Arabic-trained teachers in the Philippines face challenges in non-Arabic classrooms

Challenges in other subjects

Subject-specialization mismatch was the central challenge reported by participants. The teachers described difficulty planning lessons and using effective instructional strategies because they lacked sufficient knowledge of the subjects they were assigned to teach. They also reported reduced confidence, limited access to training and resources, weak support and collaboration, and classroom and school environments that made teaching more difficult.

Participants linked these conditions to poorer teaching effectiveness and negative student learning outcomes. Their accounts also pointed to broader administrative and policy problems, including assignments that do not follow teachers’ areas of specialization and a mismatch between the Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers and specialized curricula.

Why subject fit matters

The findings suggest that assigning teachers to subjects outside their training can create difficulties for both instruction and classroom learning, particularly in schools dealing with teacher-specialization shortages. The study supports calls for school administrators and policymakers to assign teachers more closely according to their specialization, provide targeted professional development, improve access to teaching materials, and strengthen collaboration between teacher-training institutions and schools.

Evidence and limits

This was a qualitative case study based on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with seven purposively selected Arabic Education graduates who were teaching non-Arabic subjects in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi. Thematic analysis was used to identify common experiences and challenges. The study captures participants’ reported experiences and perceptions; it does not measure student outcomes directly or establish how widespread these problems are in other schools or regions.