Home⇛Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal⇛vol. 43 no. 6 (2025)

Experiences of Volunteer Teachers in Siargao Island: Challenges, Adaptations and Aspirations

Karren Mie Caindoy | Alicia Maghuyop

Discipline: Education

 

Abstract:

This research aimed to explore the lived experiences of volunteer teachers currently serving in San Benito National High School-Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte. One (1) male volunteer teacher and two (2) female volunteer teachers who have five (5) years of experience, were taken as informants through a focus group discussion and a recorded one on one interview. The researcher made a Grand Tour Question as an instrument for the informants to answer regarding the said study, and Colaizzi’s (1978) strategy for phenomenological data analysis was used to analyze the gathered data. In the analysis of qualitative data, significant statements were identified. Meanings were then formulated to start merging the formulated meanings into clusters of themes. seventeen (17) theme clusters emerged from the formulated meanings and six (6) themes that emerged after grouping the theme clusters. The six (6) themes that emerged from the theme clusters were: Resource Limitations, Emotional and Physical Demands, Cultural and Geographic Barriers, Adaptation to Challenges, Strategies to Manage Obstacles and Aspirations for Growth. Findings revealed that Challenges were multifaceted and deeply rooted in systemic gaps. Informants experienced resource challenges such as lack of salary, insufficient teaching materials, and personal financial strain but developed coping mechanisms such as prayer, self-discipline, and perseverance. Volunteer teachers relied on trial-and-error learning, peer support, and intrinsic motivation to remain resilient amidst hardship. Their ability to adapt not only reflected personal strength but also their deep commitment to their role as educators in underserved areas. Additionally, the study also highlighted the volunteer teachers’ strong Aspirations for personal and professional growth. all informants were driven by the hope of completing graduate studies and attaining permanent position within the confines of the Department of Education. Conclusion drawn resonated that volunteer teachers have an important but often overlooked role in the educational system. They still work under difficult conditions that need urgent reforms and better support. Recommendations include filling resource gaps, improving teacher well-being with financial and emotional support, providing trainings, and creating clear paths for career advancement.



References:

