Teachers’ Perspectives on Instructional Planning and Curriculum Alignment in the Philippines and Thailand: A Qualitative Comparative Study

Abstract

Background: Instructional planning is central to curriculum implementation because it connects curriculum expectations, learner needs, teaching strategies and assessment practices. Understanding teachers’ planning experiences across educational contexts can provide useful insight into how classroom instruction is shaped by institutional and cultural realities. Aims: The study examined instructional planning as a situated professional practice shaped by curriculum expectations, learner diversity, institutional resources and teacher experience Study Design: The study employed a qualitative comparative research design anchored in an interpretivist-constructivist perspective. Place and Duration of Study: Selected public and private schools in the Philippines and Thailand, from January to October 2024. Methodology: Sixteen elementary teachers from public and private schools in Thailand and the Philippines were selected through purposive, criterion-based sampling and grouped as novice, experienced and veteran teachers. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and analysed using thematic analysis. Cross-case matrices were used to compare planning practices across contexts and career stages. Results: The findings revealed that instructional planning in both countries was adaptive, learner-centred and reflective. However, foreign teachers based in Thailand emphasised lesson structure, instructional flow, student engagement, practical activities, collaboration, co-planning and mentorship. In contrast, Filipino teachers placed stronger emphasis on curriculum alignment, learning outcomes, differentiated instruction, technology integration, assessment tools and resourcefulness despite limited facilities, materials, references and time. Both groups used assessment, feedback and classroom observation to improve instruction, but their planning priorities reflected different institutional and classroom realities. Conclusion: Instructional planning is a situated professional practice shaped by curriculum demands, learner diversity, school resources, teacher experience and everyday teaching conditions. The study highlights the need to understand planning not only as a formal requirement but also as an adaptive process through which teachers respond to learners’ needs and classroom realities.