From Stress to Success: Exploring Teacher-Advisers’ Workload Challenges Every End of the School Year

From Stress to Success: Exploring Teacher-Advisers’ Workload Challenges Every End of the School Year

Charissa P. Lague

Central Mindanao University Graduate School University Town, Musuan, Maramag, Bukidnon

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.905000211

Received: 24 April 2025; Accepted: 08 May 2025; Published: 06 June 2025

INTRODUCTION

Here in the Philippines, teachers have varied tasks, including lesson planning, assessing student learning, classroom management and even collaborating with the parents and colleagues, all while fostering a positive and engaging environment.

Teaching, which is often regarded as a noble profession, is not without sacrifices and time is among these sacrifices. Global data supports that teachers tend to work beyond the official working hours, more than any other professionals in the world (Ancho, I. V., & Bongco, R. T. , 2019). Similarly, group of teachers in the Philippines claim that the teachers workload is compromising the professionals’ wellbeing. The chronically overworked state of public-school teachers in the Philippines is well-known (Esguerra 2018).

These workload pressures can lead to emotional exhaustion, reduced teaching effectiveness, and diminished job satisfaction. This study explores the teacher-advisers idea about their workload, the challenges they encountered every EOSY, how they cope with these challenges and what are their recommendations to other teachers to minimize these challenges.

Public school teachers in the Philippines are facing an especially difficult time as the school year comes to an end, with their responsibilities becoming increasingly heavy. Some of the End-of-School Year tasks of the teachers are Grading and Assessment, updating students records and reports ensuring all necessary documentation is complete and the other administrative tasks.

In the Philippines, teacher-advisers have a variety of duties at the end of the school year (EOSY) that are all intended to improve student growth and guarantee efficient teaching methods. These assignments are essential for creating a positive learning atmosphere and getting students ready for new challenges. Teacher-advisers at EOSY evaluate student performance and offer helpful criticism, which is essential for students’ introspection and development (Grites, 1981).

The workload of public-school teachers is not only limited to teaching but also to other nonteaching tasks. Given this workload, actual teaching is increasingly being sidelined by the multitude of other responsibilities and roles that teachers play. Following the tragic suicide of two public school teachers in 2018, the Department of Education (DepED) has vowed to reduce teachers’ workload, details of which have remained unclear (Mateo 2018).

The purpose of this study is to explore the workload challenges faced by teacher-advisers at the end of the school year, with a focus on identifying the key stressors, coping mechanisms, and potential strategies for support. By examining their experiences, the study aims to provide insights that can inform policy and administrative practices to help reduce burnout and improve overall teacher well-being and job satisfaction during this critical period.

Statement of the Problem

Primarily, this study aims to understand the teacher-advisers workload and challenges every end of the school year. Particularly, this sought to answer the following questions:

1. What are your thoughts on the workload as teacher-adviser at the end of the school year?
2. What are the challenges you have encountered as teacher-advisers every EOSY?
3. How do you cope up with these challenges?
4. What are your recommendations to other teachers to minimize these challenges?

Objectives of the Study

1. To examine the perceptions of teacher-advisers regarding their workload at the end of the school year.
2. To identify the specific challenges faced by teacher-advisers during the end-of-school-year period.
3. To explore the coping strategies employed by teacher-advisers in managing these workload-related challenges.
4. To gather recommendations from teacher-advisers on how to minimize or manage end-of-school-year workload challenges.

Significance of the Study

This study matters because it gives voice to the real experiences of teacher-advisers during one of the most demanding times of the school year—the end. While students and parents may celebrate year-end milestones, teacher-advisers are often behind the scenes juggling paperwork, reports, clearances, grades, and countless responsibilities that can take a toll on their health and well-being.

By understanding the challenges they face and how they manage to push through, this research hopes to shine a light on their dedication and the weight they carry. It also aims to help school leaders and decision-makers see what kind of support truly makes a difference. More than just identifying problems, this study hopes to be part of a solution—offering recommendations that can make the end-of-year workload more manageable for current and future educators.

Ultimately, this research is about recognizing the heart, effort, and resilience of teacher-advisers, and finding ways to make sure they are cared for just as much as they care for their students.

