NEMO DAT QUOD NON HABET! The Lived Experience of Senior High School Teachers Teaching Practical Research Subjects

Abstract

The fourth industrial revolution in education and the K to 12 curricula require teachers to be facilitators of learning in developing and enhancing student competencies centered on collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking skills. However, the teacher’s lack of expertise in teaching research subjects led the researcher to conduct this phenomenological study which explored the lived experiences of SHS teachers teaching practical research subjects. Using face-to-face interviews, four themes were identified as challenges encountered by the teachers, namely: students’ low aptitude on the subject, low morale or lack of motivation, scarcity of teaching resources and teachers’ lack of expertise in the subject matter. As a coping mechanism, the following themes were identified: mentoring from peers/colleagues, time management, resourcefulness, and professional development. Using Colaizzi's data analysis. The researcher recommended the need for course rationalization or alignment, need for more mentoring, modelling and research enhancement.