WORLD EDUCATION CONNECT MULTIDISCIPLINARY E-PUBLICATION
Vol. V Issue IX (September 2025)
International Circulation
This is an open-access, peer-reviewed, and refereed international publication in online & printed versions that features research papers, abstracts, theses, dissertations, and journals. It is registered to the ISSN National Center of the Philippines, and ISSN International Center, the Global Index for Continuing Resources with ISSN (Online) 2799-0842 and ISSN (Print) 2799-130X.
World Education Connect Multidisciplinary e-Publication, Vol. V, Issue IX (September 2025), pp.265-269
Apple Vasquez
PHD Student, UPHSD, Metro Manila
Abstract
This qualitative phenomenological study investigated teachers' post-pandemic employment in Rizal Province, Philippines. Nine teachers—four from public schools and five from private schools—took part in semistructured interviews about (a) keeping academic programs going and (b) figuring out what job security means. Thematic analysis, augmented by cross-case comparison and member reflections, yielded six coherent themes: (1) recovery-first instruction—diagnostics, resequencing, and bridging to address learning loss; (2) equity-minded multimodality—printed modules, barangay partnerships, and zero‑rated Messenger alongside licensed platforms, school‑paid Wi‑Fi, and “weather pivots” to online days; (3) rebuilding assessment integrity via supervised performance tasks, oral defenses, and in‑class writing checks; (4) re‑acclimating students to handwriting and classroom routines; (5) resilience enabled by Learning Action Cells, NEAP‑supported CPD, and connectivity, but strained by oversized classes, paperwork, and modality‑switch fatigue; and (6) divergent stability narratives: secure plantilla/pay in public schools versus enrollment‑contingent security, on‑time pay/benefits (e.g., HMO), and credible growth pathways in private schools. A practical output is an 11-strand Professional Development & Peer Support Program that focuses on learning-recovery clinics, lean assessment/data supports, tech workflows with low-tech backstops, lesson study and coaching, wellbeing services, large-class routines, parent/community partnership, fair workload and career maps, field-work safety protocols, and SHS STEM refresh. School leaders and system actors need to focus on basic skills, keep print and low-bandwidth options, make documentation easier, protect planning time, and adopt risk-sharing measures for private school staff, such as longer contract periods, clear renewal thresholds, and protected health benefits. The findings provide practical guidance for the implementation of MATATAG and local learning recovery plans.
Keywords: teacher resilience; employment stability; learning recovery; blended learning; Philippines.
Introduction
School closures and stop-start reopenings changed how teachers taught all over the world, making it harder for students to get the help they needed and putting a strain on the quality of instruction and the health of teachers (UNESCO/UNICEF/World Bank, 2021; Reimers & Schleicher, 2020). In the Philippines, recovery happened at the same time as the rollout of MATATAG, which refocuses basic literacy, numeracy, and well-sequenced content (DepEd, 2024). However, the experiences of these shifts outside of major urban centers are inadequately documented. This study addresses that gap through a phenomenological investigation in Rizal Province (Districts 1–2), posing the question: (1) How did teachers articulate the challenges of academic programs following their reopening? (2) How did they interpret employment stability? (3) What themes and actionable outputs emerged for sustaining education?
Nine teachers (four from public schools and five from private schools, ranging from elementary to SHS) took part in semi-structured interviews using purposive sampling. Cross-case thematic analysis, bolstered by transcript verification and an audit trail, revealed recovery-first instruction, equity-oriented multimodality (including printed modules, barangay partnerships, zero-rated Messenger alongside LMS and school-funded Wi-Fi), assessment integrity, the reinstatement of supervised performance tasks, re-acclimatization to handwriting and classroom routines, and resilience fostered by LACs/PD amidst administrative burdens and large class sizes. The meanings of stability varied by sector: in public schools, stability meant security based on the plantilla and pay that never stopped; in private schools, it meant enrollment-based continuity, timely benefits (like HMO), and clear paths for growth. Based on these patterns, the study proposes an 11-strand Professional Development & Peer Support Program owned by the school, which includes learning-recovery clinics, lean assessment/data supports, tech workflows with low-tech backstops, lesson study/coaching, and wellbeing services. The output turns the teacher's voice into practice-proximal guidance by putting diagnostics, protected planning time, streamlined reporting, dual online/print lanes, and risk-sharing measures for private-school staff at the top of the list. This adds to MATATAG's focus on division-ready, classroom-tested routines.
Methodology
To find out what teachers' real-life experiences were after the pandemic, a qualitative phenomenological method was used. It describes the methods of selecting students from both public and private schools in Rizal Province, conducting interviews, transcribing and analyzing the data thematically, steps to increase reliability, and protections for participants' rights. The goal is to have techniques that are clear, easy to replicate, and grounded in rigor and validity in interpretation.
Design and setting.
A qualitative phenomenological approach was used to understand how educators experienced postpandemic schooling and employment. The study focused on public and private basic‑education schools in Rizal Province (Districts 1–2).
Participants and sampling.
Purposive sampling recruited nine teachers: four from public schools and five from private schools, spanning elementary to senior high school and core subjects (e.g., Mathematics, English). Participants used pseudonyms.
Data generation.
Semistructured interviews (in person/online) explored teaching modalities, assessment, institutional supports, workload, and job security. With consent, conversations were audio‑recorded and transcribed verbatim; participants could review transcripts.
Analysis and trustworthiness.
Thematic analysis proceeded from inductive coding to cross‑case comparison (public vs. private). Literature comparison, member reflections, and an audit trail supported credibility and dependability; ethical protocols safeguarded anonymity.
