Breaking Barriers: The Journey of Non-IP Teachers in Schools Implementing Indigenous Peoples Education Program
Eureka Kris Nazarita | Lily Grace Morales
Discipline: Education
Abstract:
This qualitative study explored the challenges faced by non-IP teachers in IPEd-implementing schools. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with eight non-IP teachers and analyzed thematically to uncover significant challenges including language, geographical, and learner engagement barriers. In the language barrier, the teachers are unable to speak and understand the native dialect and they have difficulty in delivering of lessons in indigenous language. Geographic barrier causes teachers to struggle in reaching the schools and face risky roads and pathways. While in learner-engagement barrier, teachers observe that learners are less participative and commit habitual absences. These challenges collectively obstruct effective education delivery in IPED contexts. Coping mechanisms of non-IP teachers include learning the native language, navigating distance for school punctuality, and involving sense of empathy and understanding unique backgrounds of the learners. Further, an intervention plan was formulated that may assist non-IP teachers in enriching the educational experiences of Indigenous learners and strengthen community partnerships.
References:
- Abacioglu, C. S., Fischer, A. H., & Volman, M. (2022). Professional Development in Multicultural Education: What can we Learn from the Australian Context?. Teaching and Teacher Education, 114, 103701.
- Adams, R., & Farnsworth, M. (2020). Culturally Responsive Teacher Education for Rural and Native Communities. Multicultural Perspectives, 22(2), 84-90.
- Alcontin, P. C. S., & Concepcion, K. M. D. (2024). The Learning Environment of a Far-flung National High School: Stakeholders’ Perspective. European Journal of Education Studies, 11(2).
- Algorani, E. B., & Gupta, V. (2023). Coping Mechanisms. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.
- Allison, J., Flooren, S., & Krestell, S. (2024). Exploring the Experiences of Non Indigenous Teachers in First Band schools.
- Alvarez, G. A. A., Mosqueda, E. L., Tijing, C. L. T., Tapis, C. A., Basas, J. D., Villegas, C. E. B.,... & Velez, M. M. C. (2020). Teachers Level of Awareness of RA 4670 in Selected Schools of Negros Oriental, Philippines. International Journal for Research in Applied Science Engineering Technology, 8(12), 859-864.
- Ancheta, O. O., & Casem, R. Q. (2024). Navigating Educational Crossroads: An In-Depth Analysis of the Indigenous Peoples Education (IPED) Program in Santol, La Union, Philippines. Diversitas Journal, 9(2).
- Baliyan, S. (2020). How Distance to School and Study Hours after School Influence Students’ Performance in Mathematics and English: A Comparative Analysis. Journal of Education and e-Learning Research, Vol. 7, No. 2, 209 217. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1263845.pdf
- Basister Jr, A. I., & Motus, R. H. (2023). Lived Experiences of Teachers Teaching Intermediate Mathematics in Far Flung Areas. In 4th International Conference on Multidisciplinary Industry and Academic Research (pp. 206-209). Institute of Industry and Academic Research Incorporated.
- Baxter, G., & Toe, D. (2024). Abandoning a Discourse of Poverty to Develop Equitable Educational Practices through Family School Partnerships. Educational Review, 1-19.
- Berry, J. W. (2017). Theories and Models of Acculturation. The Oxford Handbook of Acculturation and Health, 10, 15-28.
- Bishop, M., & Durksen, T. L. (2020). What are the Personal Attributes a Teacher Needs to Engage Indigenous Students Effectively in the Learning Process? Re-viewing the Literature. Educational Research, 62(2), 181-198.
- Bishop, M., & Vass, G. (2021). Talking About Culturally Responsive Approaches to Education: Teacher Professional Learning, Indigenous Learners and the Politics of Schooling. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 50(2), 340-347.
- Bogden, R. & Biklen, S. (2017) Research for Education: An Introduction to Theories and Creswell, J.W. (2013). Qualitative Inquiry & Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches. Los Angeles, CA: Sage.
- Carter Andrews, D. J. (2021, July). Preparing Teachers to be Culturally Multidimensional: Designing and Implementing Teacher Preparation Programs for Pedagogical Relevance, Responsiveness, and Sustenance. In The Educational Forum (Vol. 85, No. 4, pp. 416-428). Routledge.
- Ceniza, M. J. L., Arnado, M. O., & Arnado, A. A. (2024. Embracing Cultural Connection: An In-depth Appraisal of Indigenous Education Program Implementation in Primary Schools.
