly” experiences for STEM career changers. On the school organization side of accepting career change teachers with STEM backgrounds as school teachers, there seems to be some work to be done in educating school principals and department heads on what a career change teachers with STEM backgrounds needs and could offer. The cohort studied here indicates that schools seem to stifle their initiatives, are unaware and unable to see a teacher as being able to do more than just teach a subject and most strikingly not allow for the usefulness of prior learning in their teaching workforce. The hiring of new teachers and support of new teachers is usually aimed at teachers straight out of college, or experienced teachers from other schools. Attention should be given to this different kind of career change teachers with STEM backgrounds, not only in the operational side of teaching, their performance in the classroom, but also in the organizational side of teaching, their position, abilities and needs to create a welcoming environment for career change teachers with STEM backgrounds to teach in. If countries like Australia or the Netherlands were to make a successful transition into an increasingly digital future, we need to take steps and urgent action to raise teacher quality which will equip our students with next generation STEM skills. As the Australian Council of Learned Academies ACOLA 2013 research indicates, countries where teachers are supported and trained in a STEM discipline with corresponding well-developed pedagogical skills, lead in mathematics and science education (Marginson et al., 2013). Developing a strong STEM-skilled teacher workforce is not just a critical conduit to building a skilled future economy but also raises the teaching profession’s image and status by valuing diverse and differentiated career paths in teaching, while delivering a pool of industry-qualified, experienced teachers, with real-world expertise to classrooms. Every student in every school deserves a teacher who is qualified or is a

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specialist in the field they teach. Employing highly qualified/experienced and aspirational career change teachers with STEM backgrounds who can expose students to understanding content and concepts from real-world perspectives, and foster a love of STEM learning, is a step in the right direction.

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Part IV

Re-imagining the Future of the Teaching Profession

Chapter 10

Twenty-First-Century Teachers and Beyond: The Way Forward

1 Introduction This chapter will examine possible futures for teacher recruitment and associated implications for the industry including teacher education providers. We will examine dynamics such as a growth in school student numbers and the impending retirement of large numbers of older teachers, as well as attrition rates among teachers, and what these might mean for teacher recruitment and retention, particularly of career changers. We examine these issues against a backdrop of some global, as well as local, geopolitical processes and hoped-fors.

Snapshot: Dateline: 15 September 2000, Concord West, Sydney, Australia On the evening of 15 September 2000, I visited my friends Patricia and Roger in Concord West, a middle-western suburb of Sydney. Together, we watched the telecast of the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney Olympics. A few seconds after the finale fireworks began on the television, they began to rattle Patricia and Roger’s windows. We went outside and, from memory, climbed up on their roof to see them better (citius, altius, fortius—we were younger then), about a kilometre or so away. I don’t think I said this at the time, even to myself, but I was relieved that the Opening Ceremony had proceeded with just enough tension to keep one interested, and safely, and had showcased us well to the world. It was an amazing moment in time. Every nation on earth marched in, apart from Afghanistan, because they wouldn’t allow female competitors, so we were told. Timor Leste, then the world’s newest nation, marched in under the Olympic flag, to rapturous, raucous applause and cheers (I was politely asked to sit down). Iran, Iraq and Israel all marched in. Whose idea of amusement

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was it to put them so close together geographically and alphabetically? North and South Korea entered the Stadium together, under the one flag, “in a further sign of the blossoming spirit of detente on the divided peninsula”, so said The Guardian on September 11 2000 (Gittins, 2000). Just nine months earlier, a gestation period, I had seen in the new millennium1 , and had watched the Sydney Harbour Bridge explode in a salvo of fireworks of such ferocity that surely the Bridge must have crumpled under its assault. And yet, the Bridge survived, perhaps better than some new-year revelers. The Opening Ceremony was the start of a Woodstock2 -esque two-week (self-?)lovefest that melted the hearts of all but the most determined of Sydney’s cynics. Sydney metamorphosed into a big country town, of 4,000,000 people or thereabouts. You could make eye contact with and smile at strangers in the street without fear of arrest. The traffic stilled (but not in the usual sense), with the onset of school holidays, and the decision by many Sydneysiders to ‘escape the mayhem’, and take advantage of otherwise empty planes leaving Sydney, having deposited athletes and others here. Many Sydneysiders reveled in gloating about what those travelers had missed during that time; “now take a look at my photos!”. The trains ran smoothly. Seriously, Sydney’s trains ran smoothly. You just have to trust me on that one. Or you can read about it—it made the news (The Conversation, 2012). This City basked in a mood that I haven’t seen before or since; a mood that is impossible to confect. Eleven years earlier, the Berlin Wall had been pulled down by everydaycitizen German Joes and Jills (Josefs und Julianas?) as part of a bloodless3 revolution that swept eastern Europe. And from the cocoon of the Soviet Union, emerged Russia and other new-nation butterflies, ending, or so it seemed, the Cold War, and associated threat of nuclear annihilation, which had cast its shadow over our lives until then. Apartheid had unraveled in South Africa; Nelson Mandela was free, and—get this—had become the President of South Africa! Pandemics were things that happened in other times, in other places. It almost felt like end-of-days. As if the ideological battles of the past might somehow now be put to rest, and we could get on with, like, living our lives. Democracy appeared almost unstoppable; “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice” (Martin Luther King, after slave abolitionist Theodore Parker). It was as if the universal law of morality was as immutable as Newton’s law of gravity; similarly, the voices of the people seemed, now and evermore, immutable. Anything seemed possible. Nostalgia was better back then. Oh, and Australia won lots of medals. Just saying. We were, of course, naïve.

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Little were we to know that in under a year, on 11 September 2001, we would witness, on those same TV sets, and from the discomfort of our loungerooms, commercial jets being flown deliberately into skyscrapers, in an act of meticulously pre-meditated genocide. Some said that the US was reaping what it sowed. Perhaps. And that such violence (if not access to commercial air travel) was just the daily reality and ration for people in some in other parts of the world. Almost certainly. The world had not been cosy for everyone. John Buchanan In memory of Patricia Hayward This is the complex world into which we are educating our young. And it has become more complex since the time above. 1

Note to the pedants: yes, the new millennium started three-point-something months after the Olympics, at the start of 2001. And yes, Jesus was probably born in about 4 or 6 CE. Poetic license, OK? 2

Woodstock was a rock festival (no, not geology). If you can’t remember it, you’re either too young or you were there. 3

I believe some people may have sustained minor abrasions in demolishing the Wall.

