Teachers’ experiences in alternative education: navigating complexity, care, and constraint

Alternative education has evolved as a response to the systemic exclusion of students who struggle within mainstream schooling. Central to the success of such settings are the educators who work within them: teachers whose roles extend well beyond curriculum delivery to include emotional labour, advocacy, and student re-engagement. This article reviews key literature on alternative education, before portraying the experiences of four teachers in an alternative education placement, highlighting the interplay between professional identity, pedagogical flexibility, and institutional support. Drawing on an emergent case study methodology, this article presents the findings from semi-structured interviews that were analysed through inductive content analysis. This article argues that a deeper understanding of educators’ lived realities is vital for strengthening practice, informing policy, and sustaining educational equity efforts for those who work in such complex educational settings.