Challenges Encountered by Teachers Towards Professional Growth and Development in Public Secondary Schools of Albay
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65339/ijsair.V2.I2.292Keywords:
21st Century Literacy, Descriptive-Correlational Design, Professional Growth and Development, Support System, Time ManagementAbstract
This study investigated the challenges encountered by public secondary school teachers in Albay in relation to their professional growth and development, particularly in pursuing graduate studies. Anchored on Maslow’s Theory of Human Motivation, Knowles’ Theory of Andragogy, and Expectancy-Value Theory, the research examined how professional profiles relate to barriers in academic advancement. A descriptive-correlational design was employed, utilizing a researcher-made Likert-scale questionnaire administered to 614 teachers across three congressional districts. Statistical tools included frequency, weighted mean, and Spearman’s rank-order correlation. Findings revealed that most respondents were mid-career teachers with ongoing master’s units, indicating a “completion plateau” in higher education. Among the identified challenges, time management emerged as the most critical barrier, followed by financial constraints and 21st-century literacy demands. Support systems were perceived as moderately challenging but varied by locality. Correlation analysis showed no significant relationship between teachers’ profiles and the challenges encountered, suggesting that these barriers are systemic and universal rather than dependent on individual characteristics. The study concludes that teachers demonstrate strong motivation for professional advancement; however, structural constraints—particularly “time poverty,” financial burdens, and institutional limitations—impede their progress. To address these issues, the study proposed the Scaffolded Teacher Time Optimization Framework (ST-TOF), which integrates academic milestones into coursework and institutionalizes time-protection strategies to facilitate degree completion. This study supports Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education) by highlighting the need to strengthen teacher development systems and ensure equitable access to lifelong learning opportunities. It also aligns with SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) by addressing structural barriers that affect teachers’ career progression. The sustainability impact of the study lies in its contribution to improving institutional support mechanisms, enhancing teacher capacity, and promoting a more equitable and efficient professional development system that ultimately benefits educational quality and community development.
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