Teacher Agency in Science Instruction: Narratives from Underserved Indigenous Communities in Elementary School of Malita South District

Abstract

This study explored how elementary science teachers exercised agency in delivering instruction within underserved indigenous communities in the Malita South District, Davao Occidental. Guided by Emirbayer and Mische’s (1998) temporal theory of agency and Vygotsky’s (1978) social constructivism, the research employed a qualitative narrative inquiry design. Ten teachers handling Grades 4 to 6 Science were purposively selected as participants. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic narrative analysis to capture the teachers’ lived experiences and professional decision-making. Findings revealed that teacher agency was manifested through four interconnected themes: (1) teaching science amid resource constraints, (2) improvisation and contextualization as acts of agency, (3) cultural responsiveness and indigenous integration, and (4) resilience, motivation, and professional identity. Despite limited resources, participants continuously adapted their pedagogy, utilized locally available materials, and integrated indigenous knowledge to sustain student engagement. Their narratives highlighted how agency empowered them to transform challenges into meaningful learning opportunities grounded in cultural relevance and community values. The study underscores that quality science education in indigenous contexts depends not only on access to facilities or technology but on the creative and moral agency of teachers. These insights inform teacher education, DepEd’s Indigenous Peoples Education (IPEd) implementation, and policy development for equitable, context-sensitive science instruction.