The Problem of Underqualified Teachers: A Sociological Perspective Author(s): Richard M. Ingersoll Source: Sociology of Education, Vol. 78, No.

2 (Apr., 2005), pp. 175-178 Published by: American Sociological Association Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4148904 Accessed: 29/08/2010 02:32
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The Problem of Underqualified Teachers: A Sociological Perspective

Richard M. Ingersoll of University Pennsylvania
One of the difficulties encountered in has teachers'qualifications been more attention than has the failure to researching for ensure that the nation'sclassroomsare the lackof consensuson standards definteacher.Fewwould arguethat staffedby qualified teachers.Manystateshave ing a qualified teacher teachersought not to be qualified,and there preservice pushed for more-rigorous and standards. is empiricalsupport that teachers'qualificaeducation, training, certification a initiatives have tions are tied to students'achievement(see, Moreover, host of recruitment the attemptedto increase supplyof teachers: e.g., Greenwald,Hedges, and Laine 1996; alternativelicensing, midcareerchange pro- Raudenbush, Fotiu,and Cheong 1999). But financial and even overseas there has been a great deal of controversy incentives, grams, are The recruitment. capstoneof these effortswas over what kindsof preparation necessary the enactmentof the No ChildLeftBehind Act for teachersto be consideredqualified.After which set the unprecedented,and much debate, NCLBdefined "highlyquali(NCLB), that allstudentsare fied"teachersas those with a college degree, laudable, goal of ensuring a teaching certificate,and competence in teachers. taughtby "highly qualified" a Overthe past decade, I have undertaken their subjects (demonstrated by having a or that seriesof research projects havefocusedon majoror an advancedcertificate passinga the understanding problemof underqualified test in a subject). The U.S. Department of Education's teachers (see e.g., Ingersoll 1999, 2003a, Schools and StaffingSurvey(SASS)provides 2004). Although ensuring that the nation's withqualified classrooms allstaffed are teachers the best availableinformationon teachers' These data indicatethat, conis among the most important problems facing qualifications. I havefoundthat it is also among the traryto conventionalwisdom, most teachers schools, least understood.I have come to the conclu- have completed a basic college education sion that, unfortunately, most teacher-reform and full teacher training.In the 1999-2000 effortswill not solve the problem.Underlying school year, just priorto the enactment of 99 is NCLB, what maybe NCLB, percent of public school teachers manyreforms, including calleda teacher-deficit The perspective. under- had at least a bachelor'sdegree and almost is of lyingassumption that the problem under- half had a graduate degree, and nearly92 teachersis largelyone of deficitsin percent had full, regularteaching certificates qualified teachers themselves:their number, prepara- (Ingersoll 2003a). Nevertheless, numerous tion, knowledge, motivation,ability,and so classroomsare staffed by teachers who are forth.Thisperspective overlooks keysourceof not highly qualifiedin the particular a subject the problem-the organizational occupa- that is taught. Thissituationis the resultof a and tionalcontextsof teachers' work.In particular, little-discussed, but widespread, practice the "deficit" overlooks extent called out-of-field teaching-teachers the perspective to whichthe problemof underqualified teach- assignedto teach subjectsthat do not match with workingcondi- their trainingor education. Highlyqualified ers, likerelatedproblems and tions, recruitment, retentionin teaching, teachers may become highly unqualifiedif can be traced to a common root: the low they are assignedto teach subjectsfor which stature and social standing of the teaching they have little background and preparation. which Thisproblemwas recognizedby NCLB, occupation.