Scope and Limitation of the Study

This study focuses on exploring the workload challenges experienced by teacher-advisers specifically at the end of the school year (EOSY). It aims to understand their perceptions, identify the common difficulties they encounter, examine their coping strategies, and gather practical recommendations for easing these burdens. The research will primarily involve grade 7, teacher-advisers from Malaybalay City National Science High School ensuring that the findings reflect their unique context and experiences.

However, this study is limited to the perspectives of teacher-advisers and does not include input from other stakeholders such as school administrators, students, or parents. As a qualitative research, the findings may not be generalizable to all educational settings or regions. Additionally, since the study is focused on end-of-school-year experiences, it does not cover workload issues that occur during other times of the academic year.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Design

This study employed a qualitative research approach where in the researcher uses an interview through google forms to explore teacher-advisers thoughts about their workload every end of the school year, their challenges encountered and how they cope up with this challenges.

Data Collection

A structure interview through google forms were conducted to various teacher-advisers of Malaybalay City National Science High School. This interview explored their idea about their workload, the challenges they encountered, their coping mechanism with these challenges and even their recommendation to other teachers to minimize these challenges. Their answers were then recorded to ensure comprehensive understanding regarding the topic.

Participants and Sampling Method

In this research, the researcher uses convenience sampling, where in, the chosen participants are all grade 7 teacher-advisers of Malaybalay City National Science High School. Participants are easily accessible and willing to participate in the study. This study utilizes purposive sampling, to select participants who are most relevant to the research topic.

The selection will be based on the participants’ direct involvement in year-end tasks. This method ensures that respondents can provide meaningful insights into the workload and the challenges and coping strategies associated with their advisory roles.

The sample size will depend on the availability and willingness of qualified teacher-advisers within the school.

Data Analysis

Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the interview data and identify patterns, themes, and categories relevant to the research objectives. The process involved coding the transcripts, organizing codes into themes, and interpreting the underlying meanings and relationships. Data analysis was conducted manually, ensuring rigor and consistency in the interpretation of findings.

Ethical Consideration

An informed consent from all participating secondary school science teachers were obtained, ensuring confidentiality of their personal information and responses, guaranteeing voluntary participation with the right to withdraw at any time, and maintaining respect and sensitivity towards participants throughout the research process. All data collected was anonymized and securely stored to protect participants’ identities, and was treated with dignity and honesty during interviews.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Ideas on workload given every end of the school year (EOSY)

Emerging Theme 1: Heavy and Exhausting Workload

Participants described their workload as heavy and exhausting, often feeling bombarded with numerous responsibilities. The constant pressure of managing paperwork, grading, and various administrative tasks created a high-pressure environment that left them feeling mentally and physically drained. The intensity of their duties contributed significantly to their overall sense of fatigue and burnout.

Many Filipino public school teachers face incredibly demanding schedules that often leave them feeling overwhelmed. On top of their core teaching duties, they juggle a variety of additional responsibilities, like administrative tasks, participation in government programs, and providing support to students in different ways. These heavy expectations create a high-stress environment, which can take a toll on their physical and mental well-being.

A study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) highlights that teachers are frequently assigned non-teaching duties, such as paperwork related to seminars, training workshops, and tasks involving student guidance, budgeting, disaster response, and health initiatives. These responsibilities can distract teachers from their primary role of effective teaching (Orbeta, Lasco, & Paqueo, 2020).

This theme is supported by the following responses from the key informants:

“ At the end of the school year, the workload for a teacher-adviser can be heavy, with tasks like grading, completing student reports, and handling administrative duties. Advising students through final assessments and events, like graduations or year-end activities, adds to the workload. It’s also a time for reflection and planning for the next school year. Balancing all these tasks can be challenging but rewarding.” Key Informant 2.

Research also indicates that this excessive workload adversely affects teachers’ well-being and performance. For instance, a study conducted in the Masinloc District, Zambales found that teachers experiencing high levels of work overload reported significant burnout, particularly regarding career satisfaction and student engagement. Despite these challenges, many still performed well due to their dedication and commitment to the profession (De Ocampo & Andres, 2023).

Additionally, a study examining public-school teachers’ motivation and stress appraisal found that amotivation—a lack of intent to act—was a significant predictor of negative beliefs and perceived stress. This lack of motivation influenced various psychological aspects of their work, further highlighting the impact of heavy workloads on mental well-being (Ballado & Sulapas, 2023).

