LIVED EXPERIENCES OF TEACHERS HANDLING

SUBJECTS NOT THEIR AREA OF

SPECIALIZATION

A Thesis
Presented to
Faculty of the Graduate Studies
Metro Manila College

In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Arts in EDUCATION

By
Amancio, Dionalyn
December 2019
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APPROVAL SHEET

This thesis entitled LIVED EXPERIENCES OF STUDENTS

WHOSE FAMILIES ARE PANTAWID PAMILYANG PILIPINO
PROGRAM BENIFICIARIES” prepared and submitted by DAN
LHERY S. GREGORIOUS, has been approved and accepted in
partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree, Master of Arts
in Education.
Aurora Mapile, Ph.D
Adviser

_____________________________________________

PANEL OF EXAMINERS

Approved and accepted by the committee on oral examination with a

grade of _______________ on ________________________.

Ma. Rachelle V. Delos Reyes, Ph.D

CHAIRMAN

Dana B. Tebia, Ed. D

Dean, Graduate Studies

Maria Theresa Asuncion, Ed.D

Member

Cresencia A. Mapalad, Ph.D

Member
 iii

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
 iv

DEDICATION
 v

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page ......................................................................... i

Approval Sheet.................................................................. ii

Acknowledgment............................................................... iii

Dedication.....................................................................… viii

Table of Contents.............................................................. ix

Abstract............................................................................ xiii

Chapter

1 INTRODUCTION

Statement of the Problem...................................

Significance of the Study.....................................

Scope and Delimitation of the Study....................

Definition of Terms...........................................

Review of related literature and studies ……………..

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Literature...............................................

Studies...................................................

2 METHODS

Research Design......................................... 27

Selection of Co Researchers........................ 29

Research Instrument............................... 31

Treatment of Data............................…… 32

3 RESULTS

Presentation of Co-Researchers………………………….

Presentation of Lived Experiences ………………………

Researcher’s Experiences.....................………………

Researcher’s Reflection.......................………………..
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4 DISCUSSION

Summary of Findings...........................………… 141

Symbolic Representation………………………… 144

Implications....................................……………… 147

Recommendation…………………………………………… 150

REFERENCES…............................................................ 152

APPENDICES............................................................…… 157

CURRICULUM VITAE...................................................... 162

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ABSTRACT
LIVED EXPERIENCES OF TEACHERS HANDLING
SUBJECTS NOT THEIR AREA OF
SPECIALIZATION

By: DIONALYN B. AMANCIO

MASTER OF ARTS IN EDUCATION
ADMINISTRATION AND SUPERVISION

This phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of

teachers who handles subjects that was not their area of specialization. It occurs
due to the insufficient number of teachers in a certain field and an influx to another
field. This study is composed of ten (10) public school teachers who have at least
one to three years in the service and teach subjects whom they have little
expertise. The data gathered through individual interview of each participant. The
themes emerged in this study are the following; Now or never, Emotional Roller
Coaster, Insufficient Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Doubting Thomas(ites),
faculty Support and Answering the Call. The researcher recommends that the
DepEd should coordinate with CHEd and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) near
their division to discussed the problem of overflowing number of teachers in a
certain field and lack on the another.

Keyword : Phenomenology, area of specialization, pedagogical content

knowledge, DepEd, CHEd, HEIs

INTRODUCTION

Teaching is a challenging yet fulfilling profession. The teacher is a planner, a

facilitator, a manager, and an evaluator, not to say the paper works he needs to

prepare and submit. A teacher is the captain of the classroom. He/she could drive

the discussion to be interactive or be a boring one. Expertise in teaching requires

huge effort and time. The Bachelor of Secondary Education is designed to meet
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the needs of professional teachers who can teach in one of the different learning

areas in secondary education like Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Biological

Sciences, English, Filipino, Social Sciences, among others. With these, teachers are

supposed to teach in their line of expertise/specialization but due to the needs of

educational institutions, some of their teachers teach in their non-area of

specialization. This is due to the notion that as teachers they could teach

everything.

