Navigating Complexity: Kindergarten Teachers’ Lived Experiences in Supporting Learner Development in Public Schools

Abstract

Learner development in Kindergarten occurs within complex educational environments in which teachers respond to diverse learner needs, classroom demands, and available support systems. Although recent Philippine studies have examined Kindergarten teachers’ instructional practices and the challenges they encounter, less is known about how teachers experience and make meaning of adapting their practices to learner diversity and contextual demands in public school settings. This study explored the lived experiences of public school Kindergarten teachers in supporting learner development in Samar, Philippines. An interpretive (hermeneutic) phenomenological approach was employed, with data generated through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with eleven public school Kindergarten teachers. The interview data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis within a hermeneutic interpretive lens. Five interrelated themes emerged: (1) experiential and adaptive nature of Kindergarten teaching; (2) play-based, interactive, and differentiated teaching practices; (3) learner diversity, readiness, and developmental variation; (4) contextual challenges and support systems; and (5) professional realities, caregiving, and adaptive practice. The findings indicate that teachers develop and adapt their practices through sustained classroom experience while responding to differences in learner readiness, developmental trajectories, and prior learning exposure. They also reveal that large class sizes, behavioral challenges, varying access to resources, parental involvement, and school-level support shape teachers’ capacity to respond to learner needs. The study highlights that supporting learner development in Kindergarten involves an ongoing interaction among teacher adaptability, learner variability, and the conditions surrounding classroom practice. The findings underscore the need for responsive pedagogy, sustained professional learning, supportive working conditions, and coordinated family and school support in public school Kindergarten settings.