Course By Default: Lived Experiences of Beed Students

The goal of this research was to describe the lived experiences of BEEd students who enrolled in the program by default. Employing a qualitative, phenomenological approach, the study involved 8 purposively selected participants who graduated at Monkayo College of Arts, Sciences, and Technology and shared their experiences through in-depth interviews guided by the four fundamental research questions. Findings revealed that students’ enrollment in the BEEd program was influenced by peer pressure, financial constraints, parental influence, program availability, and uncertainty in career choice. Participants initially experienced emotional and motivational struggles such as low motivation, self-doubt, insecurity, and emotional exhaustion, alongside academic challenges in lesson planning, instructional material development, time management, research tasks, public speaking, and subject-related difficulties. Despite these challenges, students developed coping strategies such as seeking support from peers and family, using online resources, setting goals, accepting their situation, and maintaining positive thinking.
Over time, their experiences evolved from uncertainty and reluctance to engagement, resilience, and appreciation of the teaching profession, leading to the development of resilience, patience, adaptability, teaching competence, and professional identity. The study concludes that although many BEEd students initially enter the program by circumstance, their experiences within the program can transform their perceptions and strengthen their commitment to becoming future educators.

elementary education, BEEd students, lived experiences, coping mechanisms, academic challenges, motivation, phenomenological study

1. Abiquibel, M. (2019). Factors influencing students’ choice of teacher education programs in selected state universities in the Philippines [Undergraduate thesis, Name of University]. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Abotsi, A. K., Ankomah, Y. A., & Deku, P. (2020). Pre-service teachers’ motivation for choosing teaching as a career: Evidence from Ghana. Journal of Education and Practice, 11(2), 45–53. https://doi.org/10.xxxxxx [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Gomez, M. T., & Trinidad, R. C. (2021). Teaching practicum experiences and classroom management difficulties of pre-service teachers. Asia Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 12(3), 78–92 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Nguyen, T. T. (2020). Motivation and engagement of students who choose programs for extrinsic reasons. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 48(2), 123–138. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359866X.2019.1692417 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Tinto, V. (2017). Through the eyes of students: Revisiting the causes and cures of student attrition. University of Chicago Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Torralba, R. L., & Reyes, M. S. (2021). Social and academic integration of pre-service teachers in Philippine universities. Asian Education and Development Studies, 10(4), 532–548 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Varol, Y. Z., Weiher, G. M., Wenzel, S. F. C., & Horz, H. (2023). Practicum in teacher education: The role of psychological detachment and supervisors’ feedback and reflection in student teachers’ well-being. European Journal of Teacher Education, 47(5), 1 18. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2023.2201874 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Assessment of the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Repositioning TVET for Economic Development in Nigeria
• Teachers’ Use of Assure Model Instructional Design on Learners’ Problem Solving Efficacy in Secondary Schools in Bungoma County, Kenya
• “E-Booksan Ang Kaalaman”: Development, Validation, and Utilization of Electronic Book in Academic Performance of Grade 9 Students in Social Studies
• Analyzing EFL University Students’ Academic Speaking Skills Through Self-Recorded Video Presentation
• Major Findings of The Study on Total Quality Management in Teachers’ Education Institutions (TEIs) In Assam – An Evaluative Study