ISSN 3028-0877 | e-ISSN 3155-6043


> About
> Editorial Board
> Guidelines for Authors

> Peer Review Policy
> Volumes and Issues
> Open Access

PANTAO, an International Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences, with ISSN 3028-0877 | e-ISSN 3155-6043, is an annual journal that serves as a scholarly platform dedicated to the exploration and dissemination of research in the disciplines of humanities and social sciences.

> Licensing Terms and Conditions
>
Copyright Policy


Latest Articles

Author

Maristelle H. Corporal*
University of the Immaculate Conception, Davao City, Davao del Sur, Philippines

Abstract

This qualitative study employed phenomenology to explore and understand the lived experiences of public-school grade 7 science teachers in the implementation of the MATATAG curriculum in General Santos City Division, General Santos City, Philippines. Purposive sampling was used to identify the participants, for the in-depth interview, and for the focus group discussion. A validated interview guide was utilized to gather data in this study. The data gathered from the participants were analyzed using Colaizzi’s method of thematic analysis. From this process, essential themes emerged that reflect the lived experiences of public school Grade 7 Science teachers, including curriculum transition and adaptation, as well as instructional challenges and pedagogical shifts. The themes generated on the coping mechanism of the teachers were adaptive instructional strategies, collaborative support systems, and continuous professional learning. As regards insights shared to the academe and the community, the themes extracted were pedagogical restructuring and instructional shifts, experiencing transition and uncertainty, and innovation and improvement.

Keywords: Education, Physics, curriculum implementation, lived experiences, science teachers, phenomenology, Philippines.

*Corresponding author/ Email: mcorporal_240000000988@uic.edu.ph
DOI: http://doi.org/10.69651/PIJHSS05021016

Recommended citation:
Corporal, M. H. (2026). Lived experiences of public school Grade 7 Science teachers in the implementation of the MATATAG curriculum in General Santos City: A phenomenology. Pantao (The International Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences) 5 (2), 1819-1837. http://doi.org/10.69651/PIJHSS05021016

Read the full text

References

Adu, E. O., & Ngibe, N. C. (2020). Continuous professional development and curriculum implementation challenges in Ghana. Journal of Education and Learning.

Ahmad, M., & Wilkins, S. (2025). Purposive sampling in qualitative research: A framework for the entire journey. Quality and Quantity.

Ainscow, M. (2020). Promoting inclusion and equity in education: Lessons from international experiences. Nordic Journal of Studies in Educational Policy.

Alam, M. S., Asmawi, A., & Fatema, S. (2025). Focus group discussions for qualitative and mixed method approaches: Principles, applications, and key considerations. Integrated Journal for Research in Arts and Humanities.

Almazan, R. P., & Cruz, M. L. (2024). Challenges in implementing the MATATAG curriculum: The case of Social Studies teachers in Ilocos Norte. Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies.

Andari, A. (2025). Effect of experience-based learning on learning motivation. Journal Corner of Education, Linguistics, and Literature.

Angeles, J. S. D., & Rabago, J. K. M. (2025). Challenges of Social Studies teachers in the implementation of the MATATAG curriculum. Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies.

Avalos, B. (2021). Teacher professional development in teaching and teacher education over ten years. Teaching and Teacher Education.

Bacelonia, W. (2023). DepEd launches revised K to 10 curriculum to improve learning outcomes. Philippine News Agency.

Bagus, R. (2025). Instructional competence and adaptability skills of teachers. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science.

Balaji, Z., Pai, P. K., & Manu, P. (2021). Focus group discussion as a tool to assess patient-based outcomes. Journal of Patient Experience.

Bazar, G. M. S. (2025). Challenges and coping mechanisms of teachers in transitioning to the MATATAG curriculum. International Journal of Academic Pedagogical Research.

Bejasa, R. C. (2025). Lived experiences of public school teachers in the implementation of MATATAG curriculum. London Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Sciences.

Collie, R. J. (2021). COVID-19 and teachers stress and emotional exhaustion. AERA Open.

