Passion and Resilience: Experiences of Public Primary School Teachers in Handling Children with Reading Difficulties in Online Teaching

Abstract

Aim: This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of public primary school teachers in handling children with reading difficulties during online teaching. Study Design: Descriptive Phenomenology. Place and Duration of the Study: Bacolod City, Philippines, February to July 2022. Methods: Participants were identified using a purposive sampling technique. Nine (9) public primary school teachers answered the interview using an unstructured in-depth interview. The data collection was done sequentially. In analyzing the participants' transcripts, thematic analysis using the modified van Kaam approach popularized by Moustakas (1994) was utilized. Results: Analyses of the data revealed that utilizing innovative practices in the teaching-learning process helped teachers handle children with reading difficulties. Also, the aide of Parent Facilitated Learning as an ally for teaching remediated the exhaustion of teachers' workloads. Furthermore, this qualitative research generated data from the participants with three major themes, and 12 sub-themes emerged: (1) dealing with children's problems in fundamental skills; subthemes (8): poor letter identification, poor phonetic foundation, a poor blending of word pattern, poor word recognition, poor reading comprehension, low academic motivation, low academic performance, attention deficit, (2) dealing with online instructions; subthemes (2): poor internet access and problems with the schedule of classes, and (3) utilizing innovative practices to address problems on reading difficulties of children, sub-themes (2): using word and picture cues and parent-facilitated learning. Conclusion: Public primary school teachers encountered challenges and struggles handling children with reading difficulties in the new learning platform. These experiences create an opportunity to pursue their passion and commitment to teaching during the COVID-19 Pandemic. This paved the way for passionate and resilient teachers in precarious times.