Theme 2: Subject Load and Expertise Mismatch

Teaching multiple subjects and subjects outside of teachers’ areas of expertise were key themes in teachers’ perceptions of workload. As one respondent noted when they have been “…bombarded with 4 preparations of 4 different subjects” and “…one particular subject that deviates from my field of expertise, the Araling Panlipunan,”. This misalignment of expertise and assignment adds pressure as teachers have to spend more time acquiring content knowledge and prepping lessons for classes they may not be qualified to teach.

This expertise mismatch is particularly biting at this time of year when teachers are aligned to the increased demands of assessment, reporting and closing procedures. Now there has already been plenty of research on the phenomenon of teacher burn-out and a major contributing factor has been shown to be teaching out of area which drastically increases workload and stress levels as teachers are forced to stretch their limited background knowledge with further preparation time. This implies that intelligent teaching load assignments could ease end-of-year crunch periods, and boost teacher morale and instructional quality at the same time (IPGCE Derby. 2024).

The study by Phillippo, K.L. (2010), on advisor role enactment notes that teachers bring varying levels of “personal resources” to their roles, including background knowledge and relevant experience.  When teachers are assigned to teach subjects outside their expertise, they begin with fewer personal resources, requiring greater effort to perform effectively and potentially limiting their capacity to address other aspects of their professional responsibilities, including their advisory role.

Theme 3: Time Management Challenges

Meeting several concurrent demands was another key theme for workload perceptions for teachers. Respondents characterized the end-of-year period as a “…high-pressure” time where they manage “…grading, completing student reports and administration” and must also juggle “…advising students through final assessments and events, finishing graduations or end-of-year activities”. The duality of responsibilities adds a time management element, increasing workload perception frustration.

This theme represents the multitasking nature of the teacher-adviser role, a combination of teaching, advising, and administrative work. The condensed timeframe during the end-of-year makes these challenges more intense as multiple due dates often occur simultaneously. Research by Phillippo (2010), shows how, even as teachers, the advisor role introduces complexity to professional challenges, necessitating that teachers develop and implement schemas of support—both academic and non-academic—for their students. This complexity is especially evident at times of intense activity such as the end of the school year.

Recognizing these time management challenges, the Philippines’ DepEd Order No. 5, s. 2024, which articulates the “Rationalization of Teachers’ Workload in Public Schools,” lays down the mandate of an 8-hour workday with 6 hours for actual teaching in the classroom and two hours for ancillary tasks. However, given the responses from teachers, this didn’t seem an easy boundary to maintain towards the end of the academic year, when task volume sometimes exceeds available time, leading to spill over into personal time and contributing to perceptions of work-life imbalance.

Theme 4: Emotional and Psychological Impact

The emotional toll of end-of-year responsibilities was evident in respondents’ language, revealing the psychological dimension of workload perceptions. Descriptors like “…exhausted” and references to “…high-pressure” indicate the mental and emotional strain experienced during this period. One respondent noted that “…balancing all these tasks can be challenging but rewarding,” suggesting that despite the difficulties, there are positive aspects to the role that sustain teacher motivation.

This theme aligns with research on teacher burnout, which identifies emotional exhaustion as a primary component of professional burnout syndrome (IPGCE Derby. 2024). The combination of high demands, time pressure, and the emotional labor involved in supporting students through transitions and assessments creates conditions conducive to emotional depletion. However, some teachers’ acknowledgment of rewarding aspects suggests that finding meaning in their work may serve as a protective factor against burnout.

Phillippo’s study notes that advisors with “lower levels of personal resources, and less developed role schemas, tended to struggle more with the role,” suggesting that individual differences in professional preparation and role conceptualization influence how teachers experience and respond to the emotional demands of their work. This indicates that professional development targeting both practical skills and conceptual understanding of the teacher-adviser role could potentially mitigate the emotional impact of end-of-year responsibilities.

Challenges Encountered by Teacher-Advisers at EOSY

Theme 1: Administrative Overload

The preponderance of administrative work surfaced as a major pain point for teacher-advisers at the end of the school year, with specific references to how “…too many school forms” need to be submitted and “…At the end of the school year, the workload for a teacher-adviser can be heavy, with tasks like grading, completing student reports, and handling administrative duties. Advising students through final assessments and events, like graduations or year-end activities, adds to the workload”.  This has been associated with the paradox of commercialisation of teaching, whereby teachers are increasingly required to meet the administrative requirements of their schools at a time when they should ideally be focusing on transitioning their learners from their 12th year of schooling to adulthood, thus increasing the role conflict perceived by teachers themselves.