- Chiblow, S., & Meighan, P. J. (2022). Language is Land, Land is Language: The Importance of Indigenous Languages. Human Geography, 15(2), 206-210.
- Congress of the Philippines. (1997). R.A. 8371: The Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act. https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1997/10/29/republic-actno-8371/35
- Conrad, J. (2022). Desettling History: Non-indigenous Teachers’ Practices and Tensions Engaging Indigenous Knowledges. Teachers College Record, 124(1), 3-29.
- Couch, D., Nesterova, Y., & Nguyen, H. (2024). Examining Non-Indigenous Teacher Perceptions of Indigenous Students in Taiwan through a Strategic Relational Approach. Asia Pacific Education Review, 25(1), 255-266.
- Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
- Cummins, J. (2021). Rethinking the Education of Multilingual Learners: A Critical Analysis of Theoretical Concepts (Vol. 19). Multilingual Matters.
- David-Chavez, D. M., Valdez, S., Estevez, J. B., Meléndez Martínez, C., Garcia Jr, A. A., Josephs, K., & Troncoso, A. (2020). Community-based (rooted) Research for Regeneration: Understanding Benefits, Barriers, and Resources for Indigenous Education and Research. AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples, 16(3), 220-232.
- Da Silva, C., Pereira, F., & Amorim, J. P. (2024). The Integration of Indigenous Knowledge in School: A Systematic Review. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 54(7), 1210-1228.
- Denston, A., Martin, R., Taite-Pitama, M., Green, A., Gough, R., & Gillon, G. (2022). Teacher Experiences and Perceptions Related to Developing a Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Emergent Bilingual Literacy Program in Aotearoa New Zealand: A Collaborative Case Study. Australian Journal of Indigenous Education (Online), 51(2), 1-16.
- Department of Education. (2011). DepEd Order No. 62 s, 2011: “Adopting the National Indigenous Peoples (IP) Education Policy Framework.” http://www.deped.gov.ph/orders/do-62-s-2011
- Department of Education. (2016). DepEd Order No. 35, s. 2016: “The Learning Action Cell as a K to 12 Basic Education Program School-based Continuing Professional Development Strategy for the Improvement of Teaching and Learning. “https://www.deped.gov.ph/wpcontent/uploads/2016/06/DO_s2016_035.pdf
- Department of Education. (2016). DepEd Order No. 50, s. 2016: “Hiring Guidelines for Teacher I Positions in Schools Implementing Indigenous Peoples’ Education Effective School Year 2016-2017.” http://www.deped.gov.ph/orders/do-50-s-2016
- Ducato, A. (2022). Building Classroom Culture and Community with an Emphasis on Inclusive Practices Inclusive Practices. https://scholar.dominican.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1059&context https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0268401220308082
- Eduardo, J. P., & Gabriel, A. G. (2021). Indigenous Peoples and the Right to Education: The Dumagat Experience in the Provinces of Nueva Ecija and Aurora, in the Philippines. SAGE Open, 11(2), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211009491
- Edwards, D. S., Kraft, M. A., Christian, A., & Candelaria, C. A. (2022). Teacher Shortages: A Framework for Understanding and Predicting Vacancies. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 01623737241235224.
- Enteria, O. C., & Tagyam, R. P. (2020). Parental Involvement in the Education Development of Indigenous People in Selected Elementary Schools in the Northern Part of Mindanao, Philippines. Asian Journal of Advanced Research and Reports, 13(3), 16-27.
- Esfahani, M. N. (2023). Breaking Language Barriers: How Multilingualism can Address Gender Disparities in US STEM Fields. International Journal of All Research Education and Scientific Methods, 11(08), 2090-2100.
- Fabillar, M. C., & Mustacisa, M. L. (2024). Overcoming Distance: Exploring the Motivational Factors of Teachers in Far-flung Schools. Ignatian International Journal for Multidisciplinary Research, 2(7), 122-136.
- Felongco, M. A. M., Protacio, A. V., Abdulwahab, S. P., Blanca, C. E., Gagil, M. K., Rodriguez, E. A., ... & Vegafria, E. J. E. (2022). Teaching in the Far-flung Schools: English Teachers’ Lived Experiences. Globus: Journal of Progressive Education, 12(2).
- Francis-Cracknell, A., Truong, M., Thackrah, R., & Adams, K. (2023). “We Still Have a Lot to Learn”: Non-Indigenous Educator Perspectives on Teaching Indigenous Health. Higher Education Research & Development, 42(6), 1407-1421.