2 The World We Are Preparing Our Children For While the vignette above is Sydney-centric, it will, it is hoped, evoke resonances for readers anywhere, in terms of changes in the twenty-first century. No place can claim to be a microcosm of the world, but Sydney perhaps comes close, with its multicultural, multilingual, and multi- and no-faith fabric. I love it when visitors fall under Sydney’s charms. Star-Southern-Cross’d lovers, perhaps? But Sydney’s joyousness paves over the misery of Indigenous peoples, whose unmolested home it was. We owe much to their stewardship—belongingness, rather than ownership, perhaps—of this beautiful place. And we have destroyed so much local knowledge, alongside habitat—human, animal, plant. The Black Lives Matters and Meetoo movements are happening outside as this is being written. Sydney’s glee treads over the misery of forced convict labor—our own slave trade?; convicts’ work, blood, sweat and tears were rewarded with occasional floggings—more blood, sweat and tears (tears in eyes and tears in flesh). Sydney’s merriment skips lightly, or perhaps not so lightly, over earlier homophobia. At the time of writing, a Sydney man has been charged with the murder of a gay fellowman in 1988, a visitor from America, Ph.D. mathematics student Scott Johnson (Elsworthy, 2020). At the time, Johnson’s death was dismissed as a suicide. Johnson jumped, fell or was thrown over a cliff on Sydney’s picturesque seaside. He was 27. Sydney’s light multiculturalism

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oversees past racial bigotry on a national scale, one of our first acts of parliament upon Federation being to ban immigration of non-Whites. Three of Sydney’s “pavings-over” above, correspond to the three Australian Curriculum (ACARA 2016) cross-curriculum priorities: sustainability; Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia; and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures. It is gratifying that the Curriculum offers a broad field of play for such issues. More about education later. Worldwide, numerous human indices have declined this century, since those Olympic-glory days. The number of refugees and displaced persons has increased markedly (UN n.d.), as a result of natural and unnatural disasters. Their median age is under 18 (UNHCR, 2020). Democracy appears to be roundly in retreat (Kurlantzick, 2013). Climate change has replaced nuclear annihilation as our most pressing, selfimposed, existential threat. But that, too, has been overshadowed somewhat by the immediacy of COVID-19. The following section draws closely on Buchanan (2020). Despite its gloomy birth pangs so far, this century has proceeded better than the previous one—for some more than others, I concede—in terms of global geo-politics, prosperity and opportunity. Hundred years ago at the time of writing, much of the world was digging itself out of the mire and rubble of the First (ever) World War. Few women worldwide could vote, and most had to leave their (more humbly) paid work upon marriage or pregnancy, Indigenous Australians were largely ignored except by the police, sex between men was illegal almost universally, and pedophilia went largely unnoticed, except by the victims. Out-of-wedlock (a quaint-sounding term nowadays) newborns were vilified—accessories after the fact, perhaps? One delightful aspect of some of the above changes is that the law has had to bow to the will of the people. The law has had to bow to the will of the people—that is not a typo; it just merited repeating. And 100 or so years ago, more misery awaited: babies born at this time might succumb to the influenza pandemic, as might their entire families, with cadavers outnumbering mourners. STOP PRESS: COVID-19 and its associated economic impacts are now casting this century in a new (or old?) light. More on this later. Returning to last century, some children who survived the influenza pandemic, by age 11 or so, would be thrust into bootless penury and homelessness, with little if any social support, courtesy of the Great Depression; surviving baby boys would be ripe, 21 years after WWI, to kill one another (and others) in a second global war to dwarf the First. Oh, and toilets have improved in the past century.1 Mine might be only the second or third generation to see the death of our child before our own as somehow an offense against nature—but I have not lost sight of youth suicide statistics. Even since the time I was born, soon after mid-century, circumstances have improved somewhat for many women, children, people of color (are not we all?) including Indigenous peoples, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender,

1

Have you heard the song Potty like it’s 1899? Me neither.

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queer/questioning and intersex (LGBTQI) people. The lives of people with disabilities have been improved by more advanced technologies, and more advanced attitudes—both education-born/e. Australia and other nations are gradually coming to terms with our past in our treatment of such people, including our slow awakening to the circumstances of people with mental illnesses. In the late 1800s in Australia, baby boys could expect to die at 47.2 years, while baby girls might anticipate attaining the grand age of 50.8 (ABS 2011). Both genders can now expect2 to live into their 80s (ABS 2018), a figure which, if long-term trends continue, may look quaintly tragic in a century. As I write, it is too early to anticipate the full impact of COVID-19. Early signs are that we are better placed than a century ago to face it. Advanced attitudes, and reserves of humanity, may prove vital accompaniments to advanced medicine and other recent technologies in so doing. Might the less-than-12-month period to develop vaccines appear tragically quaint in decades to come? I hope so. Naturally, the struggles for equality and freedoms remain unwon. But there are pricks of light in the darkness. Saudi women are now permitted to drive—even though that victory has cost its proponents dearly. India—and the West—(Bollywood and Hollywood?) are questioning attitudes to women in ways probably unhoped for (or unfeared, by some) a couple of decades ago—baby steps toward our civilization, perhaps. Sadly, acid attacks on women appear to be on the increase (Heanue, 2019), although this might be partly because of increased reporting. Acid attacks. Seriously? Look, if you dare, into the remaining eye of some of these victims. We hope that that will serve to galvanize your humanity. In Australia, workplace attitudes and behavior to women in our house of parliament were worse than we had known. At the beginning of this century, same-sex marriage was espoused nowhere. While the spread of its legalization may seem agonized, it could also be described as remarkable in scale in approximately two decades, even, unexpectedly, in some rather conservative quarters of the world. In 2017, Australia became the 26th country to do so (Perper, 2020). Such a ranking in the Olympics would cause public outrage, particularly if, as in this case, New Zealand soundly beat us. Indigenous peoples’ rights are also slowly gaining recognition. Extending from this, there are numerous things for which I (John) am grateful. I have never had my courage tested by being compelled to, or refusing to, kill another human, or die for my country, or for another’s Empire or ideas. I am too old to be of use to the armed services now (if ever I was), and a decision to forfeit my life would no longer be a courageous one, but a mere leave pass from the miseries of senescent decrepitude. I hope that no future generation of young men and women might be called upon to sacrifice themselves and each other so. It seems to me that, locally and globally—Sydney and not-Sydney—much healing has taken place in the past century or so. And so much more hurt reaches out to the hem of our garment out for healing. This is the complex, contradictory world into which our young people are being educated.

2

That is, unless they are Indigenous (AIHW, 2019).

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3 The (Twenty-First Century) School? The following description need not be confined to twenty-first-century schools. (They all are, now, are n’ they?) Of end-points, starting-points and in-between: a good school will: • Strive toward the autonomy of its students. It will drive and contrive to make itself redundant, or at least to turn its attention to a new crop of learners. • Recognize prior learning. While schools might strive to make themselves redundant, they should not start in so being. There is little purpose in repeating instruction or information already within the grasp of learners—or assuming all learners begin from the same starting point. Education policy documents typically insist on avoiding this. Why might it be, then, if schools fail to recognize the supplementary learning that career change teachers bring to their job? • Help learners, including teachers-as-learners (Buchanan, 2020), along their pathways. In short, the (modern) school should be a learning community of practice (with respect to Lave & Wenger, 1998). Career change teachers arrive at school knowing. This brings benefits—and poses threats?—to the already-at-school. This is perhaps only natural; knowledge is power—but should be welcomed in an organization where knowledge and learning are the currencies.