This is relevant to recently implemented policy changes in the Philippines (e.g. To DepEd Order No. 2, s. 2024) which aims to free teachers of administrative tasks so they can “focus on teaching and learning inside the classroom.” This theme suggests that implementation may be incomplete or that the end-of-year period imposes distinct administrative burdens not adequately addressed by current reforms.

A similar administrative overload experienced by teachers mirrors broader trends in educational management toward greater accountability and documentation. International research on teacher workload consistently finds that administrative work contributes greatly to both job dissatisfaction and decisions to leave the profession. Certain the particular intensity of administrative demands of the end of another school year of the compounded effects, which may be contributing to teacher exit and burnout.

Theme 2: Student Performance Concerns

Teachers reported challenges around monitoring and responding to student academic performance during the end-of-year period, specifically citing “…low grades of the students” to managing “…one particular learners habitual absences”. These issues mirror the two-fold role of teacher-advisers: to teach and to aid the academic progress of students as well as to address concerns regarding performance that affect promotion and/or graduation.

These worries come at the end of the year, which puts additional stress, as the chances of doing something are limited as the end of the academic year approaches. Teachers face difficult decisions about whether to promote or retain or remediate individual students with consequences that can have a profound impact on students’ academic trajectories. The Potential of Advisors to Become Essential to the Higher Ed Student Experience. Phillippo states that “academic advisors play an important role in helping students navigate their college experience and become successful.”Phillippo finds her study interesting in that these social-emotional supportive behaviors are not limited to academic advisors; for example, Phillippo points out in her research, that “Teachers in an advisory role must build these schemas so that they embody providing social-emotional support before, during, and after their instructional time, and their instructional time itself, making the advisors role more complex than shuttling between academic and non-academic support.”

This theme emphasizes the interdependence between administrative responsibilities and student support functions as teachers document their interventions, contact parents, and compile reports about student performance concerns. These demands come together in a really tricky context for providing effective support for students at the end of the school year.

Theme 3: Role Complexity

Coming in at number one for challenges was the multilayered nature of the teacher-adviser role, with respondents describing issues such as “…trying to balance grading, reports and supporting students” with “…coordinating the events of the end of the year” and attending to student needs. This complexity mirrors the many expectations placed on teacher-advisers who are expected to enact bracketed instructional, administrative, and student support functions.

Phillippo’s study considers this complexity directly, writing that “advisors were found to possess identifiable characteristics that impacted the way they enacted their roles” and that the demands of the role interacted with individual teacher capacities in ways that amplified and mitigated challenges. The study also notes “teacher education, through either preservice or professional development contexts, subsidized the personal resources and schemas, or guiding principles, that teachers drew upon when enacting the advisor role very little”, a sign that prior training for this multifaceted responsibility, is, indeed, lacking.

This theme points to deeper questions about how we define teacher roles and prepare for the profession. As schools increasingly demand that teachers attend to not just academic but also social and emotional aspects of student development, the teacher role becomes more complex without corresponding increases in preparation, support, or compensation. The end-of-year period magnifies these role tensions and reflects structural problems in how to understand and support the teaching profession.

Theme 4: Time Management Struggles

Teacher-advisers described the difficulty of balancing different commitments within constrained time frames as a constant challenge. Teachers complained about attempting to balance “…time between grading, reports, and student support,” while still “…managing student stress” and “…completing administrative tasks.” It’s a challenge that emphasizes the crunch of the end of the academic year and the importance of effective time management techniques.

To take into account this difficulty, the Philippines’ DepEd Order No. 5, s. 2024, ‘Rationalization of Teachers’ Workload in Public Schools,’ quantifies specific time allocated for teaching and non-teaching responsibilities. These boundaries, however, may be blurred during the end-of-year period because the amount of work exceeds the time allotted, causing spillover into personal time and students’ work-life imbalance, including teachers per their responses.

