ABSTRACT
This qualitative study aimed to determine the multifaceted challenges encountered by the Teachers-in-Charge and coping strategies in balancing administrative and instructional responsibilities in the District of Ajuy Cluster 1. This study used qualitative method using in-depth interview and phenomenological design. The participants for this study were the ten (10) purposely chosen Teachers-in-Charge (TIC). These Teachers-in-Charge were both handling teaching and administrative tasks. Findings revealed that their challenges for administrative responsibilities include meeting the deadline, making reports, lack of training, and limited resources or budget. Their challenges on teaching responsibilities include limited instructional materials, physical and mental fatigue, and management of time. The results revealed that Teachers-in-Charge cope with the challenges through task prioritization strategy and delegation of tasks.
Keywords: Challenges, Coping Strategies, Teacher-in-Charge, Administrative and Teaching Responsibilities, Policy recommendations
INTRODUCTION
The role of Teacher-in-Charge (TIC) has become one of the most complex positions within modern educational systems, representing a complex role of both instructional practice and administrative leadership. Unlike full-time school principals or head teachers who typically focus exclusively on management and governance, TICs are tasked with responsibility of balancing two fundamentally distinct obligations.
Education is universally recognized as a cornerstone of national development, shaping not only the intellectual capacities of learners but also the socio-economic progress of societies. Effective school leadership plays a pivotal role in ensuring that educational institutions function efficiently and deliver quality instruction.
Administrative responsibilities encompass managerial, supervisory, and organizational duties that sustain the operations of schools and uphold accountability. In the absence of designated principals, these responsibilities often fall upon Teachers-in charge, who must balance administrative tasks with their teaching obligations (Hoy and Miskel, 2021).
In the Philippine context, the Department of Education (DepEd) continues to grapple with leadership gaps, particularly in small schools where principals are not permanently assigned. Republic Act No. 11899 (2022), which created the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), explicitly mandates the review of systemic challenges and the recommendation of innovative reforms to strengthen school governance. Within this framework, teachers-in-charge serves as frontline leaders, ensuring continuity of operations despite limited resources and support. Leadership gaps in small schools have made TICs indispensable. They embody both instructional and managerial functions, making them critical actors in sustaining school effectiveness. However, the dual responsibilities of TICs present significant challenges. Administrative duties such as supervising teachers, managing records, and ensuring compliance with DepEd policies often compete with teaching responsibilities like lesson preparation, classroom management, and student assessment. This role conflict can lead to stress, burnout, and diminished instructional quality (Borillo and Baybay, 2023).
Despite these challenges, TICs employ coping strategies that enable them to fulfill their dual roles. These strategies include time management, delegation, peer collaboration and resilience-building practices.
The significance of this study lies in its potential to inform policy recommendations that address the needs of Teachers-in-charge. Policy Recommendations are evidence-based proposals intended to guide decision-makers in improving governance outcomes (Birkland, 2021). Policy recommendations can transform overload into structured professional growth by clarifying boundaries, reducing teaching loads, or providing administrative support. Moreover, national policy beliefs argue that deploying non-teaching personnel such as Administrative Officers has alleviated some burdens, but reforms remain necessary to ensure equitable workload distribution. Thus, policy interventions-such as workload caps, clerical support, and leadership training-are significantly not only for teacher well-being and retention but also for sustaining instructional quality and building a pipeline of future school leaders. In the Philippine context, where TICs often serve as de facto school heads, these recommendations are vital for ensuring fairness, efficiency, and long-term educational improvement (IDinsight, 2022).
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