Whether or not students graduate from college could be traced back to the quality of their high school teachers, a new study suggests. If students in high school are taught by a succession of teachers who majored or minored in their specific teaching subjects, rather than just a general teaching degree, they are more likely to graduate from college.

The research highlights the issue of “out-of-field” teaching, or the idea that teachers are being hired to instruct on subjects that they have little knowledge of, or training for.

Instead, the study shows that students have a higher success rate if they learn from more experienced teachers.

The paper is published in Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis.

The study

Se Woong Lee, an assistant professor in the College of Education at the University of Missouri, analyzed existing data from the Longitudinal Study of American Youth (LSAY).

The LSAY began in 1987 and collected information from nearly 6,000 students in middle schools and high schools nationwide.

Among the data collected, the LSAY administered science and mathematics achievements tests and received background and class information from each science and mathematics teacher that served one or more LSAY student.

In his analysis, Lee concentrated solely on the data on mathematics.

He found that students, who were taught mathematics by a string of teachers who majored or minored in the subject, benefited in two ways.

First, they had higher success in short-term math achievements.

Second, they were more likely to obtain a bachelor’s degree in the long term.

“Teacher quality is the most influential factor that determines student success,” he said in a statement. “If students are taught by a string of under qualified and underperforming teachers, it limits academic potential. However, highly qualified teachers are more likely to expand students’ desires to learn and succeed.”

Lee believes a stronger collaboration between teachers, administration and students would help in elevating the quality of education.

“Performance is a collective measure of a school,” he said in a statement. “If we develop a system where the focus is on student development and learning over time, then we’re helping to give equal opportunities to students within a school and being fair to our teachers at the same time.”

What should schools do about this?

Lee suggests that this information should be used to promote change within the education system to benefit future students.  

“Don’t we all want our students to learn subjects from teachers who had adequate training and qualifications?” he said. “This ‘out-of-field teaching’ has gotten a lot of attention in education since students’ educational experience and performance may significantly differ by the knowledge and expertise of whom they were taught by.”

Lee points out that many of the out-of-field teachers teach disadvantaged students.

“What is more disturbing is the fact that students from schools that disproportionately serve disadvantaged students are more likely to be taught by these teachers,” he said.   

Not only does Lee encourage schools to assign or hire teachers in subjects where they have adequate training and qualifications, but he also encourages school leaders to investigate the reasoning behind out-of-field teaching.

“Is it merely because of a shortage of qualified teachers? Budgetary reasons? What is the rationale behind it and what kind of in-service support and training is there to help out-of-field educators excel in their teaching subject?” he said.

He also encourages school leaders to have an honest dialogue on what out-of-field teaching means.

“Is it meeting the bare minimum requirements for a general teaching degree, or is it meeting higher standards?” he said.