Exploring the Lived Experiences of Female Teachers in the Face of COVID-19 Pandemic : The Case of Binangonan, Rizal Public Schools

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has altered people’s lives all over the world. To adapt to the changing times, different sectors, including the education sector shifted to new learning modalities to compensate for the need to provide education to the learners. The study aims to answer, “How COVID-19 exacerbates the limited capabilities of public school teachers and their deteriorating workspace conditions” using Amartya Sen’s “Human Capabilities Approach” as a framework. The framework lies in the assumption that the capacity of an individual to execute duties depends on the level of its freedom. Such a level of freedom is then measured by one’s relative environment. A qualitative research design is utilized and employed a semi-structured interview to gain in-depth information from the participants. Two respondents from each grade level were interviewed, as the level of attention provided differs when catering to different grade levels, to observe how these factors contribute to their lived experience. The research confirmed (1) the existing conditions of the education system which include the discussion on workload, personnel and equipment, pedagogy, and intersectionality of education and relevant institutions. The research found out the (2) character of the “shift” amidst COVID-19 to a new mode of learning and how it affects the teachers. And the research integrated (3) the existing and shifting circumstances involving the teachers, learners, and stakeholders.