3.1 What Do We Do with This? Looking back over some of the global statistics above, particularly, for example, the median age of refugees, an emerging question for us concerns the trajectory young people are on. How are we, all of us, investing in young people? The investment will pay dividends not just for them and their/our planet, but also for us in our dotage. Two questions for education, and for those it educates for the twenty-first century—even in respectable and sought-after locales, like Sydney, are: “how to fix the problems of this broken world?” and “Who?” In a couple of instances at least, the young and dispossessed are leading the charge with people movements: climate change, Black Lives Matter spring to mind for me. Me too—the movement, that is—I’m not just agreeing with myself. One of Australia’s conservative government members of parliament, Craig Kelly, recently asserted that if children are serious about climate change, they should renounce eating ice cream (Koziol, 2018). There is some truth in what the Honorable3 Mr Kelly said. But I don’t relish being the one to say to the children, “no ice cream for you. The grown-up-shaped people have eaten it all.” It seems a reasonable maxim in life that adults might be assumed to shield, 3

A title bestowed for life by the King on members of Australia’s first Parliament (Parliament of Australia, n.d.). What confidence that demonstrates in the members. And what an honor to live up to.

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and share with, children. Tragic it is when they cannot (war, natural disasters) or would not (abuse and neglect). In this regard, we ask ourselves about the preferred, or other, trajectories of our society, our planet, our children. Teachership is leadership—pedagogy—the leadership of children. How, then, might we lead, or at least walk alongside, our young, and help them pave preferable pathways? We contend here that teachers who have experienced life beyond the world of education may be well-placed, alongside their other colleagues, to exercise such leadership and to engender the requisite associated trust and credibility among their young charges, their families and communities.

4 Teacher Supply, Attrition and Quality Chapter 1 pointed out some of the dynamics concerning the supply of teachers, including: declining interest in teaching as a profession; relatively high attrition levels, both precipitated in part, it seems, by perceptions and/or realities of unsustainable workloads, lack of support, inadequate remuneration and disdain from some students; the anticipated retirement of large numbers of baby boomers, and possible high numbers of school students. Two recent predictions associated with COVID-19, one at either end of the lifespan, appear not to have eventuated—one, mercifully: • Fears of deaths among more senior teachers do not appear to have materialized. This, despite the fact that teachers were exposed to levels of interpersonal mingling that were deemed an unacceptable risk in most if not all other contexts. Almost certainly, part of the rationale behind this was to keep large sectors of other industries—peopled by parents of youngsters, who would otherwise have to mind their children—operating. Teachers became front-line, emergency workers. The broader community came to realize that, without teachers, the economy collapses—not just in some imagined dystopian future, but here and now, as parents are distracted (“dragged away”—think tractor, etc.) from their work. While the fear of contracting COVID at school now appears relatively remote, it was no doubt very real for many teachers during the early stages of the virus’s spread (McGowan, 2020). • At the time of writing, a baby boom of “coronials” or “Baby Zoomers”4 appears less than likely (Puente, 2020). Moreover, closed international borders have halted migration—if not demand?—at least in the short term. But demand has not waned. It is too early to know, but for some teachers, the added responsibility of orchestrating in-class and distance modes of delivery, and unsure futures in that regard, may have prompted them to consider leaving the profession. The COVID-imposed lock-down of schools had another outcome. Many parents came to realize the complexity of teaching, and their own associated inexpertise.

4

What are these people doing during meetings? Clearly not self-isolating.

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Moreover, teaching has proven to be COVID-proof, in terms of job security. Even if classes are conducted online, teachers retain their job.

5 The Role of Career Change Teachers: “Here’s One I Prepared Earlier” Career change teachers come to the profession in a greater stage of preparation— “ready-made,” to some extent, as it were. Just as the knowledge and experience of teachers who leave the profession cost the profession dearly, the life- and workexperiences, maturity, work ethic and the like that career changers bring to the profession come free of charge. They have been acquired while we’ve been busy making our (lesson) plans (with apologies to Lennon (1981). More specifically, as noted in a previous chapter, they may bring specialist subject area knowledge with them, which may be of value particularly—but not exclusively—in secondary schools. Some of these teachers will bring managerial and/or financial skills to teaching, which stands them in good stead for future executive and leadership roles. Others bring technical skills. Almost all bring vocational experience. If part of the teacher’s task is to aid and abet autonomy, we should be welcoming this trait in our pre-service teachers. More research would be needed, but it is possible that such teachers have greater capacity to engender autonomy in their students. It is perhaps a sad irony that those with the greatest capacity to change the school system are those who have been out of it for longer. Then again, career-change teachers may simply bear a confidence that accrues with age. Initial teacher education providers will play a key role in sustaining their careerchange students, and in acknowledging their strengths. And, at times, in pointing out their shortcomings. There is the rub. Of course the traffic should not, and need not, be one-way. We might also ask: what do second-career pre-service teachers have to teach us as teacher educators (and educatees?), as well as each other, and their school-leaver counterparts, given their greater, and more varied, life- and work-experiences? Surely we should not resile from bringing out the inner pedagogue in these, and in all our pre-service teachers.

6 Concluding Observations At the outset of this chapter, we referred to Buchanan’s recount of the Sydney Olympics, noting that not everyone was a shareholder in Sydney’s coziness at the time. Life was, and continues to be, very comfortable for the majority of people in Sydney and similar places. But by no means all: and that was the case even before COVID-19 raided and stole our individual and corporate nest eggs. Fortunes—sums of money and strokes of luck—are fleeting and fragile. It would be hard to dispute,

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though, that the second half of the last century offered more hope and happiness, peace and prosperity, comfort and convenience, and safety and security, and to more people, than the first. We could perhaps have been excused for being complacent. But no more. Our abiding hope is that the future will continue to deliver improvements; MLK’s “arc of the moral universe.” Such a future is inconceivable without good minds, good hearts and good hands. Given the breadth of human knowledge, those minds will need a great scope of expertise. Those minds, and hearts, will be developed, largely (in two senses of the word?) in our schools. The breadth of knowledge required of our teachers will be greater than ever. We repeat our contention—contentious though it may be?—that career change teachers, with their experience in a variety of work fields, will provide a valuable asset and a complement to their school-leaver counterparts in the teaching profession. Pre-service teacher preparation has sustained criticism, some of it perhaps justified; it is imperfect. And yet, the raw materials— the qualities of entrant pre-service teachers—are also an essential element of the process. Career-change teachers have proven themselves against hurdles as children and adults. As such, they offer high confidence in their dedication and abilities. What they have in common with their school-leaver colleagues, though, is that their own schooling, and their teachers, played a vital role in building their characters and intellects. Standard 1 of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers claims requires teachers to “know students and how they learn” (AITSL, 2017). Does it not stand to reason, then, that those who support teachers, whether within the school or at jurisdiction level, might know teachers and how they learn? Teachers’ learning is as important as their teaching—perhaps more so. We will make a second inference here. Given that this is a threshold condition for entry into teaching, the implied assumption is that we are not born with the ability to know students and how they learn; it must be taught, learnt and practiced. Of course, it helps if you have a bit of people-person-ness about you. This knowledge of learners and how they learn is the preserve of teachers—all teachers; something they/we need to hold dear and proclaim. It should also be a demonstrable attribute for all those who purport to support, and make decisions on behalf of, teachers, that is, bureaucrats, managers, politicians… The stakes in teacher preparation—a lifelong process—are high, and the investment needs to be commensurately high. The final chapter will further explore some ways forward for schools and jurisdictions, and for the community more broadly, and will propose some recommendations.

