⚠ Official Notice: www.ijisrt.com is the official website of the International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology (IJISRT) Journal for research paper submission and publication. Please beware of fake or duplicate websites using the IJISRT name.



The Lived Experiences of Teachers at Mahayahay Integrated School: A Case Study


Authors : Caitona, Mae Ann R.; Dr. Escarlos, Gladys; Fernandez, Shella Mae E.; Lobitaña, Khryzl Rose D.; Meanagua, Jezzarie T.; Pano, Rosemarie S.

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 5 - May


Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/yykyp2n3

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/4m8dcz5v

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26may2165

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.


Abstract : This study explored the lived experiences of teachers at Mahayahay Integrated School, a remote area in Conception, Valencia City, Bukidnon. Using a qualitative case study, data were collected through in-depth interviews with five purposely selected grade school teachers. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the data and identify emerging themes. Findings revealed that teachers face significant environmental and instructional challenges, including difficult terrain, long travel distances, limited resources, and the complexity of managing multigrade classrooms. Despite these constraints, teachers maintain structured daily routines and demonstrate strong adaptability in their teaching practices. The study further found that these experiences do not diminish motivation; instead, they strengthen teachers’ commitment to the profession. Teachers develop resilience, flexibility, and patience while employing coping strategies such as time management, advance planning, and collaboration. Moreover, teachers attach meaningful interpretations to their experiences, viewing teaching as a fulfilling and purposeful vocation. Their experiences contribute to continuous professional growth, enhanced teaching competence, and a deeper sense of responsibility toward learners. The findings highlight that while teaching in remote contexts is physically and cognitively demanding, it also fosters resilience and strengthens professional identity. The study concludes that teachers' lived experiences are shaped by the interaction of environmental challenges and instructional demands, which ultimately promote both personal and professional development. These insights underscore the need for strengthened institutional support, targeted training, and improved resources to sustain teacher well-being and effectiveness in remote educational area.

Keywords : Lived Experiences, Teachers in Remote Areas, Motivation to Teach, Professional Demands.

References :

