Crisis in the recruitment and retention of specialist Business and Computer Science teachers in England.

The published article (in Teaching Business and Economics (Autumn, 2023)) considered the recruitment and retention of teachers in Business and Computer Science and potential amelioration strategies for delivery by non-subject specialists.
A wealth of research evidence indicates that for students to perform well in a subject they must be taught by expert teachers. This is a major enabler of pupil progress and positive outcomes (Hattie, 2003).
Expert teachers demonstrate several dimensions to their practice. This includes holding secure subject knowledge (DFE, 2019). Specifically, subject teachers must have deep understanding of subject content, the key links between concepts, the specific pedagogy of the given subject, a knowledge of common misconceptions and know how to sequence the curriculum. (Coe et al, 2020).
Therefore, the ability of schools to recruit expert teachers affects the outcomes and experiences of their students, the very existence of the subject in school and, ultimately, the value of a subject in the curriculum. Ultimately, many schools may be unable to offer subjects where insufficient subject expertise exists. This will be especially significant when leading to Level 2 and 3 qualifications.