ABSTRACT
This study investigated elementary and junior high school teachers' experiences in implementing the ARAL program in the Schools District of Banate during the school year 20252026. Ten teachers, five from elementary and five from junior high school, participated were interviewed. Thematic analysis revealed that elementary teachers were motivated to assist struggling readers and observed positive learner engagement. However, they faced hindrances such as a restricted timeframe and inadequate reading materials, and coped by improvising teaching resources and relying on peer support. Junior high school teachers, meanwhile, experienced difficulties in handling struggling learners and managing time. Their challenges included increased workload and a lack of specialized materials, which they addressed through collaboration and effective time management. Findings served as the basis for designing an intervention program to strengthen ARAL implementation.
Keywords: Teachers' Experiences, ARAL Program, Integrated Schools, Intervention Plan Teachers’ Implementation of Aral Program
INTRODUCTION
The implementation of the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program in the Philippines was designed to address learning gaps and recovery from disruptions, focusing on strengthening foundational skills, especially Reading and Math for struggling learners through targeted, free interventions, tutors, and resources like "EduKahon" kits, aiming to bring learners back to grade-level proficiency (D0 18, s. 2025).
A teacher’s experience is a deeply personal journey that encompasses one’s actions, thoughts, and emotions from the moment of entry into the profession until its conclusion—and often continues to shape perspectives even beyond. Sometimes, school heads provide teachers with opportunities to explore new strategies, develop new topics, and build important life skills that will serve them well in the future.
The Department of Education’s (DepEd) ARAL program is a major initiative under Republic Act No. 12028 to help students below minimum proficiency levels catch up and achieve grade-level competencies, especially in Reading, math, and science.
Cagoco (2022) said that the world faces a reading crisis today; traditional brick-and-mortar methods, though effective, reach few and may be too late for too many. Solving the reading problem requires the strategic use of innovative technologies that enable rapid implementation and broad reach, thereby ensuring more effective interventions.
In essence, the ARAL program is DepEd's comprehensive strategy to build strong foundations, accelerate learning, and ensure educational equity for all Filipino students. This generates an atmosphere by incorporating enjoyable, engaging activities that promote student engagement, socioemotional skills, personal development, and character formation.
Teachers in elementary and secondary schools can collaborate to provide students with a good literacy foundation that they can use and grow on for the rest of their life, hopefully assisting them in graduating from college and establishing careers. A solid literacy foundation can help students become effective adults. An effective partnership between school heads and teachers can provide learners with a better education than either schools or parents could provide (Wilfong, 2020).
Education has always earned society's respect. To live comfortably, people should educate themselves and find a well-paying profession. It promotes a better reputation and contentment. It contributes to a better reputation and raises the likelihood of moving up the job ladder more simply and quickly. It provided financial resources for stable lives (Broward, 2023).
On the other hand, researchers believed that teachers' experiences in the ARAL program entail heavy workload, lack of compensation for extra hours, logistical issues, and inconsistent application, leading to teacher burnout and frustration despite the program's good intentions to address learning gaps.
The researcher's concern is that this study should be explored. The experiences of teachers in elementary and junior high schools within the conduct of the ARAL Program will serve as a basis for an intervention plan in the Schools District of Banate within the academic year 20252026, providing a springboard for improving the ARAL Program.
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