Research on Lived Experiences of Filipino Teachers Teaching Preschool in Vietnam

Abstract

Bilingual education is recognized worldwide as an effective pedagogical approach to learning a new language. This phenomenological study aimed to explore the lived experiences of Filipino teachers teaching preschool in Vietnam. The research employed semi-structured interviews for data collection. The participants were 10 Filipino teachers who were teaching preschool in Vietnam. The purposive sampling technique was used to select the participants who shared common experiences teaching preschool in Vietnam. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and organized into themes based on the research purpose. The emergent results were categorized into five main themes, such as (1) cultural adaptation and integration challenges, (2) teaching practices and strategies approach, (3) curriculum and pedagogy system, (4) coping with challenges-response, and (5) professional growth and identity-development. The results revealed that the experiences of Filipino teachers teaching preschool in Vietnam offer valuable insights for educational institutions and policymakers. Implementing language proficiency training, cross-cultural pedagogy training, continuous professional development, and support systems can better prepare and support teachers in a cross-cultural setting. Keywords: Lived experiences in teaching preschool, Filipino teachers in Vietnam, preschool teachers, Vietnam