- Funk, J., & Woodroffe, T. (2024). A Differentiated Approach to Indigenous Pedagogies: Addressing Gaps in Teachers’ Knowledge. The Australian Educational Researcher, 51(2), 631-650.
- Gannaway, J. (2020). Knocking, Unsettling, Ceding: A Non-Indigenous Teacher’s Journey Towards Decolonizing Teaching Practice in a “Remote Indigenous Community”. Nordic Journal of Comparative and International Education (NJCIE), 4(1), 102-117.
- Gorski, P. (2023). The Unintentional Undermining of Multicultural Education: Educators at the Equity Crossroads. In White Teachers/Diverse Classrooms (pp. 75-92). Routledge.
- Gower, G., Ferguson, C., & Forrest, S. (2021). Building Effective School Community Partnerships in Aboriginal Remote School Settings. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 50(2), 359-367.
- Griniuk, M. (2024, May). Toward a Toolkit for Curating Indigenous Art: A Non-Indigenous Facilitator’s Perspective. In Society. Integration. Education. Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference (Vol. 2, pp. 339-347).
- Guenther, J., Oliver, R., Ober, R., & Holmes, C. (2024). What Makes Quality Teachers in Remote First Nations Schools and What Difference Do They Make? The Australian Educational Researcher, 1-22.
- Han, Q. (2023). The Preservation and Transmission of Dialect Culture in the Context of Language Ecology [J]. Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science, 2023, 7 (8).
- Haniko, P., Mubarok, H., Syamsurijal, S., Pasaribu, W., & Ichsan, I. (2024). Culturally Responsive Teaching: Strategies for Promoting Inclusivity in Diverse Classrooms. Global International Journal of Innovative Research, 2(4), 821-830.
- Hernando-Malipot, M. (2018). DepEd to Further Intensify Initiatives in Bringing
- Education to Remote Areas. Manila Bulletin. https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/12/27/deped-to-further-intensify-initiatives in bringing-education-to-remote-areas/
- House of Representatives, (2017). House Passes “Integrated Public Schools Act,” http://www.congress.gov.ph/press/details.php?pressid=10054
- Hunduma, C. M., & Mekuria, Y. S. (2024). Multicultural education and Global Citizenship: Literature Review. Multidisciplinary Reviews, 7(10), 2024223-2024223.
- Jayadi, K., Abduh, A., & Basri, M. (2022). A Meta-analysis of Multicultural Education Paradigm in Indonesia. Heliyon, 8(1).
- Khalifa, M. (2020). Culturally Responsive School Leadership. Harvard Education Press.
- Kilag, O. K., Diano Jr, F., Bulilan, R., Allego, L., & Cañizares, M. C. (2024). Leadership Strategies for Building Inclusive School Communities: The Challenges of Managing Diversity in Schools. International Multidisciplinary Journal of Research for Innovation, Sustainability, and Excellence (IMJRISE), 1(1), 92-100.
- Kruger, C., & Vass, G. (2025). Indigenous Knowledges and Learners. In Teaching Middle Years (pp. 36-49). Routledge.
- Ladson-Billings, G. (2021). Culturally Relevant Pedagogy: Asking a Different Question. Teachers College Press.
- Ladson-Billings, G. (2023). “Yes, But How Do We Do It?”: Practicing Culturally Relevant Pedagogy. In White Teachers/Diverse Classrooms (pp. 33-46). Routledge.
- Lariosa, E. J., Diendo, M. P., & Espinosa, F. R. A. N. C. I. S. C. O. (2022). Lived Experiences of Teachers in Far-Flung Schools. October, 5, 2022.
- Lembit, N. D., & Burgess, C. (2024). Non-Indigenous Teachers’ Understandings of Relationally Responsive Curriculum through an Indigenous Standpoint. Curriculum Perspectives, 1-13.
- Le Pichon-Vorstman, E., Siarova, H., & Szonyi, E. (Eds.). (2021). The Future of Language Education in Europe: Case Studies of Innovative Practices. European journal of language policy, 13(1), 114-120.
- Lincoln. J & Guba, E. G (1985) Qualitative Research Guidelines Project, from https://www.qualres.org>Homepage
- Lowe, K., Tennent, C., Moodie, N., Guenther, J., & Burgess, C. (2021). School-based Indigenous Cultural Programs and their Impact on Australian Indigenous Students: A Systematic Review. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 49(1), 78-98.
- Martin, A. J., Tynan, L., Collie, R. J., Bishop, M., & Lowe, K. (2022). Indigenous (Aboriginal, First Nations) Students Overcoming Academic Adversity: The Roles of Educational Resilience, Motivation and Engagement, and Teacher–student Relationships. In Overcoming Adversity in Education (pp. 211-222). Routledge.
