Teachers’ Awareness, Perceptions, and Challenges on the First-Year Implementation of the Expanded Career Progression System (2025) in the Department of Education

This study examined teachers’ awareness, perceptions, and challenges during the first-year implementation of the Expanded Career Progression (ECP) System in South District 5, Cebu City Division, during School Year 2025–2026. Anchored on Diffusion of Innovations Theory, Theory of Planned Behavior, and Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory, it employed a descriptive–correlational–comparative design involving 62 public elementary and secondary school teachers selected through stratified random sampling. Data were collected using an adopted structured questionnaire and analyzed through descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation. Findings revealed high awareness of ECP objectives, qualification standards, and procedures, alongside favorable perceptions of fairness, merit recognition, motivation, and professional growth. However, respondents experienced moderate challenges related to documentary requirements, administrative procedures, workload, time constraints, and institutional support. Awareness and perceptions did not differ significantly across demographic groups, whereas challenges differed significantly according to years of service. Awareness was positively and significantly associated with perceptions, but neither awareness nor perceptions showed a significant relationship with implementation challenges under the study’s reported significance criteria. The study concluded that practical and administrative barriers remained despite teachers’ understanding and acceptance of the system. It recommended clearer guidelines, streamlined documentation, strengthened orientation, differentiated assistance, and an ECP Guidelines-Based Resource Toolkit for Teachers. The research aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 4, Quality Education, through teacher professional development, and Goal 16, Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, through transparent career progression processes. Its contribution to sustainability lies in supporting equitable advancement, consistent policy implementation, and strengthening institutional capacity for continuing teacher professional development.