  1. Agyapong, B., Obuobi-Donkor, G., Burback, L., & Wei, Y. (2022). Stress, burnout, anxiety and depression among teachers: A scoping review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(17), 10706. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710706
  2. Albina, A. C., Salmorin, S. A., Cainos, D. N., & Montano, R. C. (2025). Navigating through difficult roads and terrains: Novice teachers' challenges in teaching in remote mountainous settings in the Philippines. The Rural Educator, 46(3), 72–92. https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/ruraleducator/vol46/iss3/7/
  3. Algones, C. J. L., Calizo, E. V., & Bauyot, M. M. (2024). Experiences of teachers teaching in far-flung areas of Division of Davao Del Norte: A phenomenological study. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 8(6), 2790–2802.
  4. Algones, J. R., Dela Cruz, M. P., & Fernandez, L. A. (2024). Resilience and coping strategies of teachers in geographically isolated schools in the Philippines. Philippine Journal of Education and Teaching, 29(1), 45–62.
  5. Belonio, C. L., Navarez, L. L., & Juan, B. B. (2025). Teacher commitment and perceived challenges as predictors of well-being in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas. e-Journals.ph. https://ejournals.ph/article.php?id=31629
  6. Beltman, S., Mansfield, C., & Price, A. (2016). Thriving not just surviving: A review of research on teacher resilience. Educational Research Review, 6, 185–207.
  7. Chen, J., & Lee, J. C.-K. (2022). Teacher resilience matters: A buffering and boosting effect between job driving factors and their well-being and job performance. Teachers and Teaching, 28(8), 890–907. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2022.2116574
  8. Cimagala, N. M., Santos, L. R., & Reyes, J. P. (2024). Coping mechanisms and teachers' innovative practices in distance learning. e-Journals.ph. https://ejournals.ph/article.php?id=20605
  9. Darling-Hammond, L., & Hyler, M. E. (2020). Preparing educators for the time of COVID and beyond. European Journal of Teacher Education, 43(4),457–465.https://doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2020.1816961
  10. Day, C., & Gu, Q. (2014). Resilient teachers, resilient schools. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/978131576060
  11. Department of Education. (2019, July 22). DepEd's Last Mile Schools Program to address gaps in isolated, disadvantaged areas.https://www.deped.gov.ph/2019/07/22/depeds-last-mile-schools-program-to-address-gaps-in-isolated-disadvantaged-areas/
  12. Flores, M. A., & Day, C. (2016). Contexts which shape and reshape new teachers’ identities: A multi-perspective study. Teaching and Teacher Education, 22(2), 219–232.
  13. Galut, A. M. (2025). Surviving in the trails: Teacher's lived experiences in remote areas. PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40109565/
  14. Gu, Q., & Day, C. (2007). Teachers' resilience, a necessary condition for effectiveness. Teaching and Teacher Education, 23(8), 1302–1316. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2006.06.005
  15. Hascher, T., Beltman, S., & Mansfield, C. (2021). Teacher wellbeing and resilience: Towards an integrative model. Educational Research, 63(4), 416–439. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131881.2021.1980416
  16. Hong, J. Y., & Lin, S. F. (2021). Reflective practice and teacher learning in professional development. Teaching and Teacher Education, 97, 103–112.
  17. Hong, W., & Lin, Q. (2021). Exploring the key influencing factors on teachers’ reflective practice skill for sustainable learning: A mixed methods study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(19), 10416. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph181910416
  18. Hudson, S., & Hudson, P. (2020). Mentoring for rural and remote teaching: A Australian study. Journal of Research in Rural Education.
  19. Kim, H., & Cho, Y. J. (2020). On the role of teachers’ professional identity and well-being in their professional development. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 2273. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02273
  20. Kim, J., & Cho, Y. (2020). Teacher identity development through professional experience: A systematic review. Educational Research Review, 31, 100–115.
  21. Klassen, R. M., & Chiu, M. M. (2017). Effects on teachers’ self-efficacy and job satisfaction: Teacher gender, years of experience, and job stress. Journal of Educational Psychology, 102(3), 741–756.
  22. Li, M. (2023). Adaptive capacity and professional competence: Teachers' resilience in persistent stress environments. Journal of Educational Research.
  23. Li, S. (2023). The effect of teacher self-efficacy, teacher resilience, and emotion regulation on teacher burnout: A mediation model. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1185079. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1185079
  24. Mansfield, C. F., Beltman, S., Broadley, T., & Weatherby-Fell, N. (2016). Building resilience in teacher education: An evidenced informed framework. Teaching and Teacher Education, 54, 77–87.
  25. Mosquera, J., & Sayo, M. (2024). The extent of challenges encountered by non-resident teachers in remote schools. e-Journals.ph. https://ejournals.ph/article.php?id=28067
  26. OECD. (2019). TALIS 2018 results (Volume I): Teachers and school leaders as lifelong learners. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/1d0bc92a-en
  27. Omar, F., & Perez, M. (2023). School-based management challenges and coping strategies. Advances in Education and Social Sciences Studies. https://download.sdiarticle5.com/2023/June/16-Jun-23-2/2023_AJESS_101659/Ms_AJESS_101659.pdf
  28. Randwick. (2025). Voices of the far-flung areas: Experiences of teachers in remote communities. Randwick Research Journal of Educational Leadership and School Studies. https://www.randwickresearch.com/index.php/rielsj/article/view/1177
  29. Santos, A., & Reyes, M. (2025). Adaptability: Narratives of teachers handling combi classes. Cognizance Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, 5(8).
  30. Santos, A., & Reyes, B. (2025). Challenges and resilience of teachers in remote schools in Bukidnon. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science.
  31. Schön, D. A. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. Basic Books.
  32. Skaalvik, E. M., & Skaalvik, S. (2018). Job demands and job resources as predictors of teacher motivation and well-being. Social Psychology of Education, 21(5), 1251–1275. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-018-9464-8
  33. Smith, L., & Johnson, T. (2020). Professional isolation in rural teaching globally.
  34. Taga, M. (2024). Resilience in remote teaching: Exploring teachers' coping strategies. International Journal of Advanced Materials Research. http://ijeais.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IJAMR241031.pdf
  35. UNESCO. (2021). Training tools for curriculum development: A resource pack for multi-grade schools.
  36. UNESCO & Teacher Task Force. (2024). Global report on teachers: Addressing teacher shortages and transforming the profession. UNESCO. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000388832
  37. UNESCO. (2020). Global Education Monitoring Report 2020: Inclusion and education: All means all. UNESCO Publishing.
  38. UNESCO. (2021). Addressing the challenges of multigrade teaching. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. https://www.unesco.org
  39. UNESCO. (2021). Reimagining our futures together: A new social contract for education. UNESCO Publishing.
  40. UNESCO. (2021). Teachers in remote and rural areas: Challenges and support strategies. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
  41. Virginia Braun, V., & Victoria Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://dai.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
  42. Wang, Y. (2021). Building teachers' resilience: Practical applications for teacher education of China. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 738606. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.738606
  43. Wang, Y., & Zhao, J. (2023). Professional development needs of rural teachers: International analysis. Education Policy Analysis
  44. Wang, Y., & Zhao, L. (2023). Challenges and strategies in multigrade teaching: Implications for classroom management and differentiated instruction. International Journal of Educational Development, 98, 102742. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2023.102742
  45. Wang, X., & Zhao, Y. (2023). Response and adaptation of farmers' livelihood transformation under the background of rural transformation: Evidence from the Qinling Mountains, China. Land, 12(8), 1546. https://doi.org/10.3390/land12081546
  46. Wang, Y., & Zhao, X. (2023). Instructional challenges and adaptive strategies in multigrade classrooms.
  47. Watt, H. M. G., & Richardson, P. W. (2017). Teacher motivation and persistence: What professional commitment means for teachers today. Teaching and Teacher Education, 65, 91–99.
  48. Yarrow, A., Ballantyne, R., Hansford, B., Herschell, P., & Millwater, J. (1999). Teaching in rural and remote schools: A face of self-exposure and professional challenge. Australian and International Journal of Rural Education, 9(1), 1–12.
  49. Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications: Design and methods (6th ed.). SAGE Publications.