- McCarty, T. L. (2021). The Holistic Benefits of Education for Indigenous Language Revitalisation and Reclamation (ELR2). Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 42(10), 927-940.
- Mercado, M. G. M. (2021). Culturally Responsive Curriculum: A Case Study of IP School in the Philippines. Journal of Community Development Research (Humanities and Social Sciences), 14(3), 1-9.
- Mokibelo, E. B. (2023). Disengagement From Schools: Possible Solutions. Journal of Education, 203(4), 781-794.
- Nataño, N. M. (2023). Perspectives on Curriculum Contextualization and Localization as Integral to Promoting Indigenous Knowledge. International Journal of Academic and Practical Research International Journal of Academic and Practical Research, 2(3), 67-76.
- Nesterova, Y., & Jackson, L. (2022). Introduction to the Special Issue. Indigenous Education in Urban Settings: Critical Examinations and Meaningful Responses. Diaspora, indigenous, and Minority Education, 16(1), 1-5.
- National Government Portal. (2013). Republic Act No. 10533, also known as the “Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013. https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/downloads/2013/05may/20130515 RA 10533- BSA.pdf
- National Government Portal. (2016). Education Comes to the Indigenous Peoples Of Mindanao. https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2016/08/24/education-comes-to-the indigenouspeoples-of-mindanao/ Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (n.d.) Convention on the Rights of the Child of 1989. http://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/crc.aspx
- Ocampo, D. J., Rufino, R., & Gonzales, J. F. (2021). Participatory Policy Formulation on Indigenous Peoples Education in the K to 12 Basic Education Program in the Philippines. In Minding the Marginalized Students Through Inclusion, Justice, and Hope (Vol. 16, pp. 211-242). Emerald Publishing Limited.
- O’Connor, J. (2020). Guided by Local Elders and Teachers: How Non-Indigenous Teachers Can Support First Nations and Métis Students in Northern Saskatchewan (Master’s thesis, Queen’s University (Canada)).
- Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. (2009). Quality Education for Indigenous Peoples. http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/QualityEducationForIndigenousPeoples .aspx
- Orcales-Tabile, D. (2024). Lived Experiences of Non-Indigenous Teachers in an Aeta Community: A Phenomenological Study. International Journal of Multidisciplinary: Applied Business and Education Research, 5(5), 1492-1500.
- Oxtero, I. A. (2018). Implementation of Indigenous Peoples Education (IPEd) Program in DepEd Esperanza, Agusan del Sur. Surigao del Sur State University.
- Paniza, G. I. P., & Catolin, A. C. (2024). Pangabuhi Sa Pandemya: Stories of IP Teachers in the Hinterland Schools. Library Progress International, 44(3), 20013-20022.
- Padilla-Diaz, M (2015) Phenomenology in Educational Qualitative Research: Philosophy as Science or Philosophical Science? International Journal of Educational Excellence (2015) Volume 1, No.2, 101-110.
- Park, S. (2022). Academic Acculturation of International Doctoral Students in the US: a Qualitative Inquiry. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(23), 16089.
- Peteros, E. D., Ypil, S. C., de Vera, J. V., Alcantara, G. A., Fulgencio, M. D., Plando, D. B., & Peconcillo Jr, L. B. (2022). Effects of School Proximity on Students’ Performance in Mathematics. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 10(1), 365-376.
- Philippine Statistics Authority, (2017). One in Every Ten Filipinos Aged 6 to 24 Years is an Out of School Child and Youth. https://psa.gov.ph/content/one-every-tenfilipinos-aged-6-24-years-out-schoolchild-and-youth.
- Poitras Pratt, Y., & Hanson, A. J. (2022). Indigenous Instructors’ Perspectives on Pre-service Teacher Education: Poetic Responses to Difficult Learning and Teaching. Race Ethnicity and Education, 25(6), 855-873.
- Pozo-Rico, T., Poveda, R., Gutiérrez-Fresneda, R., Castejón, J. L., & Gilar-Corbi, R. (2023). Revamping Teacher Training for Challenging Times: Teachers’ Well-being, Resilience, Emotional Intelligence, and Innovative Methodologies as Key Teaching Competencies. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 1-18.
- Quejada, A. & Orale, R. (2018). Lived Experiences of Elementary Teachers in a Remote School in Samar, Philippines. Journal of Academic Research 03:3 (2018), pp. 1-13.