This theme reflects larger issues of teacher workload that have emerged over the years, yet there is an understanding that institutional supports are necessary to account for the cyclical nature of the demands of education. Studies of teacher effectiveness find time management to be majorly important to making sense of the competing demands of the job but also that there must be systemwide adjustments to reduce chronic overload

Coping Strategies for End-of-Year Challenges

Theme 1: Organizational Strategies

When the teachers were asked about the ways they help in organizing their work, one of the teachers said that “.. making a plan for time management and checklist for the documents that need to be pass” and allocating specific time for preparation of “non-specialized subjects”. These strategies also show how teachers are attempting to create structure in complex end-of-year responsibilities and priorities.

The focus on systems-level strategies indicates that teachers understand the importance of strategic practices to address simultaneous multiple demands. Research into the characteristics of effective teachers backs this strategy, pointing to solid organizational skills as essential for coping with the multiple demands that come with the job. But individual organization strategies, while great, may not be enough to address systems-level workload concerns that require institutional or policy-level action.

Checklists and time management plans are techniques used to actively manage workload that allows teachers to feel in control of their responsibilities. Such a sense of control over the situation is crucial for professional well-being, as it can help reduce stress in periods of high workload. But if the need for these kinds of intensive organizational strategies permeates a classroom, it also indicates the extraordinary expectations about teachers come at the end of the year.

Theme 2: Student-focused Intervention

Providing targeted support to students emerged as a coping strategy, with respondents mentioning they “…give interventions” to address academic challenges and conduct “regular checking of students attendance”. This approach reflects teachers’ commitment to student success despite increasing workload pressures and their recognition of the importance of early identification and response to student difficulties.

Phillippo’s study highlights the importance of “background knowledge, relevant experience, skills and guiding principles about advising” in effectively supporting students, suggesting that teachers’ capacity to provide effective interventions may vary based on their professional preparation and experience. The study notes that “advisors with stronger schemas at all three schools would likewise express frustration, but also tended to develop their own frameworks and plans,” indicating that conceptual clarity about the advisory role supports effective intervention practices.

This theme reflects the student-centered values that motivate many teachers to remain in the profession despite challenging working conditions. The prioritization of student needs, even amidst high workload demands, suggests a professional commitment that sustains teacher engagement. However, this commitment may also contribute to work intensification as teachers extend themselves to meet student needs despite limited time and resources. 

Theme 3: Self-care Boundaries

Teachers recognized the importance of self-care, with responses mentioning the need to “focus on self-care to avoid burnout” and prioritize tasks effectively.”  This awareness reflects growing recognition of burnout risks in the teaching profession and the need for sustainable professional practices that protect teacher well-being.

Existing research on teacher burnout suggests that setting up boundaries is essential for sustainable work-life due to the relationship between work-life balance, boredom, burnout and emotional exhaustion (Alarcon, 2011).  The emergence of this theme indicates teachers are more conscious of burnout risks and are trying to enact protective strategies, but structural barriers undermine effectiveness.

Making self-care a priority marks a crucial shift in professional culture from martyr-like self-sacrifice to sustainable professional practice. Individual self-care strategies, though needed, will be ineffective without institutional expectations and support structures to back them up. The growing recognition of self-care as a legitimate rather a personal comportment in a professional context is a step forward in tackling teacher burnout but needs to be coupled with system change as well in terms of workload expectations.

Theme 4: Systematic Monitoring

Establishing regular systems for tracking student progress and administrative requirements was mentioned as a coping strategy, with respondents describing “regular checking of students attendance” and “regular follow-up on learners documents”. These systematic approaches help teachers maintain control over their responsibilities amidst increasing end-of-year demands and prevent last-minute crises that could exacerbate workload pressures.

The third category of monitoring systems is a response to the complexity of the teacher-adviser role described by Phillippo in her study, which found that good advisors establish “procedures to follow for conducting advisory classes and for addressing students’ social-emotional needs.” The monitoring systems that were developed draws a specific and useful professional wisdom that enables the teachers takes care of a complex responsibilities in their files.

This, as it points to the forward-looking nature of effective workload management, as well as the necessity of trying to predict and mitigate problems instead of just reacting to them. Regular monitoring enables teachers to catch issues early if and when they arise, reducing the severity of struggles come end-of-year. But the demand for such systems also speaks to the huge amount of accountability on teachers and the repercussions for action, or inaction.