ew educational have received problems

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in explicitlydefines highly qualifiedteachersas nation: teacher shortages. Shortfalls the those who are competent in each academic numberof availableteachers,this argument holds, have forced many schools to assign subjectthey are assignedto teach. The SASSdata indicate that at the sec- teachersout of theirfields(see, e.g., National ondaryschool level, about one fifthof classes Commission on Teaching and America's in each of the core academicsubjects(math, Future1997). are a Schools'hiringdifficulties clearly facscience, English, and social studies) are taught by teacherswho lackfullteachingcer- tor in the degree of teachers'misassignment, shorttificatesin the subjectbeing taught.The data but the SASS data revealtwo important also show that some schoolsand classeshave comings in this explanation.First,they canmore out-of-fieldteaching than do others not explain high levels of out-of-field teachWithinschools, lower-track ing in fields like Englishand social studies, (Ingersoll1999). of classes are more often taught by out-of-field wheretherehavelong been surpluses qualteachers than are higher-track classes. ified teachers. Second, the SASSdata show schools have more that about half the misassignedteachersin Moreover,disadvantaged out-of-fieldteaching than do more-affluent any given yearwere employedin schoolsthat schools. Indeed,while teachers in disadvan- reportedno difficulties canfinding qualified taged schools lag only slightlybehind other didates for job openings that year (Ingersoll teachers in their formal qualifications, they 2003a). or are farmore likely be assignedto teach out Ratherthan deficits in the preparation to of theirfields(Ingersoll of teachers,the SASSdata point to 2004). quantity The crucialquestion, and the source of another explanation:the manner in which great misunderstanding,is why so many schools are organizedand teachersare manteachersare assignedout of theirfields. Two aged. The data indicatethat school staffing interrelated explanations are typically decisions usually follow a top-down comadvanced. The first holds that out-of-field mand model;these decisionsare the prerogand teacherstypiteaching is a problem of poorly prepared ative of school principals, teachers. Its proponentstypicallyargue that cally have little say in their assignments face the are teacher preparation programs overloaded (Ingersoll2003b). School principals with requiredcourses in pedagogy; hence, difficult task of providing an increasingly the remedyis to requireprospective teachers broad array of programs with limited to complete "real"undergraduate majorsin resources,time, budgets, and teachingstaff. have academicdisciplines. But within these constraints,principals The data confirmthat there aresometimes an unusualdegree of discretion,and there is problems with the rigor and quality of little centralizedregulationof how teachers teacherpreparation standards and programs. are used once they are hired (Robinson But this explanationconfoundstwo different 1985). In this context, and froma managerisources of the problem of underqualified al perspective, principals may find that teachers by failing to distinguishteachers' assigningteachersto teach out of theirfields educationwith teachers'in-service is often more convenient,less expensive,and preservice assignments.The SASSdata show that the less time consumingthan arethe alternatives. Forexample, ratherthan hirea new partprimarysource of out-of-fieldteaching lies not in the educationor trainingthat teachers time science teacher for two sections of a a have, but in the lackof fit between teachers' newly state-mandatedscience curriculum, and their teaching assignments principalmay find it simplerto assign two preparation once they are on the job. Manyteachersare English or social studies teachers to each
assigned by their principalsto instruct classes that do not match the fields of their degrees or certification or both. The key question thus becomes: Why are so many teachers misassigned? In answer, many commentators turn to a second expla"cover" a section. If a teacher unexpectedly leaves in the middle of the semester, a principal may find it faster and cheaper to hire a readily available, but not fully qualified, substitute teacher, rather than to conduct a formal search for a new teacher. When faced

