Local history as a pillar of sustainable, culturally responsive social studies: Public secondary teachers perspectives

Integrating local history into Social Studies can strengthen culturally responsive education and support the sustainability of learning by increasing relevance, identity affirmation, and civic awareness. This qualitative study examined how public secondary school teachers in the Philippines incorporate local history into the K–12 Social Studies curriculum, the perceived benefits of this approach, barriers to implementation, and recommendations for sustainable curriculum improvement. Using a basic qualitative research design, sixteen Social Studies teachers from four public secondary schools in Tangub City, Misamis Occidental were purposively selected and interviewed using a semi-structured protocol. Interview data were transcribed verbatim and analysed through Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic analysis. Findings revealed five major themes emphasizing; 1) teachers integrate local history in the instructional process as a motivational tool, in learning activities and assessments, and in lesson discussions; 2) local history integration enhances student engagement and participation and fosters cultural pride and heritage appreciation; 3) local history as a pedagogical resource simplify complex content; 4) structural barriers in implementation includes inadequate access to local historical resources and time constraints exacerbated by curricular demands; and 5) strengthening culturally responsive social studies through the development of innovative localized instructional materials and building institutional partnerships and teacher capacity. The study positions local history integration as a transformative, not peripheral, pedagogical strategy that can advance culturally responsive and sustainable Social Studies education in the Philippine context. It strengthens cultural identity, deepens civic awareness, and promotes meaningful learning—thereby supporting sustainable education through culturally responsive curriculum design—while also revealing systemic gaps that require institutional support and curriculum innovation, underscoring that local history should be positioned not as a supplementary add-on but as a core pillar of equitable and sustainable Social Studies education in the Philippine context.