Theme 5: Collegial Support

Reaching out for help to peers appeared as a strategy for coping, with respondents identifying “…keeping in communication with students and colleagues as much as possible” and asking for help when able. This strategy embodies the idea of professional community in how it manages complex responsibilities, that many hands make light work.

Research on teacher resilience highlights collegial support as a protective factor against burnout, indicating that professional relationships offer not only practical support but also emotional sustenance in times of strain. Phillippo’s study indicates that after many restrictions, one teacher “went out and talked to a lot of teachers” to hear how they engaged in advisory practices in light of limited formal guidance, exemplifying the informal professional learning that transpires in collegial interaction.

The emergence of this theme highlights the importance of school culture and opportunities for collaboration in the ways in which teachers navigate the challenges of the end of the academic year. Schools with collegial relationships and established time for collaboration may be better positioned to support teacher well-being during high-demand times. However, the success of collegial support networks relies on the presence of time for professional contact, time which could also be limited during the end of year period where all teachers are facing greater demands.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MINIMIZING END-OF-YEAR CHALLENGES

Theme 1: Organizational Strategies

Teachers recommended organizational approaches such as “making checklist and time management” and “plan ahead” to mitigate end-of-year challenges. These recommendations reflect the value teachers place on structure and planning as protective factors against workload overload and the recognition that proactive approaches are more effective than reactive responses to end-of-year demands.

Studies on what constitutes effective teaching practices indicate that organizational skills are key to managing a variety of professional demands and support the model that organizational skills should be specifically addressed in teacher preparation and professional development programs. The focus on planning indicates that schools should reflect on how they can provide support to help teachers establish and implement effective organizational systems — whether through common planning templates, time to plan collaboratively, or mentoring partnerships that strengthen organizational capacity.

It does so by showing how knowledge that has practical value in the work of teachers as practitioners[ref]informed by their iteration of the entire continuum of the teaching cycle, from assessment to planning to teaching to evaluation[ref]has historically developed organically in silos and networks of practice and the potential impact that formalised structures for sharing this type of wisdom among teachers could have. Teaching teachers how to approach end of year responsibilities, especially those new to the profession, or new to advisory, begins by documenting and sharing best organizational practices.

Theme 2: Collaboration and Delegation

Working collaboratively with colleagues was recommended as a strategy to reduce challenges, with suggestions to “delegate tasks” and “collaborate with colleagues”. This recommendation reflects the recognition that collective approaches to workload management can be more effective than individual efforts alone and that different teachers bring complementary strengths to shared responsibilities.

Understanding teacher resilience, research indicates that professional community is a protective factor in dealing with workload demands, and it is recommended that schools intentionally cultivate collaborative cultures and build opportunities for teachers to work together. This resonates with J Crutchfield et al., (2020) study which showed, “With little formal guidance from their districts, many teachers in this group develop their own frameworks and plans” and thus sharing what they built separately and organically may support the professional community as a whole.

This theme indicates that school leaders must create collaborative structures, where they can share responsibilities and learn from each other. Using time for structured collaboration, utilizing team-based approaches to classroom tasks associated with the end of the school year, and fostering expectations around helping one another out might help put this recommendation into practice. Yet collaboration is useful only with time investment, which, like all teacher time, requires judicious balance across demands.

Theme 3: Work-Life Balance

Teachers emphasized the importance of “…setting] boundaries for self-care” to maintain professional effectiveness. This recommendation reflects growing awareness of burnout risks in the teaching profession and the recognition that sustainable professional practice requires attention to personal well-being alongside professional responsibilities.

Research on teacher burnout identifies work-life imbalance as a contributing factor to professional attrition, suggesting that both individual boundary-setting and institutional support for reasonable workload expectations are necessary to address this issue. The recommendation for self-care boundaries represents an important shift from martyr-like self-sacrifice to sustainable professional practice, recognizing that teacher well-being is a prerequisite for effective student support.

This theme suggests that school leaders should consider how organizational expectations and cultures either support or undermine teacher work-life balance, particularly during high-demand periods like the end of the school year. Explicit permission to prioritize self-care, reasonable deadlines for end-of-year tasks, and recognition of the emotional demands of the advisory role could help implement this recommendation effectively.