- Rabago-Mingoa, T. (2017). Filipino Teachers’ Stress Levels and Coping Strategies. Paper Presented during DLSU Research Congress http://www.dlsu.edu.ph/conferences/dlsuresearchcongressproceeding s/2017/LLI/LI-I-020.pdf.
- Rachmadtullah, R., Syofyan, H., & Rasmitadila, R. (2020). The Role of Civic Education Teachers in Implementing Multicultural Education in Elementary School Students. Universal Journal of Educational Research.
- Riddle, S., Howell, A., McGregor, G., & Mills, M. (2024). Student Engagement in Schools Serving Marginalised Communities. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 28(6), 723-738.
- Romero, N. (2020). Postcolonial Philosophy of Education in the Philippines. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education.
- Santoro, N., Reid, J. A., Crawford, L., & Simpson, L. (2011). Teaching Indigenous Children: Listening to and Learning from Indigenous Teachers. Australian Journal of Teacher Education. 36(10), 65–76. https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2011v36n10.2
- See, B. H., Morris, R., Gorard, S., & El Soufi, N. (2020). What Works in Attracting and Retaining Teachers in Challenging Schools and Areas? Oxford Review of Education, 46(6), 678-697.
- Seidman, I. (1998). Interviewing as Qualitative Research: A Guide for Researchers in Education and the Social Sciences. New York: Teachers College Press.
- Shikalepo, E. E. (2020). Challenges Facing Teaching at Rural Schools: A Review of Related Literature. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 4(5), 211-218.
- Sianturi, M., Lee, J. S., & Cumming, T. M. (2023). Shifting the Belief of the “Hard-to-Reach Parents” to “Reachable Parents”: Parent-teacher Collaboration within Schools in a Post-colonial Country. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 97, 101892.
- Sigua-Romero, M.J. (2016, January 19). Teaching is a Vocation, Mission, and Profession. Philippine Daily Inquirer, https://www.pressreader.com/philippines.
- Skaalvik, E. M., & Skaalvik, S. (2021). Teacher Stress and Coping Strategies—The Struggle to Stay in Control. Creative Education, 12(6), 1273-1295.
- Soujah, S. R. (2020). The Role of the Rural Principal in Fostering Indigenous Parent-School Relationships: Examples from the Yukon (Doctoral Dissertation, The University of Nebraska-Lincoln).
- Stacey, M. (2024). Deficit Discourses and Teachers’ Work: The Case of an Early Career Teacher in a Remote Indigenous School. In Critical Studies and the International Field of Indigenous Education Research (pp. 64-79). Routledge.
- Stehle Wallace, E., Senter, R., Peterson, N., Dunn, K. T., & Chow, J. (2022). How to Establish a Language-rich Environment through a Collaborative SLP–teacher Partnership. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 54(3), 166-176.
- Stewart, D. L. (Ed.). (2023). Multicultural Student Services on Campus: Building Bridges, Re-visioning Community. Taylor & Francis.
- Suri, D., & Chandra, D. (2021). Teacher’s Strategy for Implementing Multiculturalism Education Based on Local Cultural Values and Character Building for Early Childhood Education. Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Studies, 8(4), 271-285.
- Swan, I., & Weenie, A. (2024). Miýikosiwin: Transformative Pedagogy in Indigenous Education. In Promoting Inclusion and Justice in University Teaching (pp. 188-197). Edward Elgar Publishing.
- Ucag, M., Gerodias, E., Medel, A. F., & Chua, J. (2024). Navigating Educational Frontiers: Unweaving the Challenges Faced by Teachers in Far-flung Schools on Negros Island. Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 20(3), 323-330.
- United Nations. (2008). United Nations Declaration on the Rights Indigenous Peoples. www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/DRIPS_en.pdf
- United Nations Department of Public Information. (2014). Indigenous Peoples in the Asian Region: Thirteenth Session of the UN. Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/2014/press/asia.pdf
- United Nations Development Programme. (n.d.). Sustainable Development Goals. UNDP. https://www.undp.org/sustainable-development-goals.
- Van der Linde, E. A. (2021). The Role of the Learning Support Teacher in Facilitating Learner Engagement (Doctoral dissertation, Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University).
- Villaruz, M. G., & Perez, D. (2020). Mother Tongue-based Multilingual Education of Indigenous Peoples Learners in Southern Palawan, Philippines. Quantum Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 1(5), 85-101.
- Woodroffe, T. (2020). Improving Indigenous Student Outcomes through Improved Teacher Education: The Views of Indigenous Educators. AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples, 16(2), 146-152.