For most teachers, a room full of bright students is where the dreams are made

of. The role of the teachers are just mere facilitators. However, if the teacher

teaches a course that is outside their area of expertise, then it could be a

nightmare.

A key factor in teaching is the mastery of the subject matter. If it is lacking,

educators cannot teach with competence. They may also be unable to develop the

curriculum, which underpins the subject and influences the quality of outcomes

reached according to Outcomes-based Education (OBE). It is where the challenges

occur to a teacher wherein he or she could not guide their students because of

the mismatch of specialization.

Hence, the researcher came up with the study, LIVED EXPERIENCES OF

TEACHERS HANDLING SUBJECTS NOT THEIR AREA OF SPECIALIZATION

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to explore and describe the challenges, experiences of teachers who handle

subjects that are not their field of specialization in order to gain insights that could

enhance policies for the school administrators for the improvement of instruction

in schools.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This study aims to explore and describe the lived experience of teachers handling

subjects not their area of specialization.

Explicitly, it looked for answers to the following questions;

1. What are the lived experiences of teachers in handling subjects not their area

of Specialization?

2. What insights may be drawn from their lived experiences?

3. What implications may be drawn from the insights?

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The findings of the study will be beneficial to the following persons and sectors

of society;

Out-of-Field-Teachers to shed light on the experience they encounter and

minimize the anxiety and stress towards teaching their non-specialized subjects
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School Administrators that they may give support to these out-of the field

teachers.

DepEd as this study may shed light that teaching non-specialized subject has an

impact on the motivation and achievements of both teachers and learners and find

ways to create better policies.

Teachers that they may be aware of the challenges of these teachers experience

and may find ways to help them. Further that this may also help the aspiring

educators to foresight the lived experiences of out-of-the-field teachers. That this

will give them better understanding of this reality in the field of education.

Future Researchers that this study may give necessary data and serve as a

guide on the effects of out-of-field teaching to the well-being of teachers.

SCOPE AND DELIMITATION

This study is delimited to the experiences of secondary teachers handling

subjects Not their Area of Specialization. It is confined to the results of the in-

depth interviews of out-of-field teachers. The information of this research was

restricted uniquely to the reactions and encounters of the co-researchers. This

research directed among ten (10) teachers handling subjects not their area of

specialization in a specific school in Novaliches during the Academic Year 2019-

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2020.

RESEARCH DESIGN

The phenomenological approach was used for this study. Phenomenology is an

approach to qualitative research that focuses on the commonality of a lived

experience within a particular group. The fundamental goal of the approach is to

arrive at a description of the nature of the particular phenomenon (Creswell,

2013). Phenomenological investigation portrays a lived involvement of

phenomena. As this is a subjective examination of account information, strategies,

to investigate its information is not the same as an increasingly conventional or

quantitative strategy for research. (Waters, 2016)

SELECTION OF CO-RESEARCHERS

The co-researchers were selected through Purposive Sampling, which is

considered by Patton (2015) as the rationale and influence of intentional

examining lie in choosing data-rich cases for inside and out the investigation. The

co-researchers were the ten (10) public school teachers who where assigned to

handle subjects that was not their specialization. Data-rich cases are those from

which one can get familiar with a lot about issues of focal significance to the

motivation behind the request. Examining data-rich cases yields bits of knowledge

and inside and out comprehension. He further indicates that, as per his utilization
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of the term, intentional inspecting applies explicitly to subjective research. This

includes recognizing and choosing people or gatherings of people that are

particularly proficient about or experienced with a wonder of intrigue

Notwithstanding learning and experience, the researcher noted the significance of

accessibility and eagerness of the participants to take part, and the capacity to

convey encounters and suppositions in an eloquent, expressive, and intelligent

way. This strategy is helpful for the researcher since the need to think about "a

little subset of a bigger populace wherein numerous individuals from the subset

are effectively distinguished.

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

Based from the experiences narrated and after thorough analysis of the

data I hereby present the summary of my findings.

