"Hybrid" high school teachers of English: Their lived experiences

Abstract

Teaching is a process in which one individual makes something known to another individual (Colakkadioglu, 2016). There are numerous issues involving the process of teaching and learning. Besides parents, teachers play a very crucial role in developing a learner’s interest towards a subject or the language. Teachers should become learners by thinking about the situation and by understanding it through different points of view. Brubaker (2016) adds that schools in rural areas often have difficulty to staff schools and frequently appointed out-of-field due to teachers’ shortages. Out-of-field teaching (OFT) is defined as a phenomenon in which qualified teachers teach subjects, learning areas or year levels they are not formally qualified to teach (Ingersoll et.al, 2013). It has been inevitably occurring for years as education continues to transform among developing countries worldwide. Out-of-field teaching appeared as an important issue that can impact the teachers' sense of effectiveness. Ingersoll, R. M. (2004), states that out-of-field teaching is a phenomenon that can impact on the educational experiences of students, especially in the public schools. Teaching any lesson other than English is very difficult for individuals without a deep knowledge or background about the field. Their lack of qualifications and experience relevant to their appointments can present significant challenges to their induction within the profession. If a teacher with the proper certification is not available, a school district tries to fill the position with teachers certified to teach in other areas. If those teachers are not available, administrators usually employ long term substitutes rather than to enlarge or to cancel classes. People who teach subjects in which they have little or no background usually loathe it. It does not sound like a proper educational practice. Under-prepared teachers who rely heavily on the textbook severely inhibit effective learning of students (Brubaker, 2016). The purpose of this study was to examine, through the lens of phenomenology, the lived experiences of the out-of-field high school teachers. According to Gabiota (2019), Out-of-Field Teachers are more commonly known and called as Hybrid Teachers in the Province of Guimaras. This present study sought to understand how the lived experiences of these Hybrid Teachers impact their professional development and impede or promote quality teaching. This study also examined their experiences and how those experiences shape the effectiveness and sustainability of quality education in public schools. According to Carillo and Geraldoy (2020), and with the more number of English major applicants compared to the other majors, the administration is then faced to a decision of hiring these English majors with the condition of having them to teach other subjects outside of their field of expertise. Objective of the Study The objective of this study was to describe the lived experiences of the “hybrid" high school teachers in public high schools in the Province of Guimaras.