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References ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics). (2011). Life expectancy trends—Australia. https://www.abs. gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/Lookup/4102.0Main+Features10Mar+2011 ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics). (2018). Life tables, states, territories and Australia. https:// www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/latestProducts/3302.0.55.001Media%20Release12015-2017 ACARA (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority). (2016b). Cross-curriculum priorities. http://www.acara.edu.au/curriculum/cross-curriculum-priorities AITSL (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership). (2017). Australian professional standards for teachers. https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards Buchanan, J. (2020). Challenging the deprofessionalisation of teaching and teachers: Claiming and acclaiming the profession. Elsworthy, E. (2020). Sydney man charged over 1988 cold case murder of Scott Johnson in Sydney. ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-12/nsw-police-arrest-scott-johnsonmurder-suspect-arrested/12237598 Gittins, J. (2000, September 11). Two Koreas will march as one into Olympic stadium. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2000/sep/11/northkorea.sydney Heanue, S. (2019). Indian acid attacks are on the rise, and the women who survive them are forced to live as outcasts. ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-24/indian-acid-victims-wantto-break-down-social-stigma/11428952 Koziol, M. (2018). ‘Rioting is not one of the 3 Rs’: Liberals say that protesting students should give up ice-creams. The Sydney Morning Herald, 1 December 2018. https://www.smh.com.au/ politics/federal/rioting-is-not-one-of-the-three-rs-liberals-say-protesting-students-should-giveup-ice-creams-20181201-p50jmf.html Kurlantzick, J. (2013). Democracy in retreat: The revolt of the middle class and the decline of representative government. Yale University Press. Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1998). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge University Press, 32 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10013. Lennon, J. (1981). Beautiful boy (darling boy). On double fantasy. Geffen Records. McGowan, M. (2020). ‘I feel expendable’: Australian teachers sound alarm about schools and coronavirus. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/21/i-feel-expendable-aus tralian-teachers-sound-alarm-about-schools-and-coronavirus Perper, R. (2020). The 29 countries around the world where same-sex marriage is legal. The Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com.au/where-is-same-sex-marriage-legal-world-2017-11? r=US&IR=T Puente. (2020). Will coronavirus cause a baby boom? Or is that just a myth? Prepare for jokes, if not babies! USA Today, April 10. https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/parenting/2020/04/02/cor onavirus-fact-check-could-covid-19-cause-baby-boom/5105448002/ The Conversation. (2012). Olympics transport: How did Sydney handle it? https://theconversation. com/olympics-transport-how-did-sydney-handle-it-8249 UN (United Nations). (n.d.). Refugees. https://www.un.org/en/sections/issues-depth/refugees/ UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees). (2020). Figures at a glance. https:// www.unhcr.org/en-au/figures-at-a-glance.html

Chapter 11

Can Career Changers Be Game Changers in Classrooms?: Recommendations and Implications for the Profession

“As a mature age teacher, I feel I have a clear direction, a clear sense of what education is for and how to be an effective educator. I think career change teachers in general have a greater sense of self, and a greater level of world knowledge, and perspective of diversity, that allow us to bring new energy to a mature teaching staff. I would hope schools would welcome that and seek to learn from us. I think career changers should be used to input the latest research and best practice into schools.” (A career change student teacher participant in Varadharajan et al.’s study1 ).

1 Introduction Suffice it to say that second-career teachers, as a group, tend to bring qualitatively different attributes to their studies and teaching, than do their straight-from-school counterparts. These include sets of vocational skills, experiences and a sense of responsibility, and/or the experience, responsibility and organizational skills associated with parenthood, along with insights into child development. A premise of this chapter is that we need to leverage these skills, experiences and attributes for the benefit of these teacher education candidates and for the profession. While career change pre-service teachers will have needs and abilities that differ from those of other candidates, simply “treating them differently” may be insufficient. Varadharajan et al. (2018) noted three paradoxes with regard to second-career preservice teachers: the experienced neophyte, the earner-learner and the autonomousdependent. Each of these is discussed in turn below. • The experienced neophyte: Second-career pre-service teachers may enter their education studies armed with many and varied experiences. In many cases, though, these will not prepare them for pedagogy, other than, perhaps, for classroom

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management. In some cases, for example parenthood and para-teaching experiences, such as staff training, the associated skills might be more easily transferable to the classroom. • The earner/learner: Second-career pre-service teachers are likely to have more responsibilities than many of their school-leaver counterparts. For the duration of their studies, they may also be juggling working as a primary (or sole) breadwinner, and/or (single) parenthood. Some may be assuming responsibilities for aging parents. Pre-service courses may need to offer flexibility in deadlines for such students. These stressors come into particularly sharp focus when pre-service teachers undertake their in-school professional experiences, almost exclusively on a full-time basis (see Chap. 7). This allows little time for earning, or for minding their own children. This, in turn, can add financial and other stressors to these pre-service teachers’ lives. • The autonomous-dependent: Second-career pre-service teachers are likely to begin their studies with a greater sense of autonomy than that of their school-leaver peers. And yet, in most cases, they are still likely, whether they acknowledge this or not, to rely on advice from lecturers, who are experienced teachers. One finding of Varadharajan et al. overarches the aforementioned three. Varadharajan et al. labeled this, “same-same, but different” (2018, p. 742). On the one hand, their respondents sought recognition of their status, vis-à-vis that of schoolleavers. On the other, they were hesitant to be “singled out,” and treated differently. The construction of their teacher identity can be torn between “the type of teacher that schools want” and “type of teacher they believe in and want to become” (Trent, 2018, p. 946). These tensions present challenges for schools, teacher education providers and academics. Given that teaching courses advocate differentiation of the curriculum, however, this should not be insurmountable, if support is provided accordingly. We add here a further potential paradox, of different starting points, and associated differentiation of curriculum, in the context of universally applied learning outcomes to be attained—a significant challenge, almost certainly more so, we concede, for school teachers than for teacher education staff. Compounding the above, some second-career pre-service teachers may harbor some resentment toward their school-leaver counterparts, many of whom may be “living at home,” and are seen as “having their lunch made for them.” As such, some second-career teachers may present at times as jaded and (understandably!) tired. They may be resentful of being treated the same way as a teen or early twentysomething, given their added maturity and responsibilities, particularly if they are of a similar age to some academic staff. And yet, as indicated above, in matters pedagogical, they remain, for the most part, naïve. Their autonomy may manifest at times in resistance to direction. Their experience may make them dismissive of what they see as inefficiencies or ineptitude in the delivery of their course, or the management of their professional experience schools. We would not want to present the above as deficits. Indeed, if we are claiming that second-career teachers bring valuable world- and life-insights to their schools, we must concede that our second-career pre-service teachers are likely to be armed