This study explored the lived experiences of teachers at Mahayahay Integrated School, a remote area in Conception, Valencia City, Bukidnon. Using a qualitative case study, data were collected through in-depth interviews with five purposely selected grade school teachers. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the data and identify emerging themes. Findings revealed that teachers face significant environmental and instructional challenges, including difficult terrain, long travel distances, limited resources, and the complexity of managing multigrade classrooms. Despite these constraints, teachers maintain structured daily routines and demonstrate strong adaptability in their teaching practices. The study further found that these experiences do not diminish motivation; instead, they strengthen teachers’ commitment to the profession. Teachers develop resilience, flexibility, and patience while employing coping strategies such as time management, advance planning, and collaboration. Moreover, teachers attach meaningful interpretations to their experiences, viewing teaching as a fulfilling and purposeful vocation. Their experiences contribute to continuous professional growth, enhanced teaching competence, and a deeper sense of responsibility toward learners. The findings highlight that while teaching in remote contexts is physically and cognitively demanding, it also fosters resilience and strengthens professional identity. The study concludes that teachers' lived experiences are shaped by the interaction of environmental challenges and instructional demands, which ultimately promote both personal and professional development. These insights underscore the need for strengthened institutional support, targeted training, and improved resources to sustain teacher well-being and effectiveness in remote educational area.

Keywords : Lived Experiences, Teachers in Remote Areas, Motivation to Teach, Professional Demands.

Paper Submission Last Date
31 - July - 2026

SUBMIT YOUR PAPER CALL FOR PAPERS
Video Explanation for Published paper

Never miss an update from Papermashup

Get notified about the latest tutorials and downloads.

Subscribe by Email

Get alerts directly into your inbox after each post and stay updated.
Subscribe
OR

Subscribe by RSS

Add our RSS to your feedreader to get regular updates from us.
Subscribe