Abstract
Career progression empowers professionals to take a leap of difference in the environment they are in. In the field of education, career progression is limited in terms of its impact to the academic performance of the leaners. None investigated the lived experiences of the teachers having a hard time moving from one position to a higher one. This study explicated the individual realities of the reasons why teachers are having latency in acquiring a higher position – they are stuck in the middle. This study used Heideggerian Phenomenology as the research design. There were 7 participants from Cañorong Elementary School, Samboan District, Cebu, Philippines who qualified under the inclusion criteria set in the study. Bracketing was initiated in order to avoid biases and impartiality. The data were analyzed utilizing the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) popularized by Moustakas and modified by Van Kaam. This study gravitated three emerging themes that encapsulated the lived experiences of the teachers’ latency in career progression. These themes, (1) Uncontrollable Choices, (2) Contentment, and (3) Called to Serve, are expedient in highlighting and uncovering the realities of the teachers’ world to the environment they are in. These themes necessitate for a balance of sound policies to be instituted in every school where teachers juggle for providing quality education to the learners while helping them thrive in their career. This study recommends for an encouraging development and management plan such as additional personnel to assist them with their schools’ forms and paperwork.