Theme 4: Alignment of Expertise

The suggestion of “…alignment of teachers load to its expertise” directly relates to the problem of teaching outside one’s specialization. This recommendation acknowledges that teaching things a teacher knows how to do requires less planning and is less stressful than teaching something a teacher is not as familiar with, which might free up capacity from other end of year work.

This notion extends to research on teacher effectiveness, where subject matter knowledge is associated with higher quality instruction; thus, matcher teachers to teaching responsibilities to maximize instructional quality are advantageous to both teachers and students. This recommendation can be implemented through the policy framework given by the Philippines’ DepEd Order No. 5, s. 2024 in connection with “Rationalization of Teachers’ Workload in Public Schools”.

As such, school administrators need to take teacher expertise into account when assigning courses and responsibilities — especially when considering the next academic year. Staffing decisions targeted at aligning assignments with areas of teaching expertise can ultimately lessen demand at the end of the year, as preparation requirements for unfamiliar content decrease. However, we must balance this recommendation against practical constraints surrounding staffing availability and program requirements.

Theme 5: Adaptability

Despite advocating for alignment of teaching assignments with expertise, teachers also recognized the need to “…be always flexible” in response to professional demands. This recommendation reflects the reality of teaching as a dynamic profession that requires adaptability to changing circumstances, student needs, and institutional requirements.

study observes that teachers with “strong role schemas” were better able to adjust to ambiguous or challenging situations, implying that conceptual clarity vis-à-vis professional roles enables effective adaptation to changing demands. The recommendation is to provide flexibility and understanding that many school settings, however ideal, may not have perfect alignment of expertise and assignment at all times.

This theme highlighted the need for professional development to develop teachers’ adaptability as well as particular capabilities, equipping them with the skills to respond to the changing requirements while continuing to be professionally effective. This pragmatic understanding of professional development, where the challenges of workload are the responsibility of both the individual and the system leading to the balance between professional advocacy for better working conditions, combined with a need to develop a capacity to exist within existing systems, emerging from the data right up to October 2023.

However, analysis of teacher-adviser experiences at the end of the school year reveal several interconnected challenges and coping strategies with broad educational policy, school leadership, and teacher professional development implication. Administrative burden was repeatedly highlighted as a key issue for concern, thus, identifies both priority policy proposals to reduce paperwork as well as urgent implementation proposals. The complexities of the teacher-adviser role, particularly when teaching assignments are outside areas of competence, contribute to stress during an already busy time of year.

Teachers who need to cope use various strategies and their recommendations signify the value of organizational skills, collegial support, and self-care interventions to help manage these challenges. It is unsurprising to find research on teacher effectiveness and teacher burnout align reasonably well with these findings, indicating that teachers are making up practical wisdom and professional practice in line with evidence from research. We should acknowledge, appreciate, and share this expertise in ways built into formal professional learning processes.

Implementing these strategies can inform future policies regarding workload rationalization, assignment alignment with expertise and type of courses, and institutional endorsement of teacher collaboration and self-care. While the Philippines’ recent DepEd Orders on administrative tasks and workload rationalization are certainly a step towards addressing these issues, whether they will enhance work-life balance remains to be seen since they depend on implementation at the school level.

Professional development programs ought to promote the collection of both technical skills pertaining to administrative responsibilities and adaptive capacities relevant to the complex social-emotional aspects of the teacher-adviser role. Phillippo argues that many teachers become advisors with little prior experience or training (Phillippo, in press), and calls for more intentionally treating this as a component of the teacher professional identity in both pre-service and in-service training.

Further research could examine the effectiveness of specific interventions to reduce end-of-year workload, and the link between the complexity of the teacher-adviser role and student outcomes. Longitudinal studies may also investigate how recent policies introduced in the Philippines impact teachers’ experiences and provide evidence for further policy-making.

Teacher-advisers experience these issues first hand, but they are not new or unique; rather, they speak to systemic issues in educational policy, teacher preparation, and school organization. In summary, educational leaders are educators that can approach these issues from a systemic lens to support teacher well-being, teacher effectiveness, and the quality of education students receive.

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APPENDIX A

Interview Questions

1. What are your thoughts on the workload as teacher-adviser at the end of the school year?
2. What are the challenges you have encountered as teacher-advisers every EOSY?
3. How do you cope up with these challenges?
4. What are your recommendations to other teachers to minimize these challenges?