NON-SPECIALIST TEACHING AND TRANSVERSAL COMPETENCY DEVELOPMENT: INFORMAL PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND PERSONNEL PLANNING AT THE FACULTY OF ARTS, LETTERS AND HUMAN SCIENCES, UNIVERSITY OF BERTOUA, CAMEROON

Authors

  • Amombi Delphine Amana Department of Sciences of Education, Faculty of Arts, Letters and Human Sciences, University of Bertoua, Cameroon
  • Mbo Clarisse Department of Sciences of Education, Faculty of Arts, Letters and Human Sciences, University of Bertoua, Cameroon

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v13i6.6745

Keywords:

non-specialist teaching, out-of-field teaching, transversal competencies, informal professional learning, personnel planning, higher education, University of Bertoua, Cameroon

Abstract

The expansion and massification of higher education in Cameroon have intensified the demand for qualified academic staff across disciplines. In emerging universities, this situation often leads to the assignment of lecturers to teaching units outside their initial fields of specialisation. Although non-specialist or out-of-field teaching may create pedagogical, cognitive, logistical, and emotional challenges, it may also serve as an opportunity for informal professional learning and transversal competency development. This study examined how non-specialist teaching contributes to transversal competency development among lecturers at the Faculty of Arts, Letters and Human Sciences of the University of Bertoua, with particular emphasis on informal professional learning and institutional personnel planning. The study adopted an exploratory mixed-methods survey design. Data were collected through a semi-structured questionnaire titled ‘‘Out-of-Field Teaching and Transversal Competence Planning Questionnaire’’ administered to 30 permanent and part-time lecturers selected purposively from different departments of the faculty. Quantitative data were analysed using frequency counts, percentages and means while qualitative responses were analysed thematically. Findings revealed that lecturers rely on self-directed research, mentoring, digital tools, peer collaboration, pedagogical translation, and competency-based assessment strategies to manage non-specialist teaching. The study also found that non-specialist teaching contributes to transversal competencies such as adaptability, digital literacy, collaboration, and self-regulation. However, institutional planning remains insufficient, particularly in relation to pedagogical guides, workload reduction, early course allocation, and formal interdisciplinary mentoring. The study concludes that non-specialist teaching can become a productive professional development pathway only when supported by deliberate personnel planning, structured mentoring, institutional resources, and recognition of informal learning.

Author Biographies

  • Amombi Delphine Amana, Department of Sciences of Education, Faculty of Arts, Letters and Human Sciences, University of Bertoua, Cameroon

    Amombi Delphine Amana (PhD) is a Permanent Lecturer at the University of Bertoua, Cameroon. She is an academic and researcher with expertise in educational planning, teacher education, and institutional development within the context of teacher training colleges. Her research interests focus on identifying and solving educational planning problems in Teacher Training Colleges, with particular attention to improving institutional efficiency, teacher preparation, resource management, and the quality of training programmes. Through her teaching, research, and academic engagement, she contributes to the development of effective planning strategies for strengthening teacher education in Cameroon.

  • Mbo Clarisse, Department of Sciences of Education, Faculty of Arts, Letters and Human Sciences, University of Bertoua, Cameroon

    Mbo Clarise (PhD) is a Lecturer at the University of Bertoua, Cameroon. She is an academic and researcher with a professional focus on skills development, employability, and education for sustainable development. Her area of specialisation is the development of sustainable employability skills, particularly in relation to preparing learners and graduates for changing labour market demands. Her academic interests include career readiness, vocational and professional skills, sustainable development education, workforce preparation, and the alignment of education and training with socio-economic needs.

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Published

2026-05-25

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 6 (2026)

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Articles

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