In the context of the acute challenge of the shortage of teachers, schools are increasingly manifesting the use of student teachers to cover the demand (SWK 2023a). The shortage also results in teachers teaching outside their subject area (i.e., out-of-field teaching). Based on an exploratory, cross-sectional study, this paper offers a first and nuanced insight into the employment of students at schools in Lower Saxony, Germany, with regard to their employment in out-of-field teaching. The data were collected through a voluntary online survey in the winter semester 2022/2023 at six universities in Lower Saxony. On the basis of a comprehensive review of relevant (inter)national empirical findings on out-of-field teaching and teaching alongside studies, research questions are formulated and the applied study design is presented. After the presentation of selected findings on out-of-field teaching by student substitute teachers, the paper concludes with a discussion of the resulting implications.