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to with the tough choice between hiring an cases,chemical engineers designbridges,or to Likewise candidate for the position of a sociologyprofessors teach English. unqualified blue-collar mathteacheror doublingthe classsize of one for the high-skill occupations,few to of the fullyqualifiedmath teachers,a princi- would hirean electrician solve a plumbing pal may opt for the former.Froma manager- problem.The commonly held assumptionis ial perspective,these choices may save time that such traditionalmale-dominatedjobs for requiresubstantialexpertise and, therefore, and moneyfor the school and, ultimately, is the taxpayer.Froman educationalperspec- that specialization necessary. tive, they are not cost-free, since they are Despite researchthat has establishedthat and secondaryteachelementary among the largestsourcesof underqualified high-quality and in schoolsand arenow deemedillegal ing is highlycomplexwork(see, e.g., Kohn teachers Schooler1983; Lortie1975), K-12 teaching underNCLB. the Understanding reasonsbehind out-of- lacks commensurate stature and standing. out-of-field field teaching assignments is important Underlying teaching,it appears,is school that female-dominated for because of their implications solving the the assumption Like most contemporaryteacher- teaching requiresfar less skill,training,and problem. and NCLB focusedon either expertisethan do traditional has reforminitiatives, professions to that it is acceptable treatteachers upgrading the training requirements of therefore blocks.From sociological a the teachersor increasing supplyof teachers likeinterchangeable NCLB's mandate ensurof and has overlooked impactof the organi- perspective, the meeting have qualified teachers within ing that all classrooms zational and occupational contexts the whichteacherswork.The SASS data indicate, will requiremore than increasing recruitit of Ultimately, will however, that solutions to the problem of mentandtraining teachers. the statusof teachingas an teachers must also look to require upgrading underqualified how schools are managedand how teachers occupation. thousandsof new candidatesand recruiting providing them with rigorous preservice will not solve the problem if a preparation largenumberof teachersreceiveassignments for whichthey are not prepared. From a sociological perspective,a longterm solution will require addressing the underlyingsystemic and contextualroots of these organizational practices. Fromthis perpracticesare directly spective,organizational tied to occupationalstatus, and how membersof an occupationare utilizedand treated in workplaces inextricably is connectedto the power and prestige of that occupation (Abbott1988; Freidson 1986). The misassignment of teachers-and problemswith teachers' recruitment, retention,and low pay-are in large part, to a common root: traceable, the low statureand standingof the teaching and occupation.UnlikemanyEuropean Asian
nations, in this country K-12 teaching has been largely treated as semiskilled work (Etzioni, 1969; Lortie, 1975; Tyack, 1974). The comparison with traditionalprofessions is stark. Few would ask cardiologiststo deliver babies, real estate lawyers to defend criminal are utilized once they are on the job. In short,

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Teachersthan Others." Pp. Raudenbush, and P. Underqualified StephenW., Randall Fotiu, Yuk on 45-88 in Brookings Results from FaiCheong. 1999. "Synthesizing Papers Education Policy, edited by Diane Ravitch.Washington,DC: the Trial State Assessment.?"journal of Institution. Brookings and Statistics 24:413-38. Educational Behavioral Kohn,MelvinL.,and CarmiSchooler.1983. Work Robinson, Virginia. 1985. Making Do in the and Personality. Norwood,NJ:Ablex. on of Classroom: Report the Misassignment a A Lortie, Dan. 1975. Schoolteacher: Sociological DC: Councilfor Basic Teachers. Washington, of Study. Chicago:University ChicagoPress. Federation Teachers. of Education American and on NationalCommission Teachingand America's Future. 1997. Doing What Matters Most: Tyack, David. 1974. The One Best System. Press. MA:Harvard in New Author. Cambridge, University Teaching. York: Investing Quality

Richard Ingersoll, M. at of Professor Education Sociology the University of and Ph.D.,is Associate of Hisresearch involvesthe application ideas fromthe sociology organizations, of Pennsylvania. and to of and institutions. recent His educational occupations, work problems elementary secondary was the Award from American the Press, awarded 2004 Outstanding by Harvard University Writing Association Colleges Teacher of for Education. Thisarticleis based,in part,on the author's of Section's at participation the Sociology Education in Involvement Education, the meetminiconference Federal on whichwasheldduring 2004 annual in was of the American Association San Francisco. miniconference funded The by ing Sociological the American for of Address Institutes Research This does not reflect opinions AIR. the (AIR). article of 3700 WalnutStreet, to correspondence RichardM. Ingersoll,University Pennsylvania, PA Philadelphia, 19104-6216;e-mail:rmi@gse.upenn.edu.
book, Who Controls Teachers'Work?Power and Accountability in America'sSchools, published