From the Philippines to the World: Narratives of Filipino Educators on Teaching Abroad

Abstract

This qualitative narrative inquiry explored the personal and professional evolution of Filipino educators from the Digos City Division who taught abroad for two to four years. It examined their experiences, the strategies they used to navigate challenges, the support provided by host schools, and the transformational effects of international teaching. Nine educators working in Vietnam, New Zealand, Australia, and the United States were selected through purposive and snowball sampling. Data were collected from November 2025 to January 2026 through semi-structured online interviews and participant documents, then analyzed thematically following Braun and Clarke's framework. Findings showed that migration initially exposed educators to cultural and linguistic barriers, behavioral-management difficulties, emotional isolation, and pressure to prove their competence. However, they drew on a Filipino foundation of resilience, resourcefulness, care, and perseverance while adopting a neophyte mindset that allowed them to unlearn rigid habits and embrace student-centered, differentiated, and inclusive practices. Host-school support was strongest when it combined structured onboarding, targeted professional development, accessible leadership, anti-discriminatory policies, and mentoring. International teaching led to a reconstructed professional identity: educators became hybrid practitioners who blended Filipino relational strengths with globally responsive pedagogy. The study recommends pre-departure cultural-intelligence preparation, sustained relational mentoring, and reciprocal knowledge-sharing mechanisms for returning educators.