Early Childhood Care and Development from the Lens of Teachers: A Phenomenology

Early childhood care and education emphasizes the child's social, emotional, cognitive, and physical needs for a strong foundation of learning and well-being. The study sought to determine the lived experiences of kindergarten teachers involved in early childhood care and development among their learners in the Schools Division of Ilocos Sur during the COVID-19 pandemic. A phenomenology was adopted with purposive sampling used to recruit participants with the following inclusive criteria: (1) kindergarten teachers, (2) involved in early childhood care and development, (3) male or female, (4) living in Ilocos Sur and (5) willing voluntarily to participate. The interview guide was used to gather and was validated by three teacher-experts. Significant findings revealed four major themes: (1) Psychological impact (stress and worries, lack of sleep, and fear for one’s life), (2) Personal growth (attending relevant webinars, attending online graduate school classes), (3) Support from Stakeholders (support from fellow teachers, support from local government, and support from community), and (4) Measures to achieve learning continuity (engage with parents, being technologically-competent, developing lessons for learners). Finally, the study recommends that the proposed early childhood care and development program may be considered by the community in partnership with the public school. Likewise, Kindergarten teachers may consider pursuing relevant training on enhancing learning among kindergarten pupils