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with worthwhile perspectives on the operation of their courses; perspectives that may well serve to improve and enhance our courses. Indeed, anecdotally, we find that our school-leaver pre-service teachers tend to be, if anything, too compliant and passive, waiting for the next instruction, and asking how to comply with it. This leaves us with some unsettling concerns about how the school system, and, particularly, its assessment regime, especially in the senior years, operates, and the controlling effect this might have on its graduates. On the other hand, it may be that increased self-assurance and wherewithal to criticize is a factor of increasing age. Nevertheless, if we wish to produce school students who are ready to question and confront, perchance to overthrow, the assumptions and premises of “the system,” it stands to reason that we want teachers in a position to do this. Career change teachers may be pivotal in leading this charge. Secondary students and schools in particular may benefit from their teachers’ experience in industries related to their teaching subjects. We see several potential benefits here. This is likely to lend credibility to such teachers, among not only their students, but also, potentially, their colleagues and the school executive—if such prior learning can be acknowledged and put to good use by schools. Such teachers are likely to have industry connections and networks, which they might draw upon, either for the purposes of “talking to an(other) expert in the field” and/or for offering vocational advice about the industry. This should also add to the career changer’s stock of credibility. As intimated above, not only do second-career teachers bring added perspectives, experiences and skills to their teaching and the possible organization of the school; many are also in a position to offer vocational advice to their students, over and above that of their school-leaver counterparts. Career guidance is an area in schools which needs significant strengthening (Education Council, 2020). Students can stand to benefit from hearing from someone other than school career counseling staff. Career changers’ real experience in the employment and labor market might mean their career advice to students may slightly differ to what “traditional” career counseling staff may offer, perhaps that which is more contextualized and relevant to market/industry needs. In the NSW curriculum, “work and enterprise” is designated as one of the “other learning across the curriculum areas” (NESA, 2021). It is our view that this, as perhaps “outed” by its categorization, of “other areas…,” resides in one of the dustier corners of the curriculum. Second-career teachers may have more capacity than most to bring this important and practical area of learning to light and life. More specifically, it is our contention that many who choose teaching tend not to be entrepreneurs—teaching is hardly a get-rich-quick scheme. Accordingly, many teachers may fail to unleash the entrepreneur in their students. Some career change teachers, drawing on their previous work experiences, may be in a position to address this, perhaps recognizing the significance of providing student agency and empowerment in decision-making.

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2 Recommendations and Implications Hereafter, we propose some recommendations for practice. In an approach akin to backward mapping, we will work in reverse chronological order, from the classroom to teacher education, to recruitment to teacher education/teaching. Most of what we say will hardly be revolutionary—it is simply good equity practice. But if some of it is revelationary, it will have served some of its purpose. We recognize and refer to dilemmas inherent in some of the recommendations. We will also refer to some current trends or circumstances that may aid and abet the processes we propose. We refer to these as “mercies.” The questions driving this process of devising recommendations is: What does school, as a community of learning practice, look like? What might characterize such a school’s (or an education jurisdiction’s) behavior and attitudes?

2.1 Welcoming Teachers—The Schooling System The teaching profession should be representative of its student body. Diversity derives from and feeds into, elements of social justice. Diversity is also a rich source of learning; like all learning, it presents challenges to our current assumptions. There is the rub. Mature-age teachers are probably more likely to challenge school norms and assumptions, which may present threats to the stasis/status quo. A school is a community of learning practice. Accordingly, we recommend that schools welcome these diverse perspectives into the learning ecology. Opportunities should exist for career changers to gain mastery in using their existing occupation-specific skills in teaching and learning environments. “Welcoming” can have several components to it, such as: • Increased awareness: Becoming familiar with the career change cohort, their intrinsic motives for choosing teaching, career and life experiences and attributes, career ambitions and support needs. This initial “familiarization” has benefits for both schools and teachers. An awareness of career change teachers’ backgrounds will enable schools to capitalize on teachers’ strengths positively and productively. Teachers, in turn, feel they are heard and start to feel part of the school community. • Recognition: A career change teacher will bring perspectives and experiences from at least one other industry or workplace. Such expertise may well benefit both curricular learning and the organization of the school. Providing opportunities where career changers’ skills and experiences are recognized is an important extension to the above point. Again, in a community of learning practice, these should come fairly naturally and be encouraged accordingly. Haggard et al. (2006) point out that adult learners learn best when they receive recognition and accommodation for their wide-ranging experiences, knowledge and skills. Although the need for recognition is not something unique to career change teachers, with research showing many teachers feeling that they are not being recognized

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(OECD, 2012), the issue is significant because potential experiences, capabilities and educational leadership capacity of career change teachers can sometimes go undetected. Recognition can take the form of: – Provision of formal or informal leadership/promotion opportunities or roles of leading initiatives. Providing space, whether through leadership opportunities or otherwise, for career change teachers to flourish is important, as with any community of practice setting. – Opportunities (such as through workshops, both intra- and inter-school) whereby career changers are given opportunities to share skills and insights from previous experiences (Lee, 2011). For some time, we have recognized the importance of Teacher Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) (Mishra & Koehler, 2006). “Relationship” is arguably a “forgotten r” in education. The interpersonal attributes brough by teachers to their work are difficult to measure and often overlooked in assessments of teacher suitability. Might it be time to begin speaking of TPRACK— Teacher Pedagogical, Relationship and Content Knowledge? As argued earlier, we contend that career change teachers embody particular attributes in this regard and can value-add to their classrooms and schools accordingly. • Professional development: Targeted strategies to support/build career change teachers’ professional development, including their capacity to assist and lead their peers accordingly. Career changers are likely to have experienced a different sort of professional culture shock than their undergraduate peers (Cuddapah et al., 2011). Professional development may therefore require appropriate modification so that learnings from mentoring or from experienced teachers are utilized effectively and successfully (Anderson et al., 2014). Factors such as the type of teacher education programs (including alternative pathways) that have been undertaken by career change teachers need to be considered in the professional development support process (Griffiths, 2011). • Flexibility: It is worth noting, too, that many career changers will have a partner and their career to consider. Flexibility might need to be offered with regard to deployment of new CCSTs, with this (and, perhaps, their children’s schooling) in mind. We recognize that the responsibilities of education jurisdictions do not extend to partners and beyond, but this might be worth considering, to maximize uptake of new staff. Prospective teachers from cities might be hesitant to travel to rural locations and vice versa. • Job sharing/team teaching: This might be an alternative option for schools to consider for career changers to gradually ease their way into teaching, and even as an option while they may still be working in their prior career. It will give them time to settle in and get adjusted to the school culture, including time to develop meaningful professional relationships with school colleagues (Cuddapah et al., 2011). Job sharing can even be envisaged as a more permanent arrangement—an “engineer in residence,” for example. It can occur in a couple of different ways

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depending on context—job sharing with other teachers; team teaching with exindustry colleagues. The latter option was alluded to in Chap. 8 when teachers suggested this option as a mechanism of promoting the profession to prospective industry colleagues.

