Out-Of-Field Teaching in Rural Schools: Reconceptualising the Role of School Leadership in the Post COVID-19 Space

This article explores the concept of out-of-field teaching in rural schools with specific focus on its occurrence, implications, and the role of school leadership in dealing with this approach to teaching in the face of the challenges posed by COVID-19. An extensive literature review was conducted to provide a clearer conceptual understanding of this practice and the role of leadership in its execution in rural schools. Out-of-field teaching is increasingly becoming common practice around the world and it is not widely researched. There is lack of adequate research-based information and empirical data on the prevalence of this practice in third-world rural contexts. In this paper, the researchers set out to describe, document, and provide a theoretical perspective regarding the occurrence of this practice in South African rural schools. They conceptualise it against the challenge of curriculum reforms, post provisioning, rationalisation, and the redeployment processes in schools. This paper will contribute to policy and practice by exposing the centrality and fluidity of leadership in dealing with the above challenges which lead to the enactment of the out-of-field teaching approach in order to cushion the processes of teaching and learning against the external threats posed by pandemics on the system.