Understanding the experiences of teachers in teaching accounting among select secondary schools in the division of Bataan / [manuscript] Genesis L. Tolentino

Thesis (MAEd-TLE) BPSU, 2017.

This study entitled "Understanding the Experiences of Teachers in Teaching Accounting among Selected Secondary Schools in the Division of Bataan" is a phenomenological study guided by the following central research question: What perspectives do these study participants have regarding their personal and professional experiences as accounting teachers in the Division of Bataan. Specifically, this study sought to answer the following questions: (1) What challenges have the participants encountered as accounting teachers in Division of Bataan?; (2) How do the participants deal with these varied challenges?; (3) What positive and negative experiences have occurred as a result of being an accounting teacher in the division?; (4) How do the participants acknowledge these positive and negative experiences?; and, (5) How do the participants balance work, family, civic, and other obligations in their current position? For the purpose of this study, hermeneutical phenomenology was utilized because of an interest in the real-life experiences of the selected teachers of accounting in the Schools Division of Bataan. For this phenomenological study, a constructivist viewpoint which took into account multiple perspectives is utilized. criterion sampling is employed (Creswell, 2007) because participants represent individuals who experienced being an accounting teacher in the schools division. Data collection for this phenomenological study consisted of open-ended, face-to-face, one-hour interviews with study participants at sites designated by them. The data that were collected in this study were used to identify the lived experiences of the participants of the study. The data that was obtained through the interview protocols, observations, and focus group were processed through two cycles of coding. The first round of open coding produced the preliminary themes. Those initial themes were presented to the focus group and the conversation was transcribed. The second round of coding utilized axial coding. During this process, the data that was deconstructed during the initial coding process were re-examined and, re-sorted and analyzed until it is meaningfully constructed into the final themes. The analysis was done using computer-aided qualitative data analysis MAXQDA 12.0. Credibility and trustworthiness are established by employing the following strategies: member checking, reflexive journaling, and thick, rich descriptions of respondent reports. This phenomenological research study yielded six major themes related to the personal, professional, and social experiences of six accounting teachers in the secondary schools in the Province of Bataan. Open-ended, face-to-face, 30-40 minute interviews (Creswell, 2007) provided information regarding how study participants perceived their experiences as accounting teachers in their respective schools. Data suggested that teaching accounting for the participants is a multifaceted experience, it connects to the personal level, it goes beyond the call of duty, and it entails administrative concerns. These themes are indicative of the personal, professional and social experiences of study participants as accounting teachers. For the study participants, teaching accounting is a multifaceted experience. As accounting teachers, they are faced with multiple challenges that are either directly related to them as teachers or are related to students. In terms of their multifaceted experiences as directed to them as teachers, they encounter challenging experiences such as pursuing advanced or continuing studies, how values coincide with their teaching of accounting, handling difficult students, how to be resourceful in a set up where teaching and learning resources are scarce or not even available, the need for them to reflect personally as teachers, the experience of some in the transition from private to the public school, adjustment to the new SHS curriculum, their ups and downs, the dilemma of beginning teachers, how to approach holistic teaching, supervision from superiors, facilitating in teaching, experiencing stress and advantage of industry experience. On the other hand, this multifaceted experience of teachers does not just end among themselves but also the experiences they have with students. In the performance of their tasks as accounting teachers, they are faced with various challenges such as how to transfer skills and knowledge to their students, monitoring their students, the setting of teacher and students boundaries and/or limits, how to address the negative perception of students with accounting, how to deal with critically thinking students, and motivating students to take accounting seriously. ' Despite the above challenges, the study participants said their teaching of accounting transcends to a personal level. For them, teaching accounting is also a matter of understanding students, sharing life's experiences, and showing concern to their students. Unanimously, the study participants claim that their roles as teachers to the students is not just professional but also personal. The principle of loco parentis is very evident among the teachers' lived experiences in this study. This personal involvement is the obvious reason why the study participants lived experiences show that teaching accounting went beyond their call of duties, that is getting or giving something that is already beyond their calls as professional teachers in general or accounting teachers in particular. In their efforts to become the best teachers for their students, it has almost become natural for them to inject their own values in their teaching, but are careful not to impose them to their students, considering their teaching as already a calling, being able to gain respect and appreciation from their students and colleagues, the challenges and the rewards of having a work-family experience and trying to make a balance out of it, being able to exude their passion, spirituality, and optimism in what they do as accounting teachers, and be able to get personal satisfaction and success as accounting teachers. All of these are considered to be beyond all their call of duties that they are able to give and get as accounting teachers. Lastly, the lived experiences of study participants show that teaching accounting entails some administrative concerns such as the admission concerns of teachers to students who are not fit to take accounting or ABM program as well as the open admission system being employed in their schools, the inadequate or lack of supplies and facilities, as well as the insufficiency or lack thereof of teaching and learning resources. Also, the other administrative problems that they encounter as accounting teachers are their dealing with their colleagues and the apparent lack or insufficient support for their professional advancement or development. Although study participants expressed that being an accounting teacher was hard work and challenging at times, there was consensus that participants loved and enjoyed being an accounting teacher. Study participants' spirit of excellence was conveyed through their passion and commitment to their schools and surrounding communities through personal excellence, resourcefulness, passion, concern to school and students, diligence and determination as they served as secondary school teachers. Future researchers are encouraged to investigate the lived experiences of other teachers in the ABM area or in the other specializations in the Senior High School. Future researchers may study accounting teachers in other regions of the country. Although marriage and children were not determining factors for study participation, five of the 6 participants were married with children. Future researchers may wish to study the lives of female school leaders who are not married and have no children or who are single mothers. Future researchers are challenged to explore the perceptions of administrators and staff members in school towards the teachers in teaching their specializations. Study participants discussed how they worked with students by providing them support through home visitations, peer tutoring, compassion and consideration, connecting to their students on a personal level, and going beyond their call of duty. Rural schools, although not all generally have the reputation of being academically behind their city or urban counterparts.

Future researchers may examine the levels of student achievement of schools or school districts in the rural or urban contexts in terms of accounting education. Moreover, while sex is not considered a factor in this study, future researchers may also conduct a study on male accounting teachers and their experiences on teaching the subject matter.