2.2 Preparing Teachers—Teacher Education Programs • Flexibility, flexibility, flexibility: Many career changers enter teacher education with higher responsibilities (e.g., parenting or elder care duties) than their late teen or early twenty-something counterparts. That being the case, they may need more flexibility with regard, for example, to assignment submission—within the bounds of equity, we concede. We recognize, though, that there may well be limits to this. Teacher education programs prepare their students for workplace practice—“classroom readiness.” There may well be sound reasons for insisting on deadlines. Moreover, assignments need to be returned in a timely manner, and providing feedback before some students have submitted assignments presents genuine problems. Attendance presents a similar dilemma. While pressures might come to bear on career changers (and others), we find it difficult to recommend anything less than full attendance and participation. Graduating teachers would want no less from their own students, and it is reasonable to hold aspiring teachers to at least the same levels of responsibility. Anecdotally, at least some universities appear to be ambivalent about their students’ attendance. This, we find regrettable and counterproductive. And dismissive of the good work that happens in myriad tertiary classrooms. Mercifully, online delivery or blended approaches, perhaps precipitated in part by COVID-19, is likely to increase flexibility with regard to the delivery of teacher education courses. • Sharing and exchanging: Prospective career changers would benefit from as much as information as possible on the teaching profession, especially during their decision-making period. Including a “preparatory period” for career change student teachers to gain an orientation with the various issues and demands of teaching before making a decision will be highly beneficial (Baeten & Meeus, 2016). Baeten and Meeus further suggest some form of “intake assessment” that allows for both prospective career changers and providers to exchange and share information (2016). • Devising tailored strategies: The above two points assume prospective career changers are appropriately identified by teacher education providers. Delineating between the career change student teacher and the “school-leaver” pre-service teacher is necessary for offering tailored options, both in the selection process and for support and for leadership. For example, utilizing diverse methods (both academic and non-academic) for criteria selection including personal statements, interviews and online screening tools such as the Teaching Capability Assessment Tool (TCAT) will ensure career changers’ diverse skills, experiences and personal characteristics are appropriately captured (Department of Education, Skills and

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Employment, 2021). Identifying occupation-specific, say technological skills, that some career changers might bring and how that might be cultivated to facilitate meaningful learning environments during teacher training and PE might be one mechanism to be attentive to career change characteristics (Rowston et al., 2020). Other tailored options for providers to consider could be devising strategies to identify links between past and present contexts/careers; creating opportunities for self-directed learning and peer support for social and emotional relationships to develop and provide targeted mentoring to suit career changers’ needs and expectations (Baeten & Meeus, 2016 p. 180).

2.3 Professional Experience2 While career changers (and many students) generally value practical experience over theoretical coursework (Baeten & Meeus, 2016; Varadharajan et al., 2020), in-school professional experience presents a particular stressor for many career changers, whose energies and concentration are spread among numerous responsibilities, for earning, parenting and others, such as caring for aging parents. Again, we concede a dilemma here. Typically, a teacher education degree qualifies a graduate to work full time as a teacher. It is reasonable for a program to insist that an aspirant teacher demonstrate their capacity to work in full-time mode. We recognize that there may be no viable alternative to conducting the PE in full-time mode. Apart from anything, completing professional experience in part-time mode will extend the duration of the professional experience, given the requisite minimum number of days/hours. To put this dilemma in a sharper light, if professional experience were to be offered in part-time mode, some students might graduate while incapable of the rigors of fulltime work, for which they would be entitled to apply (Baeten & Meeus, 2016). On the other hand, almost certainly, an insistence on full-time professional experience might be the condition that excludes otherwise competent, or brilliant, career change teachers from the workforce. Research into those who decided not to pursue teaching for such reasons would be of interest and value. The timing of the professional experience may be of some assistance here, but we recognize the difficulties in orchestrating professional experience with schools, and the University’s own program, as well as the constraints of school holidays, exams, the first and last weeks of term, and so many other variables, such as camps, performances and the like. Paid professional experience might present some solutions and would no doubt be attractive, but would present an expensive burden on the system.

2

See Chap. 7 for additional recommendations relating to professional experience.

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Financial Support

More broadly, scholarships for outstanding or promising pre-service teachers may serve to “keep the wolf from the door” for the duration of a teacher education degree. Similarly, offering internships or similar financial incentives might provide one option to compensate career change student teachers’ time during their professional experience (Haggard et al., 2006). We recognize that both paid or “stipended” professional experiences and scholarships would prove prohibitively expensive. But they are a more contained and less costly response than some of the proposals we suggest below, for in-service teachers. Mercifully, except in rare circumstances, professional experience will coincide with pre-service teachers’ own children also being at school. This will not help all parents of preschoolers, however.

2.3.2

Avoiding Essentialism: “Same-Same But Different”

Not all career change teachers are the same. Just as not all school-leavers are the same. In devising pathways for career change teachers, it is important not to essentialize them (Varadharajan et al., 2018). Some career change teachers might be indistinguishable from their school-leaver counterpart, in terms of their needs. Being able to recognize the paradoxes that exist within the career change teacher realm and support their preferred but “moving” identity construction is a crucial role for all concerned stakeholders.

2.4 A Step Further Back: Attracting Career Changers to Teaching and Retaining them 2.4.1

Working Conditions

Many career changers come from professions where they enjoy: higher salary; more autonomy, including the luxury of breaks at will, to refresh thinking; more comfortable conditions; higher community esteem. Teaching struggles to be competitive with such conditions. It is curious that numbers of people seek teaching for, as referred to in earlier chapters, altruistic reasons. While ever teaching remains relatively unattractive in terms of the factors enumerated above (remuneration and prestige, etc.), it will struggle to be competitive with other jobs requiring similar levels of qualification, ability, dedication and effort. Some might argue that teaching requires more dedication and effort than most jobs. Moreover, as discussed earlier, moving from another profession to teaching can involve push factors and pull factors. Plausibly, it is those more likely to be dissatisfied with their current jobs—and their jobs more dissatisfied with them?—who predominate

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those seeking teaching. Teaching can no longer be seen as a “last resort’ option, either by career changers or school-leavers. Naturally, we are not saying that current career changers are anything less than excellent, but in the absence of strong competition with other professions, it is difficult to make a comparison of their respective workforces. Access to multiple career choices is also a reality in today’s employment environment and career changers are no different. When combined with some of the challenges they are likely to face together with changes to location, and lifestyle, it is not surprising that even those who commit themselves to teaching evaluate the “worthiness” of their chosen path at every step of the way, re-visiting the question “is it worth it?” (Hammerness, 2006, p. 431). Educational authorities need to move beyond drawing blanket assumptions that a person coming into a career in teaching will stay loyal to teaching, with a view to building a traditional lifetime career. Career changers can, and do, leave teaching for the same (if not more) reasons why many others leave (see, e.g. (Cuddapah et al., 2011)).

2.4.2

Non-teaching Options

Career changers come with many strengths, and these can be effectively utilized, for instance, by devising a broader range of career options, with a view to retaining them within the teaching profession. Depending on teachers’ area of interest within the discipline, their expertise and knowledge can be effectively utilized, for instance, in consultancy or advisory roles around policy-making and education systems reforms. This non-deficit approach, especially for career changers who might consider “leaving” the classroom, adopts strategic ways to retain them within the profession, thus moving from an “attrition focus” to a “career advancement or career progression focus” (Cuddapah et al., 2011).