  1. Afreen, A., & Norton, B. (2024). Emotion labor, investment, and volunteer teachers in heritage language education. The Modern Language Journal, 108(S1), 75-100.
  2. Akhtar, H. (2017). Psychological well-being of volunteer teacher trainers in the remote area in Indonesia. IJASOS - International E-journal of Advances in Social Sciences. https://doi.org/10.18769/IJASOS.366855
  3. Avendano, L., Renteria, J., Kwon, S., & Hamdan, K. (2019). Bringing equity to underserved communities through STEM education: Implications for leadership development. Journal of Educational Administration and History, 51(1), 66-82.
  4. Billena, P. J. E., & Paylangco, C. L. B. (2022). The Story of Volunteerism Among Tulunan Mobile Library Volunteer Teachers. International Journal of Education, Learning and Development, 10(5), 1-16.
  5. Burger, E. (2024, November 27). 17 Effective Volunteer Recruitment Strategies. VolunteerHub. https://volunteerhub.com/blog/17-easy-to-implement-volunteer-recruitment-strategies
  6. Cannanure, V., Niweteto, J. S., Adji, Y., Hermann, A. Y., Jasińska, K., Brown, T., & Ogan, A. (2020). I’m fine where I am, but I want to do more: Exploring teacher aspirations in rural Côte d’Ivoire. Proceedings of the 3rd ACM SIGCAS Conference on Computing and Sustainable Societies. https://doi.org/10.1145/3378393.3403653
  7. Chadwick, A., & Fadel, B. (2020). Volunteerism and Community Resilience: Locally Owned Solutions Delivering Impact.
  8. Child, E. A. (2020, December). The Role of Volunteers in Ensuring the Right to Education for the Most Marginalised Children.
  9. David, G. R. M., Resuello, L. R., & Gara-Ancheta, M. (2024). Understanding the impact of national learning camps: Teacher volunteers experiences, teaching methods, challenges, and student learning outcomes. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 21(1), 2182-2195.
  10. Davis, E., Petish, D., & Smithey, J. (2006). Challenges new science teachers face. Review of Educational Research, 76(4), 607-651. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543076004607
  11. Deed, C., Blake, D., Henriksen, J., Mooney, A., Prain, V., Tytler, R., Zitzlaff, T., Edwards, M., Emery, S., Muir, T., Swabey, K., Thomas, D. P., Farrelly, C., Lovejoy, V., Meyers, N., & Fingland, D. (2020). Teacher adaptation to flexible learning environments. Learning Environments Research, 23, 259–278. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-019-09302-0
  12. Deutchman, A. (1966). Volunteers in the field: Teaching. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 365(1), 111–122. https://doi.org/10.1177/000271626636500109
  13. Education and Employers. (2021, October 11). The value of volunteering - education and employers. https://www.educationandemployers.org/research/the-value-of-volunteering/
  14. Jamal, M. B., Sarifin, M. R., & Hamzah, I. S. (2025). Knowledge, attitude, and practice towards volunteerism: a perspective from Sultan Idris Education University. Journal of Education and Learning (EduLearn), 19(2), 978-987.
  15. Karakış, Ö. (2021). Relationship between professional engagement, career development aspirations and motivation towards the teaching profession of prospective teachers. Participatory Educational Research, 8(2), 308-329.
  16. Leon, M. B., Mokamad, R. F., Almirante, J. F., Mandado, A. Y., Barcenal, S. E., Salvadico, J. L., ... & Salendab, F. (2023). Sacrifice and Satisfaction: Exploring the quality of life of public secondary school volunteer teachers in remote areas. International Journal of Multidisciplinary: Applied Business and Education Research, 4(9), 3188-3196.
  17. Liddy, M. (2021). Teachers as change-makers: International volunteering as enabling or hindering their capacity to teach global development. University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing, 3(2021), 31.
  18. Maher, D. (2020). The professional learning of refugee volunteer teachers in Indonesian refugee learning centres. Teaching and Teacher Education, 93, 103095.
  19. Mindzak, M. (2020). The Teacher-Volunteer in Ontario. Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy, 194, 2-15.
  20. Oribello, R. D. (2023). Lived Experiences of Volunteer Teachers in E-“ Tulay” Program. Online Submission.
  21. Paciente, K. (2022). DepEd says ‘no one will be left behind as classes start. PTV News. Manila, Philippines; [retrieved January 06, 2025], from: https://ptvnews.ph/deped-says-no-one-will-be-left-behind-as-classesstart/.
  22. Paredes, V. S., & Buenaventura, V. P. (2024). Employability skills and career competencies as predictors of work engagement among technical-vocational teachers. European Journal of Education Studies, 11(3).
  23. Robinson, D., & Rennie, S. (2014). Volunteer teachers: Testing the professionalisation agenda in the lifelong learning sector. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 38(4), 451–469. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2012.726969
  24. Santillan, N. M. (2011). Empowering the youth through voluntarism: University of the Philippines graduates as volunteer teachers (1998-2003). Social Science Diliman, 7(2).
  25. Soong, H. (2013). Why volunteer? The complexities of international pre-service teachers’ intercultural adjustment experiences through community service engagement. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 41(1), 79-93. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359866X.2012.753986
  26. Tarricone, P., Mestan, K., & Teo, I. (2021). Building resilient education systems: A rapid review of the education in emergencies literature.
  27. Xia, Q., & Han, X. (2019). Research on the Present Situation and Countermeasures of Teaching Quality of International Volunteer Tourism Project in Mabul Island. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 7(11), 254-264.
  28. Zhang, X. (2021). Understanding teachers’ emotional trajectory: The voice of a volunteer teacher in an educationally and economically underdeveloped context. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 49(2), 203-215.

Tools


Copyright © 2025  KITE Digital Educational Solutions |  Exclusively distributed by CE-Logic