Cordingley, P., Higgins, S., Greany, T., et al. (2020). Developing great teaching: Lessons from international reviews. Teacher Development Trust.

Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. SAGE Publications.

Çetin, A. (2016). Challenges faced by teachers in curriculum implementation in Turkey. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research.

Datnow, A., & Park, V. (2020). Data driven leadership. Jossey-Bass.

Dela Cruz, J. M., & Ramos, K. L. (2024). Lived experiences of Araling Panlipunan teachers in MATATAG curriculum. International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation.

Dela Cruz, M. L., & Santos, P. R. (2025). Teacher readiness for enhanced K to 10 curriculum. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science.

Department of Education. (2016). Learning Action Cell as school based professional development.

Department of Education. (2023). Curriculum review and development for the MATATAG K to 10 program.

Department of Education. (2024). Policy guidelines on the implementation of the MATATAG curriculum.

Duquiatan, D. (2025). How to address classroom shortage. Philippine Daily Inquirer.

EDCOM 2 Communications. (2024). MATATAG pilot implementation assessment. Second Congressional Commission on Education.

Espinosa, A. A., et al. (2025). ICT integration in Philippine schools. Issues in Educational Research.

Flores, M. A., & Gago, M. (2020). Teacher education during COVID-19. Journal of Education for Teaching.

Florian, L. (2015). Inclusive pedagogy and educational inequalities. Scottish Educational Review.

Fullan, M. (1982). The meaning of educational change. Teachers College Press.

Fullan, M. (2015). The new meaning of educational change. Teachers College Press.

Fullan, M. (2016). The new meaning of educational change. Teachers College Press.

Fullan, M. (2020). Leading in a culture of change. Jossey-Bass.

Fullan, M. (2022). The principal: Three keys to maximizing impact.

Ginting, D., et al. (2020). Teachers strategies in classroom instruction. International Journal of Instruction.

Guest, G., Bunce, A., & Johnson, L. (2006). Data saturation in qualitative research. Field Methods.

Hachero, A. (2023). Schools identified for MATATAG testing. Philippine Institute for Development Studies.

Hargreaves, A., & O’Connor, M. T. (2020). Collaborative professionalism. Corwin.

Hernando-Malipot, M. (2024). MATATAG curriculum guidelines release. Manila Bulletin.

Hmelo-Silver, C. E. (2017). Problem based learning. Educational Psychology Review.

Jackson, A. D. (2025). School expectations and resistance. ProQuest Central.

Kara, H. (2020). Qualitative research for a diverse world. SAGE Publications.

Kim, L. E., & Asbury, K. (2020). Impact of COVID-19 on teachers. British Journal of Educational Psychology.

Kim, L. E., Leary, R., & Asbury, K. (2021). Teachers experiences during COVID-19 closures. Teaching and Teacher Education.

König, J., Jäger-Biela, D. J., & Glutsch, N. (2020). Adapting to online teaching. European Journal of Teacher Education.

Korthagen, F. (2021). Core practices in teacher education. Teaching and Teacher Education.

Leavy, P. (2017). Research design. Guilford Press.

Lopez, A. R., & Fernandez, C. D. (2024). MATATAG curriculum implementation analysis. International Journal of Educational Policy and Research.

MacIntyre, P. D., Gregersen, T., & Mercer, S. (2020). Teacher coping strategies. System.

Mabunda, P. (2023). Curriculum implementation challenges. Perspectives in Education.

Makoelle, T. M. (2019). Inclusive pedagogy challenges. International Journal of Inclusive Education.

Margot, K. C., & Kettler, T. (2019). STEM integration. International Journal of STEM Education.

Mateo, J. (2023). MATATAG implementation challenges. Manila Bulletin.

Mohamed, N., & Smith, L. (2023). Curriculum implementation during COVID-19. Curriculum Perspectives.

Morse, J. M. (2000). Determining sample size. Qualitative Health Research.

Moustakas, C. (1994). Phenomenological research methods. SAGE Publications.

Namibia National Institute for Educational Development. (2023). Curriculum reform challenges. Frontiers in Education.

