EXPERIENCES OF TEACHERS ON SCHOOL OPERATIONS EFFICIENCY

EDUCATION

This qualitative phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of elementary school teachers in managing the administrative and operational demands of the school system and how these demands influence their core teaching duties. The study addresses a critical gap by synthesizing teachers' daily operational challenges, their coping strategies, and their vision for systemic reform. Key findings revealed that teachers are consistently challenged by a demanding dual role characterized by extensive paper works, documentations, and reports, amplified by systemic issues such as limited manpower, delayed communication, and lack of clear guidelines. These structural deficiencies result in distraction from core teaching functions, intense workload pressure and stress, and a pervasive feeling guilty for not giving enough attention to students. To navigate this environment, teachers employ robust adaptive strategies, notably using time management and prioritization and relying heavily on teamwork, collaboration, and open communication with colleagues. The culmination of this experience is a comprehensive set of professional lessons and a forward-looking vision for change. Teachers envision their role as operational partners in school management, advocating for critical reforms, including having a dedicated administrative support staff, the implementation of a unified online platform, and the establishment of clear and open communication to create an efficient and supportive educational environment. The study concludes that addressing these systemic and structural issues through resource allocation and procedural simplification is paramount to protecting instructional quality and ensuring teacher well-being and professional longevity.

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