The Cover Teacher's Tale: an exploration of the role of the cover teacher in contemporary secondary education: short-term fix or long-term threat?

Abstract This research examined the role of cover teaching in contemporary secondary education in the United Kingdom and explored who cover supervisors are and what they are employed to do as well as investigated and highlighted the accounts that cover supervisors provide of what they do. Cover supervision occurs when no active teaching is taking place and involves the supervision of pre-set learning activities. According to the United Kingdom Teacher’s Union, cover teachers are drafted in because of the unavailability of teachers that will supervise the work that has been set in accordance with the school policy; manage the behaviour of pupils while they are undertaking this work to ensure a constructive environment; respond to any questions from pupils about process and procedures, etc. However, in spite of the well stated roles, regulations and responsibilities expected from cover teachers, it is worrisome that nobody really monitors what they do and possibly, no one even cares. This while, worrisome is coupled with the issue of scarcity of researches in this area in the UK. This study was conducted to answer the following research questions, ‘What are cover supervisors and what are they employed to do?; What accounts do cover supervisors provide of what they do?’. Via the exploration of the cover journals, views and reasoning, the mixed-method approach utilised focused on the writer of the research and one other cover teacher in an ethnography form as well as some other teachers and school administrators. The double-edge findings due to the mixed analysis showed different unfavourable behaviors shown by students, including the disengagement, nonparticipation of the students to the discussion, distractions etc. It also highlighted themes from the qualitative analysis. This study provides a strong basis on which other researchers will build, because studies in the past have not really elaborated on the activities of cover supervision and this is especially true in the UK. The study advised for a targeted interventions to tackle negative behaviours, to establish a dedicated and extensively trained corps of cover teachers and leverage technology and remote teaching to reduce the need for in-person cover supervision.