Results
Themes regarding academic program challenges and job stability were reported in this area based on teacher interviews. Emphasizing recovery-focused teaching, equity-minded modalities, assessment rebuilding, handwriting reacclimation, and wellness, it highlights distinct excerpts and sector disparities as well as trends. In order to accurately portray the closeness to the participants' voices, context, and meaning, the findings are presented before the interpretation.
1) Recovery‑first instruction and learning loss.
Teachers described reopening as “catch‑up work,” resequencing content and running bridging lessons in mathematics and language. Many Grade 10 classes, for example, retaught Grade 5–6 prerequisites before grade‑level topics. Diagnostic checks and focused reteaching became routine.
2) Equity‑minded delivery across modalities.
Public schools leaned on printed modules, barangay partnerships for distribution, and zero‑rated Messenger/FB groups to sustain participation. Private schools blended licensed platforms (e.g., Zoom, Schoology/ClassIn) with printed packets and school‑paid WiFi; “weather pivots” to online days preserved continuity.
3) Assessment integrity and the return of supervised performance tasks.
Teachers questioned authenticity of online submissions and rebuilt assessment cultures via monitored performance tasks, oral defenses, and in‑class writing checks as safety restrictions eased.
4) Re‑acclimating to handwriting and classroom routines.
Students accustomed to typing needed practice with pen‑and‑paper note‑taking, legible handwriting, and stamina. Schools reintroduced structured notebooks, periodic checks, and routine correction to rebuild these habits.
5) Teacher resilience, supports, and strain.
Resilience rested on collegial problem‑solving (LACs), NEAP‑supported CPD, targeted tech training, and access to on‑campus internet. Stressors included oversized classes, administrative paperwork, and the cognitive load of toggling modalities. Calls for mental‑health support and lighter paperwork were common.
6) Employment stability—two sector stories.
Public schools: Teachers equated stability with plantilla tenure and uninterrupted pay; job security felt strong if duties were fulfilled.
Private schools: Stability felt conditional, tied to enrollment, timely salaries/benefits (e.g., HMO), and credible growth pathways; fears of abrupt displacement lingered.
Derived output.
From these themes, participants coalesced around a Professional Development & Peer Support Program (11 strands): learning‑recovery clinics, lean assessment/data support, tech workflows with low‑tech backstops, lesson study/coaching, wellbeing services, large‑class routines, parent/community partnership, fair workload and career maps, safety protocols, and SHS STEM refresh.
Discussion
According to previous research and policy, this part explains the results in terms of what they mean and what they mean for practice. It discusses the applicability, constraints, and suggestions for educational institutions and government agencies. An improvement in learning recovery and a stabilization of teachers' employment and well-being can be achieved by translating descriptive themes into practical recommendations.
Interpreting the patterns.
The recovery‑first posture aligns with global guidance to prioritize foundational skills, use diagnostics, and extend time on task (UNESCO/UNICEF/World Bank, 2021; World Bank, 2021). Rizal teachers’ hybrid toolkits—paper modules plus school‑paid platforms and Messenger/FB—mirror equity‑minded practice in low‑bandwidth contexts, while the “weather pivot” institutionalizes continuity learned during closures. The MATATAG curriculum’s decongestion lens complements these classroom choices (DepEd, 2024).
Sector differences in stability reflect resource architectures: state‑backed tenure and appropriated budgets buffered public‑school jobs, whereas privately financed schools transmitted enrollment shocks more directly—consistent with comparative accounts of pandemic‑era employment risk (Reimers & Schleicher, 2020; UNESCO/UNICEF/World Bank, 2021). Participants’ emphasis on benefits (e.g., HMO), transparent progression, and visible institutional backing recasts “stability” as both continuity and dignity.
Implications for practice and policy.
Consolidate recovery around essentials. Schedule short diagnostic checks and coached reteach cycles; protect weekly planning blocks; align assessments to priority competencies.
Keep dual pathways on purpose. Maintain print lanes and zero‑rated messaging alongside LMS use; codify “weather pivots” to avoid lost days.
Streamline paperwork and staff data supports. Lighten documentation; assign data aides or a help desk so teachers can focus on instruction.
Invest in resilience drivers. Continue LACs and hands‑on PD (lesson study, tech micro‑badges), ensure school‑paid connectivity, and provide accessible mental‑health services.
Stabilize private‑school employment. Use transparent renewal thresholds, lengthen contract horizons where feasible, safeguard core benefits, and involve staff in enrollment/contingency planning.
Limitations.
Findings derive from a small, purposive sample in one Philippine province and rely on self‑report. They are analytically rather than statistically generalizable; transferability rests on fit with similar contexts.
Recommendations and conclusion.
Implement the 11‑strand school‑owned PD & Peer Support Program with built‑in monitoring (probe gains, coaching logs) to convert recovery rhetoric into routine. System leaders should fund foundational literacy/numeracy coaching, connectivity, and counseling; streamline reporting; and support risk‑sharing mechanisms for private‑school teachers. Centering essentials, equity, and educator care will stabilize classrooms and careers as systems move from emergency response to durable improvement.
References (APA 7th)
DepEd. (2024). Implementation of the MATATAG Curriculum (DO 010, s. 2024). Department of Education.
Reimers, F. M., & Schleicher, A. (2020). Schooling disrupted, schooling rethought: How the COVID‑19 pandemic is changing education. OECD.
UNESCO, UNICEF, & World Bank. (2021). The state of the global education crisis: A path to recovery.
Vasquez, A. (2025). Resilience in Education: Teachers’ Experiences of Academic Program Challenges and Employment Stability in Rizal Province Post‑Pandemic [Doctoral dissertation, University of Perpetual Help System DALTA].
DOI 10.5281/zenodo.17242844
