Wearing Multiple Hats: A Phenomenological Inquiry into Teachers’ Lived Experiences in Balancing Classroom Instruction

Abstract

Teachers performed responsibilities that extended considerably beyond classroom instruction, particularly in elementary schools where they handled multiple learning areas and assumed various school-based assignments. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of teachers at Villa Agullana Elementary School in Maddela, Quirino, as they balanced classroom instruction with additional professional responsibilities. Specifically, the study examined the challenges teachers encountered, the strategies they employed, the support systems they utilized, and the meanings they constructed from performing multiple roles. The researchers employed purposive criterion sampling to select teachers who had direct experience with the phenomenon. Data were gathered through semi-structured, in-depth interviews and were analyzed using a phenomenological approach informed by Moustakas (1994). The analysis involved identifying significant statements, developing meaning units, clustering related meanings, and constructing themes that represented the participants’ shared experiences. Trustworthiness was established through credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability following Lincoln and Guba (1985). The inquiry revealed the complexity of teachers’ professional experiences as they navigated instructional demands alongside additional school responsibilities. The study underscored the importance of appropriate workload distribution, collegial collaboration, administrative support, and organizational mechanisms that protected teachers’ instructional responsibilities while recognizing their broader contributions to school operations.