NAVIGATING THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF TEACHERS IN REMOTE SCHOOLS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CATCH-UP FRIDAY: A QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Education

The primary goal of the study was to navigate the lived experiences of teachers in remote schools in the implementation of Catch-Up Friday in North District, Bayugan City Division. The qualitative inquiry of ten purposively selected participants using an in-depth interview unfolded their challenges, coping mechanism, insights, and experiences. The structured themes and the emerging therein were made as bases in broadening the discussion of the findings of the study. As each theme was linked to related literature and studies, substantial discussion was made in order to find their alignment with the theme. The findings revealed that while Catch-Up Friday is seen as a valuable program in addressing learning gaps, especially in literacy and numeracy, its impact is closely tied to the availability of materials, teacher training, administrative support, and consistent planning. Moreover, teachers reported both positive and negative outcomes. On one hand, teachers observed improvements in student participation, comprehension, and skill development. On the other, they encountered difficulties such as limited resources, lack of time, and minimal technical guidance. Their coping strategies ranging from collaboration and resourcefulness to strategic planning, demonstrated professional resilience and commitment. The study also uncovered that support from school heads and peers played a critical role in sustaining the program’s momentum. The teachers’ voices captured in this study reinforce the need for grounded and inclusive educational reforms that are responsive to on-the-ground realities.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.