Teachers who teach their non- area of specialization occurs since the

teachers who were able to meet the standard points for RQA do not want to

wait for another chance to be called. Due to the long process of applying in

the public school they wanted to be hired as soon as they are called by the

principal. However due to the influx of some specialized teachers they were

force to teach even though that was not their specialization.

Mixed emotions. This was what my co-researchers feel when they accept
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the opportunity to teach a subject outside their expertise. The phenomena

happen because of the different thoughts run into their mind as they thinking

of what to do at this point of their teaching careers.

Insufficient Pedagogical Content Knowledge was also observed in their lived

experiences. This is very evident since they do not have certain mastery of the

subject matter they need to teach. Moreover, the skills and competencies were

also different on what their four years of pre-service teaching should supposed

to be.

At certain point of their fate in the public school the teachers lose their

confidence and begin to doubt their ability and capability as teachers.

Faculty support and peer teaching is an excellent tool to provide support to

the teachers who were teaching subjects they were not mastered. The season

teachers where able to help their neophyte teachers as they need the

experience coming from those teachers since they do not have that content

knowledge and pedagogical knowledge it that field.

The call of duty, teachers where able to cope up, improved , upgraded and

equipped themselves with proper personal and rofessional skills which is

needed in the fioeld of teaching.

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SYMBOLIC REPRESENTATION

IMPLICATIONS

Based on the summary of findings, the following implications are

drawn.

The phenomena of teaching outside the specialization is somehow

overlooked by the proper authorities. This phenomenon will be more likely to

happen since there were shortage of teachers on certain subjects and have an

influx of teachers on another specialized subject. That leaves no choice for other

teacher to teach a certain subject even though these are not their expertise.

Teachers who experience these phenomena would affect their emotional and

psychological side. Since those teachers accepts the position to teach because of

they do not want to wait for another year. Hence these teachers are not prepared
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mentally and emotionally.

Lack of mastery of the subject matter and lack of teaching strategies would greatly

affect the student’s performance. Teachers who used to teach for their

specialization have encountered difficulties to thionk for strategy availalble for their

lesson. This must be much evident for the newbie teachers at the same time

teaching a subject that they should not supposed. Their time is being eaten by the

large number of their preparation to read and understand their topic and have less

opportunity to prepare for the teaching strategies they need to employ. The

insufficient understanding and interest of the teachers who teach outside their

specialization gave us the larger picture of the need to consider to train and send

them to the seminars that will help them

Losing confidence is one of the challenges the teachers teaching in the subject

not their area of specialization needs to overcome. Confidence is one of the skills

a teacher should have in order to execute well their topics. On the point of losing

it, teachers will be exposed to the negative comments of the students that could

brought them down and letting go to their career.

The teamwork of the teachers will greatly help those teachers teaching outside

their expertise. The teacher who have more background to the subject could

enlighten both student ath that teacher. That teacher may get strategies and be
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able to apply it to the next class they have. Support of the faculty is inevitable for

the sake of learning from one another.

Equipping yourself with certain personal and professional skill will grealty affect

your teaching career. For us teachers we always upgrade and update our learnings.

This is the best thing we could do for our students and also for building a better

nation.

RECOMMENDATION

The following are hereby recommended based on the given implications

Out-of-Field-Teachers should upgrade, update and equipped themselves with

the proper skills and competencies by attending seminars and trainings that could

help them develop their teaching careers.

School Administrators should find ways on how to equip their teachers who

were force to teach subjects not their area of specialization due to lack of teachers

that can haldled it. That they imposed policies that may help these teachers back

to their specialization.

DepEd should coordinate with CHEd and Higher Education Institutions near their

division to discussed the problem of overflowing number of teachers in a certain

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field and lack on the another. That they may identify the need of their division.

Teachers should guide these teachers to come up in their right way and continue

to support their colleagues as they achieve a common goal.

Future Researchers conduct a research regarding the effects of Out-of-Field

teaching to the academic performance of the students.