Seasoned Public School Teachers’ Wishes and Wants (2 Ws) on Career Advancement

This study investigated the professional development aspirations of the seasoned public elementary school teachers in Tacurong City. From hermeneutic phenomenology, which focused on interpreting the lived experiences of participants, this study probed the lived experiences of ten (10) seasoned teachers who have served in the public school system for 20 years or more. We gathered information through a semi-structured interview and analyzed the data using theme analysis. Findings reveal that seasoned teachers wish to enhance structured career progression, professional growth, work-life balance, career development, and lifelong learning. However, they still have to grapple with evolving curricula, classroom management, adapting to new technologies, and institutional neglect, notwithstanding ample experience. Active participation, mentoring, and supported systems equipped the participants to tackle this. These teachers aim for the future in terms of family life, personal growth, and professional achievements. Recommendations are provided for the policy concerning retirement planning, professional development, and teacher career advancement. Improvements in the Human Resource Development programs of the Department of Education in response to the findings will enable better support for long-serving teachers.