Abstract
This qualitative study dug out the lived experiences on online professional development of seven public school teachers in Ibajay West District, Division of Aklan through the use of phenomenological research design. The study revealed through the in-depth interviews with the participants that online professional development programs provided the participants with a meaningful, efficient, and evident learning that are of great help in their personal and professional growth. Poor internet connectivity, lack of interaction and collaboration among participants, less connection between the speaker and listeners, and health issues were the predominant challenges that the participants have experienced during online professional developments. However, they also confronted struggles on maintaining a balance between the demands of work and home chores, as well as failures on connectivity and efficient engagement on online activities due to the complex technical use of ICT, poor internet connections and the distractions that prevent them from focusing which also take a toll on their mental health. Teachers surmounted these challenges by employing a positive attitude towards it, keeping their faith in God, and managing their time properly. A proposed intervention program to address the results of the study was done to provide assistance and alternative solutions to the problems and experiences of teachers in online professional development programs. The project targets to establish partners and linkages in order to easily deliver the desired services effectively.
Keywords: stories, narratives, online professional development, challenges, coping mechanisms, phenomenology
*This paper is presented at the 4th International Conference on Multidisciplinary Industry and Academic Research (ICMIAR) 2023
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