Resilience Amid Reform: Teachers’ and School Administrators’ Lived Experiences of Curriculum Transition

Curriculum reforms in basic education require teachers and school administrators to continually adapt to evolving policies, instructional expectations, and organizational demands, making resilience a critical component of successful implementation. This study explored the lived experiences of teachers and school administrators in describing their moment-to-moment emotional and cognitive responses to successive Department of Education curriculum reforms. It employed a qualitative research design utilizing Max van Manen’s (2017) hermeneutic phenomenological approach. Data were gathered through in-depth semi-structured interviews using a researcher-developed interview guide validated by experts. The study was conducted in selected public elementary schools within the Schools Division of Tandag City, Surigao del Sur, Philippines. Participants consisted of sixteen (16) educators, including twelve (12) teachers and four (4) school administrators, selected through purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using van Manen’s phenomenological thematic analysis. Findings revealed nine essential themes: Emotional Turbulence and Mixed Reactions, Cognitive Appraisal and Sense-Making, Adaptation and Coping Mechanisms, Professional Identity Strain and Role Reconfiguration, Support Systems and Collaborative Resilience, Workload Pressure and Time Constraints, Transformative Growth and Resilience Building, Emotional-Cognitive Influence on Practice, and Critical Incidents as Turning Points. The findings indicate that participants initially experienced anxiety, uncertainty, confusion, and increased workload; however, these challenges gradually evolved into opportunities for professional growth, resilience development, and adaptive leadership through reflection, collaboration, and institutional support. The study concludes that resilience is a dynamic process shaped by the interaction of emotional, cognitive, professional, and organizational factors. It is recommended that educational policymakers and school leaders strengthen support systems, provide sustained professional development opportunities, promote collaborative cultures, and implement responsive interventions that address both the technical and emotional demands of curriculum reform.

curriculum reform, teacher resilience, school administrators

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