A TALE OF EXPERIENCE: TEACHING NON-SPECIALIZED SUBJECTS

Abstract Teaching non-specialized subjects, also known as out-of-field teaching, is when teachers teach subjects outside of their area of expertise or qualifications. Thus, the purpose of this study is to reveal the experiences of teachers who teach non-specialized subjects. They conducted individual interviews and group discussions with qualified and valid informants using a phenomenological research design. Participants' responses revealed the negative experiences teachers had when teaching non- specialized subjects. They also presented the mechanisms the teachers used to continue teaching well despite the hardships they faced. Teachers face challenges that make them dread going to class every day. The teachers' narratives revealed that people underestimated their capacity to instruct in subjects outside their expertise. From teaching non-specialized subjects, the teachers developed flexibility, learned to accept unexpected assignments from the leader, approached experts in the subject they taught, and became resourceful and generous by spending their own money to fill the shortage of teaching materials. Keywords: teaching non-specialized, subjects, observations, challenges, experiences, phenomenological and teaching tools