A Phenomenological Study of Filipino Immigrant Teachers in South Texas

Abstract

This study explored the meanings held by Filipino immigrant teachers of their experiences as public school teachers in South Texas. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used in interviewing seven Filipino immigrant teachers who taught various subjects and grade levels. This qualitative method was useful in understanding subjective experiences, forming insights about individuals’ motivations and actions. The research question asked was: What does it mean to be a Filipino immigrant teacher in a public school in South Texas? After a careful inductive analysis of data collected, it was apparent that they viewed their experiences as an opportunity, challenge, and growth. The participants were selected by snowball sampling. This study contributes to the scant literature about the perceptions of Filipino teachers towards their professional identities and experiences, providing evidence that they have embraced their roles as positive contributors to their school communities. While the findings are not generalizable across the Filipino teacher population working in the United States, the participants’ voices were heard, recorded, and analyzed so that their unique identities, often unnoticed in the literature, may be highlighted.