2.4.3

Financial Remuneration

Scholarships were referred to above. Apart from providing practical assistance for pre-service teacher incumbents, such a measure is also likely to lend prestige to the profession, and to increase the attractiveness of such degrees, particularly among high caliber cohorts. We note in particular, viewpoints from STEM career change teachers in Chap. 8. In a recent survey by the Grattan Institute, it was found that bright young people in Australia are more likely to consider becoming a teacher if there was financial support while studying, better pay and reward conditions commensurate with performance and better career progression opportunities (Goss & Sonnemann, 2019). If such measures are being considered for attracting high achievers to teaching, should we not consider extending the same rules for career change teachers who bring a wealth of experience with them? Mercifully, COVID-19 has brought to the attention of many parents the difficulty of facilitating learning (which is only a subset of teachers’ work); teaching two or

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three learners, much less a class of 25 or so. We call this a mercy, as it is likely to raise the esteem of teaching in the eyes of many, including, importantly, the parents of schoolchildren. On the other hand, this previously unnoticed complexity might deter some from considering teaching. At the very least, though, parents who enter teaching are likely to do so with a broader knowledge base about the demands and rewards of the job. Such knowledge can go some way in enhancing the status of the profession. The more teachers see themselves valued by society, the better is the performance of students in tests (Gonski et al., 2018). The measures above are likely to make teaching more attractive to all prospective candidates. In many jurisdictions, the education authorities are increasing the exclusiveness of entry into the teaching profession. This is noble in its aspiration, but, in the absence of making the profession more attractive, constitutes a rather risky end-game (we use the term advisedly). When other countries are looking to diversify the teaching profession, both for practical and for purposeful reasons (e.g., Gross, 2018), Australia needs to seriously consider this proposition.

2.5 For Prospective Career Changers As a consideration for prospective career changers, we see the importance of getting familiarized with the teaching profession. Considering any new job entails candidates learning about the organization or field they want to be part of, whether the role fits with their skills and experience, what upskilling is likely to help, whether it matches with their financial expectations, type of workplace culture that might exist, and generally getting to know whether it is the right “fit” for them. Learning and understanding the context and how the organization (where they are likely to be working) operates will not only provide a heads up but also crucially open their eyes to issues they might not have known, including potential pitfalls and challenges. In this way, they can be better prepared (mentally and otherwise) rather than being taken by surprise when they do actually join in the new job. We recommend career changers to teaching to do the same when they are seriously considering their options. It is about being well-informed and doing the homework needed before making the career change leap.

3 Recommendations for Future Research One of the purposes of the book is to open up discussions around career change teacher cohorts in the larger context of increasing teacher diversity. We also need to understand more about them, particularly their impact on student learning if we are to have meaningful conversations around building teacher diversity. The value and need for further research on career change teachers is discussed below.

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3.1 Impact on Student Learning At present, there do not seem to be any studies that examine the impact of career change teachers on student performance (other than Boyd et al. noted below). This is a vital piece of missing information in our knowledge to understand teachers’ contributions to student outcomes. While it is well established that teachers are the single most important (in-school) influence on student achievement (e.g., Hattie, 2009), it has always been challenging to demonstrate a direct causal relationship between students’ performance and teacher quality, though Boyd et al. note that the relationship between teacher content knowledge (e.g., based on their educational qualifications) and student achievement might be possible for certain subjects (2011). Measuring the impact on student learning in the case of career change teachers is important for two reasons: • Having quantitative data as evidence is useful in itself to see the direct causal relationships between teachers’ prior knowledge, their teaching practices and impact on student outcomes. Boyd et al.’s study in the USA that used survey data, found that relative to other new teachers who do not have prior career experience, career changers with prior experience were no more (or even sometimes less) effective at raising mathematics scores among students (2011). The authors note the study’s limitations (e.g., using only survey data, limited only to elementary and middle school teachers, limited to one subject and focusing on the cohort as a whole rather than by professional backgrounds). However, future research can pursue similar pathways to determine career changers’ impact on student learning. Additionally, a comparison of student outcomes based on whether they are taught solely by career change teachers, compared to students taught by firstcareer teachers could yield interesting information, valuable to both policy makers and practitioners. • Secondly, because career changers are known to possess some of characteristics pertaining to quality teachers (e.g., creativity, problem-solving skills, passion and commitment), it is worthwhile to understand if these qualities translate to actual student outcomes. Such evidence could help to establish career changers’ credibility and help solidify the argument about bringing and retaining career change teachers to the profession.

3.2 Longitudinal Data Tracking career change teachers over a period of time is essential not just to understand attrition rates and the reasons associated with leaving the profession, but also long-term factors that might influence their stay in the profession. Associated data is likely to shed light on the extent to which their prior experiences play a role in their teaching practices over a period of time, changes in how those experience are drawn in the classroom, shifts in attitudes toward school culture and management, changes

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in their self-efficacy and identity beliefs and generally changes to their perceptions on the teaching profession. Additionally, their long-term retention plans may look very different from their decisions during their early years as a beginning teacher.

3.3 Contextual Understanding of the Cohort Further research will also benefit from examining the impact of career change teachers as a function of their former professions. Keck Frei et al. note that those coming from disciplines closely related to education (e.g., vocational education or childcare) might be able to transfer their pedagogical experience and skills more easily than those coming from a completely different background (e.g., information technology) (2021). Chapter 8’s focus on STEM career change teachers revealed important insights about their characteristics and what they brought to teaching from their former STEM careers. Career change teachers are a diverse cohort and to be able to understand the relationship between their specific background and experience and effects on teaching will be useful. Differences in retention rates (if any) based on their former professions may also be able to be drawn providing useful information to education stakeholders. Similarly, contextual understanding might also involve examining the differences in career change teachers between those who teach in public schools and those in private schools; those who teach in large urban schools, those who are based in rural or regional locations and the year level they teach. The type of schools, locations and cohort levels plays a significant role, not just when it comes to choices that career change teachers make as to where and who they will teach but also impact on the kind of experiences they have as a career changer, their teaching practices as well as their long term plans. Published research indicates career change teachers are more likely to go into secondary teaching because of their subject area knowledge and expertise (e.g., Varadharajan, 2014). Further research could include providing a comparison of profiles of second-career teachers teaching in primary and secondary schools to determine differences (if any) in teaching practices and in retention rates.

4 Final Set of Recommendations We preface these final recommendations with a concession that it is easy to be armchair critics. The management of learning is mightily complex, as is learning itself. It is an expensive commodity. Increasing numbers of us spend the first quarter or more of our lives in full-time education, at considerable short-term cost to the community. And yet, we will tentatively dare to ask for more.