Nwafor, T. U., & Ede, P. O. (2024). Funding education and quality control. ResearchGate.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2020). Education responses to COVID-19.

Pacatang, M. R., & Gallardo, R. (2025). MATATAG curriculum transition perceptions. International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology.

Padillo, G. G., Manguilimotan, R. P., Capuno, R. G., & Espina, R. C. (2021). Professional development and teacher performance. International Journal of Education and Practice.

Penuel, W. R., et al. (2021). Curriculum based professional learning. American Educational Research Journal.

Philippine Institute for Development Studies. (2023). K to 12 challenges. PIDS Policy Notes.

Philippine Institute for Development Studies. (2024). Teacher training gaps.

Pokhrel, S., & Chhetri, R. (2021). Impact of COVID-19 on education. Higher Education for the Future.

Pressley, T. (2021). Teacher burnout. Educational Researcher.

Quezada, R. L., Talbot, C., & Quezada-Parker, K. B. (2020). Remote teaching response. Journal of Education for Teaching.

Rapanta, C., et al. (2020). Online teaching during COVID-19. Postdigital Science and Education.

Reimers, F. M., & Schleicher, A. (2020). Education response framework.

Romarate, M. A., et al. (2023). Instructional materials development. Journal of Education and E-Learning Research.

Rudhumbu, N., & Elize, D. P. (2021). Curriculum implementation factors. Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education.

Sachdeva, S., et al. (2024). Focus group discussion in research. International Journal of Research and Review.

Saldaña, J. (2016). Coding manual for qualitative researchers. SAGE Publications.

Santos, L. V., & Herrera, P. J. (2024). Resource gaps in MATATAG. Journal of Educational Development Research.

Schleicher, A. (2020). Impact of COVID-19 on education.

Schmidt, W. H., et al. (2021). Curriculum and deeper learning. Journal of Curriculum Studies.

Schukajlow, S., Rakoczy, K., & Pekrun, R. (2021). Emotions in learning. Learning and Instruction.

Sevillano, S. (2024). MATATAG implementation flexibility. Philippine News Agency.

Sumaylo, J. R., & Espacio, N. B. (2025). MATATAG curriculum experiences. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science.

Sutton, J., & Austin, Z. (2021). Qualitative research methods. The Canadian Journal of Hospital Pharmacy.

Tajik, O., Golzar, J., & Noor, S. (2024). Purposive sampling. International Journal of Education and Language Studies.

Tan, J. (2024). Curriculum theorists analysis. JCT Online.

Timperley, H., Wilson, A., Barrar, H., & Fung, I. (2020). Teacher development synthesis.

Toquero, C. M. (2021). Emergency remote teaching. Asian Journal of Distance Education.

Trust, T., & Whalen, J. (2020). Emergency remote teaching. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education.

Trust, T., Carpenter, J. P., & Krutka, D. G. (2021). Teachers professional learning. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. (2021). Reimagining our futures together.

UNESCO Institute for Statistics. (2025). Education expenditure.

Untalan, S. (2025). Teacher hiring updates. GMA Integrated News.

van der Spoel, I., et al. (2020). Teachers online teaching experiences. European Journal of Teacher Education.

van Manen, M., & van Manen, M. (2021). Phenomenological research writing. Qualitative Health Research.

Villano-Ac, A. R. (2024). Non specialized teachers. International Journal of Advanced Multidisciplinary Studies.

Villanueva, K. R., & Domingo, S. P. (2024). Teacher preparedness in MATATAG. Philippine Journal of Curriculum and Instruction.

Wabingga, R. J., & Tomakin, J. L. (2024). MATATAG implementation resilience. Journal of Interdisciplinary Perspectives.

Wang, Y. (2014). Curriculum reform in China. Educational Research and Reviews.

Widodo, H. P. (2017). Curriculum implementation in Indonesia. International Journal of Instruction.

Williams, H. (2021). Meaning of phenomenology. The Qualitative Report.

Zama, Z. (2024). Early childhood curriculum implementation. South African Journal

Published in

Discover more from Pantao (The International Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences)

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading