Blinded by the light: motivations of unqualified teachers in Western Australia

Sandi Fielder; Helen Dempsey PhD; Alison L Hilton EdD

doi:10.1007/s13384-025-00876-8

Back

Blinded by the light: motivations of unqualified teachers in Western Australia

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Blinded by the light: motivations of unqualified teachers in Western Australia

Sandi Fielder, Helen Dempsey PhD and Alison L Hilton EdD

The Australian educational researcher

2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-025-00876-8

Appears in Open Access via Read & Publish Agreements

Files and links (1)

pdf

Published975.34 kBDownload View

CC BY V4.0, Open Access

Abstract

Initial teacher education

Unqualified teachers

pre-service teacher

Teacher workforce shortages

Education systems not elsewhere classified

There is an unprecedented worldwide shortage of teachers that is expected to reach beyond 40 million by 2030. In Australia, this number was reported to surpass 4,000 in 2025. One strategy being promoted to fill the gaps in the workforce is utilising unqualified teachers who are studying an initial teacher education qualification. Conditions for unqualified teachers within Australia vary depending on the state, and Western Australia has had unique requirements in comparison with the remainder of the country. The call to utilise unqualified teachers relies on little evidence of impact and outcomes for those involved and the system overall. Little evidence is currently available on why undergraduate pre-service teachers choose this pathway, the impact the role has on them and their course progression, and ultimately, their retention in the workforce. This longitudinal qualitative research seeks to understand what motivates pre-service teachers to undertake teaching before course completion within the Western Australian context from a participant’s perspective. Key motivations are identified and explored, leading to further research directions and links to evidence to support unqualified teachers in the future.

Details

Title: Blinded by the light: motivations of unqualified teachers in Western Australia
Authors/Creators: Sandi Fielder (Author) - Murdoch University, School of Education
Helen Dempsey PhD (Author) - Murdoch University, School of Education
Alison L Hilton EdD (Author) - Murdoch University, School of Education
Publication Details: The Australian educational researcher
Publisher: Springer Nature
Number of pages: 22
Identifiers: 991005794756607891
Murdoch Affiliation: School of Education
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

Metrics

416 File views/ downloads

11 Record Views

InCites Highlights

These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output

Citation topics: 6 Social Sciences; 6.11 Education & Educational Research; 6.11.190 Teacher Education
Web Of Science research areas: Education & Educational Research
ESI research areas: Social Sciences, general