4 Final Set of Recommendations

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The esteem of the profession

Our perceptions, informed by our career change teacher informants, of their previous workplaces, shape these recommendations. We are also driven by the consistent and compelling evidence that links teachers’ caliber to student achievement, with efforts to attract top talent to the teaching profession (OECD, 2018). Making teaching more attractive might include any or all of the following: Increased salary. While teacher salaries in Australia are commensurate with those of similar professions (in terms of entry requirements and course duration), salaries begin to stagnate after a few years of teaching (Gallop et al., 2021). Salary premiums (which measure teachers’ pay relative to their education and other factors) for teachers in Australia are the fifth lowest of all 31 countries as examined in Hanushek et al.’s study (2018). Moreover, promotion prospects are limited. The 2021 Gallop et al. inquiry into the teaching profession categorically recommends a resetting of teachers’ wages if the profession is to remain competitive in the contemporary Australian labor force. The inquiry recommends the creation of new higher paid classifications, commensurate with comparable professions, which will recognize teachers’ expertise advancement and an acknowledgment of their specialist skills (Gallop et al., 2021). Such measures are likely to play a key role in attracting and retaining the career change labor workforce in teaching. Another possible response might be the creation of positions whereby (career change) teachers are remunerated for various skills (such as information technology, management and the like) with higher salaries and/or reduced teaching workload, at their choice. We concur that appropriate remuneration is an essential ingredient for those transitioning into teaching. Reductions in workload. Teaching is oiled by the generous goodwill of teachers and their determination for their students to succeed and excel. But this lubrication can only extend so far and only at the expense of more attention to the quality of pedagogy. Ways will need to be found, and urgently, in our view, to decrease the myriad and mounting responsibilities of teachers. This might be done through smaller class sizes, team teaching, a reduction in face-to-face hours or removal of some duties. In an Australian context, playground duty comes to mind—particularly in rainy weather. The public prestige (and misconceptions) of the profession. We accept that these cultural and attitudinal changes might be the most difficult to effect. “Everyone is an expert teacher,” through having observed so much of it; Lortie’s (1975) disparaging “apprenticeship of observation.” We also concede that it is harder to get rid of misconceptions like teaching being a “9 to 5” job while being paid well (Omar et al. 2018). Increased prestige might manifest, and might be nurtured, in two ways: Increased respect and trust from parents and the broader public. Parents question teachers more readily than they do, say, doctors. Doctors’ specialist knowledge is widely acknowledged and trusted by the public, in ways that teachers’ expertise isn’t. Though the challenges of remote learning during COVID-19 might have shifted

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parental and community perceptions of the value of the profession, there is still some way to go in truly respecting and appreciating our teachers for the work they do. Respect from students. It is difficult for young people to understand their teachers’ gifts (in two senses of the word “gifts”). It is only later that many of us come to realize the debt of gratitude we have to our teachers, when it is too late to offer thanks. Parents might help in this regard, in sharing their own “gratitude stories” with their children, or more broadly, online. In particular, the specialized knowledge that career changers bring to the profession might assist in this regard. Taking a further step back, it has become a truism that a “career for life” is no longer the norm. To the extent that this is true, further transition into (and out of) teaching is likely to increase. Though it is heartening to see that across OECD countries, 76% of teachers on average report that they would still work as a teacher if they were to make a career choice again (OECD, 2020). And that human-oriented skills are more important than ever for jobs of today and in the future (Deloitte Australia, 2019). However, this does preclude the fact that teaching will need to be competitive in the career marketplace, to attract and retain personnel. We refer to an uncomfortable truth here. Government schools in particular might struggle to provide attractive conditions, in terms of salary, facilities and the like. This might be the case particularly in jurisdictions like Australia, where the non-government sector caters to large numbers of students, and whose schools often feature impressive facilities. Changes here may require modifications to the formulae that fund the various sectors, which may, in turn, be a brave move politically. Table 1 summarizes the above recommendations.

5 Final Remarks “To make the best of ourselves and of each other, we urgently need to embrace a richer conception of human capacity. It’s about how we can all engage more fully in the present and how we can prepare in the fully possible way for a completely unknowable future.” (Robinson, 2009, p. xii).

There is no doubt that the future is uncertain and unpredictable. The children of today will need to be prepared for unforeseen, perhaps unimaginable, challenges. This is summed up well by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in their position paper “The Future of Education and Skills: Education 2030.” “Students will need to develop curiosity, imagination, resilience and self-regulation; they will need to respect and appreciate the ideas, perspectives and values of others; and they will need to cope with failure and rejection, and to move forward in the face of adversity. Their motivation will be more than getting a good job and a high income; they will also need to care about the well-being of their friends and families, their communities and the planet” (OECD, 2020a, p. 2).

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Table 1 Sector-based recommendations Sector

Recommendations

Schools

Build a culture of genuine increased awareness Create a system for recognition of prior skills and experience Develop targeted professional development strategies Embed flexibility to cater to career change teachers’ circumstances Offer alternative teaching options: Job sharing/team teaching

Teacher education providers

Make flexibility a top priority Include preparatory period: share/exchange key information Identify experience and devise tailored strategies to implement in teacher education contexts Provide flexible options and suitable incentives during professional experience

Government/education departments Commit to improving working conditions to make teaching attractive Create sustainable pathways to retain and advance their career in the teaching profession: non-teaching leadership roles Reward teachers’ expertise and experience adequately and appropriately Society

Improve the esteem of the profession: respect trust and value all teachers

Prospective career changers

Be well-informed and adequately prepared

Value expertise and experience

As can be seen above, the development of personal attributes may be as indispensable here as are knowledge and skills. The impact of COVID-19 on the next generation is significant and further highlights the importance of future-proofing our students. For instance, career guidance provided to students would be one aspect that gains more prominence to arm young people with the necessary tools to navigate work and job markets. Education 2030 further indicates how students need the epistemic knowledge— “knowing how to think like a mathematician, historian or scientist; procedural knowledge: knowing the steps or series of actions taken to accomplish a goal,” in addition to cognitive, meta-cognitive, and social and emotional skills development (2020a, p. 5). The position paper further states about students’ developing ownership or taking responsibility for their own actions, suggesting “a moral and intellectual maturity” to reflect and evaluate upon one’s actions in light of one’s experiences and goals

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(2020a, p. 6). As noted in previous chapters, career change teachers might be more likely to come ready-made with such attributes, to model for their students. The role of schools and teachers in helping students attain the above-mentioned skills has never been more important. It is through education that students learn to care, develop agency and purpose and build competence to be able to shape their lives and contribute to the lives of others around them. If students are to develop the skills mentioned above, they need all the support they can get. It is a prerequisite that the future generation of teachers are diverse, experienced and sufficiently equipped to be able to guide, inspire and nurture those skills. Career change teachers can be game changers in classrooms, bringing diversity, broad knowledge and key competencies in the areas mentioned above. Having engaged with society in different ways prior to entering teaching, they have the capacity and desire to understand and influence the needs of others—namely their students. Kamini, Amy, Jim and Sharon each represent what it means to be a career change teacher in unique but similar ways. We noted the contributions of STEM career changers in Chap. 9 and how their knowledge can be effectively utilized to build students’ passion in key areas. The phenomenological inquiry adopted in the book brought out some key characteristics and contributions of career change teachers. For instance, qualities of thoughtful and authentic pedagogy like care and concern suggests career change teachers’ have the maturity and wisdom to adopt a holistic approach in their teaching practices, engage with moral and ethical questions and have the passion to share these insights with their students. Given that attracting, recruiting and retaining career changers in the teaching profession are a shared responsibility, stakeholders including the government, schools and education providers should work individually and collectively to include career changers in the teaching workforce. Career change teachers can serve as a gateway to bringing the “world beyond school” to “student’s world.” Career changers can be the change we want to see in schools.

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